Navajo Rugs
The Navajo is relatively a small group of native Americans. They have become famous because of their craftsmen who weave beautiful Navajo rugs. The tradition of the Navajo rugs weaving dates back at least three hundred years. The Navajo Indians settled in the American continent about one thousand years ago.
Unlike other Indian tribes they were not fallen under influence of the Europeans who have begun invading the American continent since 1492. The Navajo went to the canyons and added herding to their farming existence. Then, the Navajo were restricted within geographic boundary lines, called reservations.
But nevertheless they kept on weaving the Navajo rugs. As a matter of fact their economy was supported only by export of the Navajo rugs. The market for the Navajo rugs boomed in the early 1900’s as automobiles replaced wagons and tourism exploded in America. Trading posts became important retail outlets for the most of sought-after commodity.
Trading post owners introduced commercial dyes and yarns to the Navajo rugs, making their weaving much less time-consuming.