Baskets Weave Generations Together

Weaving is a gift, says fourth-generation Diné (Navajo) basket weaver Joann Johnson. “I learned it from my mother, Betty Rock Johnson, who learned it from her mother, who learned from her mother, my great-grandmother Ida Bigman. I feel close to her when I am weaving a basket.” The U’s Natural History Museum of Utah is home to a large collection of Navajo baskets, including the Three Necklaces piece by Elsie Holiday pictured here. It’s a striking depiction of Jóhonaa éí (Sun Carrier) wearing three turquoise necklaces, which balances both light and dark.

Learn more about this basket and see other examples of these detailed works.