PBS Documentary Focuses on Navajo Weavers

Zonnie Gillmore, a weaver from Chinle, Ariz., waits for the results of the bids at the Crownpoint rug auction.

Helen Bedonie weaves rugs full-time for her income, using brush and roots outside her home to dye the wool taken from her sheep herd on the Navajo Nation. 

Nicole Horseherder, a 35-year-old Navajo from Black Mesa, Ariz., who has a master’s degree in linguistics, chooses to raise her family on the reservation and continues to practice the art of weaving as taught by her grandmother rather than live in a crowded city. 

Gilbert Begay, a rare male weaver, looks forward to passing on the traditional Navajo art being threatened by capitalism and changing lifestyles. 

The three are among several artisans who share their stories of cultural continuity and pride in a new documentary, Weaving Worlds, presented by Trickster Films and the Independent Television Service (ITVS), in association with American Public Television (APT) and Native American Public Telecommunications (NAPT).

Exploring sustainability through art, Weaving Worlds also reveals the often controversial relationship with Anglo traders and the challenges of maintaining aspects of a traditional lifestyle. The documentary is being released to public television stations across the nation starting in November for Native American Heritage Month. Check your local PBS station for air dates and times.