Diné be’ iiná, Inc. presents the
14th Annual Sheep is Life Celebration
Monday – Saturday, June 14 – 19, 2010, Tsailé, AZ, Navajo Nation
Celebrating the central role of sheep and fiber arts in cultures from around the world.
Diné be’ iiná (The Navajo Lifeway) presents the 14th Annual Sheep is Life Celebration from June 14–19, 2010 at the Diné College Land Grant Program Facility in Tsailé, AZ, in the Navajo Nation. The Celebration is organized by Navajo sheep herders and weavers to honor the central role of sheep and fiber arts in the spirituality, philosophy, and daily life of cultures throughout the world. Everyone is invited to participate, bring tools, spindles, fibers, and creativity to share.
Sheep is Life activities include:
Workshops. Navajo Fiber Arts and Lifeways. Monday-Friday. One- to five-day classes. Workshop and materials fees apply. Classes and registration information will be posted on the web site by April.
Sheep to Loom. Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Free hands-on activities and presentations for the whole family.
Sheep and Wool Shows.
Vendor and Food Booths.
Sales of sheep, wool, fiber, materials, and art. Navajo-Churro sheep exchange.
Herd health, flock management, and shepherd training workshops.
Premiere of international traveling exhibit on Navajo Sheep Culture.
Contemporary Fiber Arts Sale. Friday, 3:00 – 8:00 p.m..
Creative value-added products made from wool and other animal fibers. Open to all fiber artists.
Juried Navajo Rug Show and Sale. Saturday, 3:00 – 8:00 p.m. Artists will be present.
Weavings by Navajo artists from 100% sheep wool. Featuring rugs made with hand-spun, natural-dyed Navajo-Churro yarn.
Logistics:
The Celebration takes place at the new Land Grant Program facilities, adjacent to the Rodeo Grounds on the Diné College Tsailé campus, located in the Navajo Nation on the northeast rim of Canyon de Chelly. Tsailé is at the junction of Navajo Highways 64 and 12, approximately 30 miles northeast of Chinlé, the nearest town with hotels.
Camping and RV parking is available on-site, adjacent to sheep pens and the show arena, which have a water hydrant and electric lighting.
Hotel and motels are available in Canyon de Chelly, Chinle, and Window Rock.
For more information:
Diné be’ iiná, Inc., PO Box 683, Window Rock, AZ 86515
TahNibaa Naataanii, Project Director, 505.406.7428
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
; www.navajolifeway.org
Sheep is Life is co-sponsored by the Diné College Land Grant Program and funded in partnership with the USDA Risk Management Agency. DBI is a nonprofit, federally tax-exempt 501c3 corporation.
Sheep to Loom Processes
Shearing
First, wool must be shorn from sheep. Blade shearing done by hand can be very time consuming. A good blade shearer can beat the machine, but few have this skill today. Machine shearing requires a power source. If the machine isn’t portable, herders must transport their sheep, a difficult, stressful undertaking. Blade shearing is the most traditional and practical solution when dealing with the average-sized Navajo flock (25-50 sheep). Proficiency in both mechanical and blade shearing should be improved.
Compilation of information on Domestication of Sheep and Goats, with focus on Churra and evolution of Navajo-Churro. Between 12,000 and 10,000 years ago, there was an extinction of many large game animals that correlates with the immigration of humans into new areas. These include: the mammoth, rhinoceros and the cave bear in Ice Age Europe, as well as the horse, giant sloth and mastodon in the Americas. This phase is known as the Younger Dryas and is believed by some researchers to have been caused by the breakup and explosion of an astrophysical body in the Earth’s atmosphere, very close to ground level.
Articles
