Extra Credit

D.Y. Begay is a Native American artist who is born to the Totsoni Clan also known as “Big Water”, and in Tselani a place within the Navajo nation and studied at Arizona State University. As a young child, she was exposed to weaving by being surrounded by a lot of female weavers in her clan. That exposure gave her a realist look at the roles of women within her clan and the distinct functions between male and female roles. For many years, she was taught how to weave in traditional Navajo fashion. Her use of distinctive colors is due to the different styles of vegetation within the Navajo community which Begay ties in with her own work. Her weaving's are reflective of her identity and her people’s traditions from the distinctive bright colors all indicate to the natural beauty of the earth that she translates to her artistic pieces. But weaving is more than just art it’s source of income to the Navajo people. As she states, “Weaving has always been an important component of Navajo culture. Our weaving's provide valuable source of income to help support many Navajo families”. 

When I went to the Newark Museum I came across her work titled “Blanket, late 19^th century” it’s a German style blanket made from wool yarn.  With stick like figures bordering the outside and outlining the blanket with a V and and inverse V. Her work is reflective not only about her culture but profoundly about the roles of women in them through weaving she was able to understand Navajo gender roles and expectations regarding tradition.