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Listen to Roy's Introduction in his Dine' Language.

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Yáátééh

Welcome to Shi' web page, I'm a Dine' born to the Tl'izi lani, the Many Goats people, and born for Ashiihi, the Salt people. My Maternal grandparents are the Bit'ahnii, the Folded Arms people and my Paternal grandparents are the Hashk'aa hadzohi, the Yucca Fruit-Strung-Out-In-A-Line people. I was raised in a small sheepherding town of T'iis Nazbas, Manygoats Springs, Arizona. It is my hope that I could share with you my Dine' culture and my expressions of the sacred art, which Spider Women has given us. You can Email me at roykady@dinewoven.com

Roy Kady – Fourth Generation Master Weaver: As Navajo rug weavers go, Roy Kady is an paradox, dispelling the belief that only women were the weavers in Navajo society. “From the Navajo perspective, male weavers have always been part of traditional Navajo history and culture. Male weavers are mentioned in our creation stories in the underworld, but this is not mentioned in the English versions of our Navajo stories. To hear of a Navajo man weaving draws questions and sometime blank looks from non-Navajo people and also from some contemporary Navajo.” (See Wesley Thomas, Ph.D.) Among the few Navajo men who do weave it is generally not a full time pursuit, and many of them prefer to remain anonymous. Roy spends eight to nine hours a day weaving, and he is an extrovert in marketing and promoting his rugs. Most weavers jealously guard their techniques and patterns; Roy is not only able to get others to share their secrets with him, he offers to teach anyone who is interested in the art. "If I don't weave for awhile," Roy says, "I feel like I'm lost somewhere, like something that is a part of me is gone. I need to weave to express myself."

Initially Roy's sisters did not pursue in carrying on the family's tradition of weaving. Roy asked if he could have his mother's loom and tools, when his mother considered retiring. Roy says, "My mom was there to guide me, to set up a loom. She suggested I start with stripes, a basic band rug, but I said, 'No, I want to do a design'. I went right into a complicated design." And Roy has been weaving full time ever since and has inspired the family to continue on the tradition of weaving.

When Roy marked his thirty-second birthday he had his brother; the late Willie Weaver, perform a Blessing way Ceremony on him. And he marked another milestone: after the requisite ten years of weaving rugs, Roy Kady is now considered by Navajo society to be a Master Weaver.

A bachelor, Roy has the freedom necessary to immerse himself in his art, luxuriating in all aspects of his natural talents. He also studies his Navajo culture and understands the stories and myths, and the symbols that represent them.

Born and raised in the Four Corners region of the Navajo Reservation, Roy Kady now lives in northeastern Arizona, in the Teec Nos Pos area know as Goat Springs. He learned rug weaving as a young boy at the age of 9yrs. old, from his grandmother, who learned it from her mother. He still has that first effort, a small unfinished rug, rolled up and stored away. Roy thinks he didn't finish it because "It was just stripes. I wanted to do a design."

Before Roy discovered his love for weaving, he was involved with a variety of art forms. He is a self-taught contemporary artist specializing in charcoal and pastel drawings, wood carving, basketry, photography, and clothing designs. Currently, he is a paid consultant in the local school where he works with students in everything from pottery and folk art, to textiles and simple beaded jewelry. He also considers dancing as one of his arts. Roy says, "I try to touch base with everything."

It is this passion for life and learning that has brought him to the point he is today: not only a professional rug weaver but an expert on rug weaving. "It's taken me ten years to get here," Roy maintains, referring to his knowledge and skills, "I learned all the regional designs to accomplish more. In my last two pieces you see the (multi pattern) and different techniques that come with the regional styles. I'm incorporating it into the designs I'm doing right now."

"Regional styles" refers to the traditional Navajo rug patterns that are particular to different parts of the Navajo homeland. The Chief blanket was the earliest known established weaving style of the Navajos, over time evolving into four phases or designs, see Roy's unique "Kady Sun's Horses".  Then basic rug styles developed in different parts of the reservation. There are presently about sixteen recognized styles besides the pictorial style rugs.

Roy has studied the history of Navajo rug weaving through books, and by visiting museums where the old style rugs are displayed. He learned to weave tight graceful circles into his designs by studying old style "wedge" weaving. "Every piece that I do, I learn something else I didn't know," he says.

Roy uses all types of wool. He usually buys commercial 4-ply yarn but when he wants a unique texture he doesn't hesitate to split it or use 1-ply. He prefers using Germantown yarn because of its softness; he has also used llama wool from hand spinners in Wyoming, again for the unique softness. If someone wants an authentic old style rug, he knows how to card, spin, and dye his own wool. He even owns a spinning wheel that was made in Holland.

Roy likes making theme rugs, not only because they stretch his imagination, but because he is able to preserve his Navajo culture by telling stories through his rugs. He often combines designs and themes. He has received many awards for his elaborate rugs, his favorite rug, "The Bird That Got Away", took 2nd place at the Gallup Ceremonials.

"My work is tiring, but satisfying," Roy says. "It's meditation for me. It soothes and calms my mind. I hope that the people who see my rugs and buy them understand this, that it's my mind that they are buying. I hope they try to feel my presence of happiness in my rugs."

If you would like to see my work at my gallery please click here.

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