Slide 1 Spider Woman Teaches the Navajo How to Weave A Navajo Tale Have you ever seen a special rug? What did it look like? What kind of special rug would you like to make? One day long ago, a young girl was walking when she came to Spider Rock. Legend said that Spider Woman herself lived nearby. As the girl walked on, she heard a soft voice calling. She looked here and there, but did not see anyone. She heard the soft voice again. It seemed to be coming from the earth. When she looked down, she saw the ground split and divide to form a tiny crack. Being curious, the girl peeked into the crack. There she saw a small room decorated with extraordinary blankets. The blankets were woven with wonderful bright colors and had intricate designs.

Slide 2 Spider Woman Teaches the Navajo How to Weave A Navajo Tale (Cont.) “What beautiful rugs!” exclaimed the girl, looking down into the room. Spider Woman looked up at the girl. “Come in, child,” she said. Suddenly the girl found herself in Spider Woman’s room. “Can I learn to weave rugs like these?” asked the girl. “Will you teach me your craft?” “I will teach you my craft if you agree to just one thing,” said Spider Woman. “You must go out into the world to teach Navajo women to weave.” The lessons began right away. First, the young girl learned about colors. “The colors come from the earth,” explained Spider Woman. “White comes from shells and blue comes from turquoise. From the abalone’s shell comes yellow. Black comes from the mineral called jet. And even more colors can be made from plants.” Spider Woman taught the girl how to make the beautiful colors, and the girl learned.

Slide 3 Spider Woman Teaches the Navajo How to Weave A Navajo Tale (Cont.) Next the girl learned about the loom. “My husband, Spider Man, made this loom for me,” said Spider Woman. “The bar across the top represents the sky, and the bottom bar represents the earth. My loom is made of the sun’s rays, the lightning, and the rain.” Spider Woman taught the girl how to use the loom, and the girl learned. Finally, the girl learned about the designs. “The designs come from the earth and the sky,” explained Spider Woman. “When I weave, I think about the clouds in the sky. I remember the flash of lightning when it rains. I dream of sunbeams on sunny days. And I remember the beauty of the mountains standing against the sky.” Spider Woman continued, “You must never draw your design. Close your eyes and imagine the design in your mind. Let the weaving come from your heart.” Spider Woman taught the girl how to make the designs, and the girl learned.

Slide 4 Spider Woman Teaches the Navajo How to Weave A Navajo Tale (Cont.) Before the girl began to weave, Spider Woman shared one last piece of knowledge. “The border of the rug must have one small break in its design,” she instructed. “It can be as simple as a light color woven into a dark background. This opening is called the spirit pathway. It is how the spirit of the weaver escapes from the blanket she has woven. If you do not leave the opening, your spirit will be trapped inside and you will not be able to create any more beautiful blankets.” The girl began to weave. She wove precious blankets with beautiful colors and designs. When she was herself an expert weaver, she left Spider Woman. She kept her promise to teach Navajo women to weave. The girl became known as Weaving Woman. She spent her life traveling among the Navajo and teaching the women to weave. And that’s why, to this day, the Navajo weave their precious blankets and rugs for all people to enjoy. Unit 3, Week 3 1. What crafts do you like to make? 2. What have you decorated? How did you decorate it? 3. What are some things that you can divide? 4. What have you seen that was extraordinary? 5. What is the most wonderful birthday present that you can imagine? 6. When would I instruct you to clear your desks? 7. Which has an intricate design, a piece of notebook paper or a spider web? 8. What do you know about the legend of Bigfoot? Do you know any other legends? 9. What is precious to you? 10. What does a thumbs-up represent?