I learned the Navajo Horse Cinch technique form my mother, Shima. She told me this story once; " Your grandfather KADY wove and braided Horse implements. For the Horse Cinch, he would use the wool skirting of the wool, right after a sheep was shorn he would gather the skirting and lap spin the raw wool and construct the loom and weave a cinch, that way he knew it was strong and plus he knew the wool would felt together and become even stronger".

This particular design is a Dine' Twill weave that uses a 3-Heddle and 1 Shed Rod set-up and 3 alternating colors. The "heddles' make the design coinciding with the color yarns, it's more mathematical then the regular straight weaves and it's a lot of fun.

Shima tells me that the Twill Weaves are a mastered Art, the strength of the weaving is considered a great shield for protection for those who acquire that wisdom. And so they are woven into saddle blankets and other utilitarian textiles for that purpose.

I was once told that, if I wanted to teach the twill weaves to another individual, that I must not teach that person all the designs. I must keep one for myself as my protector and shield from all evil.

Not all weavers weave with the twill technique, it takes longer to weave, and if you are in the commercial market, there really isn't a market for them anymore. So it is not seldom woven anymore, because of it's difficulty and the market.

Shima was a great "horsewoman", she use to help her father KADY break horses. KADY at one time owned about 100 heads of horse, all broken in and tamed by him. Shima say's that: " My father was well known in this area (Teec Nos Pos) for breaking horses. He would tame the wildest horses. One time he roped one and grab it's ears and mounted himself on it bareback, he rode that horse until it tamed, my father was a very strong man". .

Horses are legendary figures and are a part of the Dine curing ceremonies. In our Beautyway ceremony the White Water Horses are called upon to eradicate snake infection. The Sun’s turquoise horse is used to combat illness, if you offend a horse, or if you get the “horse sickness”.

The Horse to the Dine people has four major facets in Dine Life—birth, puberty, marriage and death. At birth, if you want your child to be a great horse person, you tied the child’s umbilical cord to mane or tail of the horse. During the puberty ceremony the horse songs are sung and at a traditional Dine wedding ceremony horses are given to the brides family upon marriage. Horse trapping are also important, often times bridles, saddles and other Horse implements were given to the medicine man as a form of payment for certain ceremonies. And so at the time of your death your favorite horse (s) were saddled and bridled up, piled up with your personal possessions and killed near your grave.

Dine Woven Horse Cinch/Girth are all woven from the NAVAJO CHURRO WOOL

They may serve both as utilitarian and decorative items. The weaving of cinch/girth involved much more effort to produce than the more common string/braided cinches that are readily available in stores.

(click on thumbnails for larger picture)

All of Roy’s weavings are signed with his trademark design woven into his textiles. His trademark is a pictograph of the Dine’ found at Dine'tah, which inspired him when visiting Dine'tah in New Mexico.

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