Introduction
The Navajo beadwork is well-known and recognized for its unique style and design. Most of the beads are made of silver, iron, copper and steel. The first form of recent beadwork was started by the blacksmith called Atsidi Sani. This fact occurred in the 19th century, and soon more people began to do the artwork (Karasik). However, there are many signs that the beadwork started long before the arrival of the Europeans. It is a fact that beads can be able to last for thousands of years.
The Navajo community has a firm belief that a human being should have adornment precisely the necklace beads. The necklace will be able to distinguish between a human and an animal. This fact means that the beadwork had some significant cultural value. The method of crafting the beads is by hand and also, it can be able to indicate the culture of people at that particular time. The beads are claimed to have been incorporated in their everyday life especially when telling stories. Mothers used their necklaces to tell stories about their cultural movement from one generation to another. This fact makes it easy for their children to learn more about their history and culture. Therefore, their cultural history can be preserved from their beads. It can also be observed that all Native American have their unique beadwork that describes their culture. This fact can also be seen from the Navajo community.
Items used in beadwork
The materials used in making the beads usually depends on the time of history. By looking at most of the beads, it can be observed to have been made from wood and bones. This could be the reason why it is long lasting and can easily be fashioned using hands especially in the ancient times. Another material used are the shells, especially for the adornment purposes. In the Navajo community fashioning, the beads were considered to be a sacred task. This fact is the reason it was a crucial to have beads on their bodies whether they were male or female. However, there are some instances where the women were the ones who were fashioning the beads. However, in the modern world, it can be observed that some of the beadwork are used for economic functions. These facts are the reason some of them do not have any cultural values. People concentrate on beautifying the beads to increase sells from tourists.
Beadwork and cultural values
In the eighteenth century, the beadwork was made from silver because the native Indians were exchanging goods in the barter trade (Bedinger). The early Navajo Smiths engraved, filed designs and stamped their beads into a white silver that had been melted from the silver coins given to them by the Europeans. The silver used can tell the stories about the European-American trade that was occurring. This fact made it easy for the younger generations to know more about the evolutions of the beadwork from bones and wood structure to using silver and copper. These new items also indicated about their history of colonization by the Europeans. The artwork stamped their struggles and assimilation to the Europeans.
The Europeans nations wanted to change the Native American culture and therefore, introduced to them new materials and ideologies (Bedinger). The people changes could be observed from the beadwork that had incorporated the new elements presented to them. The Navajo people progressed to using wire and sheet silver. These new metals were introduced to the Native Americans by the American settlers. The Mexicans workers presented the stamps and punches tools that were very useful in decorating the beadwork jewelry.
One of the commonly used materials for the Navajo community is the turquoise. In the 19th century, that is when the turquoise began to be made from silver. The turquoise can be used to make jewelry using beadwork. Examples of things made are necklaces, bangles and other useful jewelry for the community. Even in the modern world, most Navajo people continue to make ornaments and jewelry by using the turquoise materials. However, other materials used to be make beadwork are the corals and precious stones. These materials began to be utilized in the twentieth century. The reason for this could be brought on by the changes that were occurring in the community (Iverson). Other Native Americans had already begun using these materials; therefore, the Navajo people felt the need also to emulate other communities. It could also be observed that through the utilization of these materials the beadwork was well decorated in a manner that was beautiful.
One of the famous Navajo jewelry is the Squash Blossom necklaces that are considered to be well decorated and has many features that can distinguish their culture. Most of the necklaces are made of a string of brown silver beads that has been intersected by the stylized blossoms. It also has features of a pendant or the naja that is placed at the center of the strands (Adair). The naja can be easily be recognized because the design resembles the upside down horseshoe. It can be seen that the squash blossom has copied the buttons of the pants that was worn by the Spanish people. According to the Spaniards, the buttons were representing the pomegranates.
In conclusion, the Navajo beadwork has been used to talk about the culture of the community. The beadwork can be observed to have evolved with the passing of time. Therefore, mothers pass on their beadwork jewelry to the younger generations with stories about their culture and the importance of the jewelry. This fact enables the children to learn more about their culture and history. Before European invasion of the Americas, Navajo beadwork was mostly created using horns and wood. However, after the arrival of the Europeans and through barter trade the Native American started making their jewelry using copper, iron and silver. Through the transformation, people were educated about their history and culture before and after the arrival of the Europeans.
Work cited
Adair, John. The Navajo and Pueblo Silversmiths. University of Oklahoma Press, 1989. Print
Bedinger, Margery. Indian Silver, Navajo and Pueblo Jewelers. University of New Mexico Press, 1975. Print
Iverson, Peter. Diné: A History of the Navahos. Albuquerque. University of New Mexico Press, 2002. Print
Karasik, Carol. The Turquoise Trail: Native American Jewelry and Culture of the Southwest. New York: Abrams, 1993. Print
Summers, Dave. Where Did Philip Rivers Get That Bolo Tie? NBC San Diego, 2014. Print
