| Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork and archival research, I examine the historical and contemporary trading post and the related market in Native American art as arenas of contact between Navajo and Anglo culture. An activity which both defines and transcends cultural difference, trade is itself a border between interacting parties, where goods and ideas are exchanged in an ongoing negotiation of control and identity, of value and beauty. This work explores the trading relationship as it is communicatively constituted and aesthetically focused. "We used to be the hub--now we're just one of the spokes," observed one fourth-generation trader about the role of trading posts in Navajo communities, following the shift from a barter to a cash economy on the reservation. The trading post itself has grown many spokes from its original all-encompassing capacity. Beginning with the historic trading post or "hub," I follow one particular "spoke," the art market, into the present, as it continues to be a highly charged meeting place between Navajo and Anglo worlds. The Introduction and first chapter, "Far From Nizaad," situate the trading post in its historical and cultural context, presenting the trading post as a unique meeting place between Navajo and Anglo worlds. Reciprocity, trader advocacy, Navajo agency, and trust are central facets of this border culture. "Ritual Trade, Trade Ritual," explores the distinctive spatio-temporal realm of the trading post. From the pre-reservation era through historic and contemporary Navajo-Anglo trading encounters, this chapter highlights the spiritual dimensions of Navajo trading, as well as the social rituals enacted in the context of intercultural exchange. "From Hub to Spoke" bridges historical change from the days of barter in the historic trading post to the cash-based economy which has replaced true trading, ushering in far-reaching transformations in Navajo life. Based on conversations with trader Liza Doran and weavers Marie Begay and Mary Jim, all of Bluff, Utah, "It Comes to Your Eyes" closely examines trader-weaver relationships in one trading post, revealing the weavers' aesthetic and economic autonomy, as well as the impact of this community of weavers on the trader. In "But I Refuse to Wear Feathers," two contemporary Navajo artists, silversmith Richard Curley and painter Jack Tobaahe Gene, navigate the Native American art market, wherein they express themselves as Navajo artists, while confronting Anglo attitudes towards their art and culture. This research seeks to investigate trading interaction from both Navajo and Anglo perspectives, and to contribute to an understanding of the larger relationship in which it is embedded. |
