Teec Nos Pos Rug

Teec Nos Pos Rug

Unknown weaver

1910 – 20

Shimá: This is the yeii becheii, or Talking God, with the two faces. There is a lot of dualism in this weaving and it communicates the struggle for hózhó (balance/harmony) against nayee (imbalance/disruption). The feathers are how the yeii becheii communicate with the Holy People. The Twins (Born for Water and Monster Slayer) are in the center, standing on a rainbow. Rainbows are used by the Holy People to travel, to carry prayers and energy. The Twins fought the monsters, or negativity, that was bringing the Navajo people down. They fought off many monsters, but some still remain, like poverty, hunger, and laziness. So, we must struggle against these monsters to grow. This means that the weaver was struggling when she wove this rug. Seeing pieces like this is very emotional for the elderly especially, because it’s part of our healing process—you feel deeply for the weaver because they were experiencing difficult times as they created the piece.

Bob: I see the reflection symmetries in the weaving, something I identify with balance, yet I also see (and you will too if you look!) disruptions in that symmetry, suggesting imbalance. Shimá’s interpretation brings me a deep spiritual meaning to these symmetries and asymmetries.