Native Dreams
Navajo inspired quilt by Donna Weeks of Alaska. The background is reminiscent of the New Mexico sands and is surrounded by night time cooking “fires.” The colors in the mid star, black, white, blue, and yellow link the Navajos to their ancestral homeland and the story of its creation. The yellow represents the sun shining from the east on the four mountains sacred to the Navajo. The red is the hallmark of sunshine, and is a blessing for Navajo health and spirituality. Black is for darkness, and a time to restore our bodies and minds. The turquoise is especially important to the Navajo people because of its religious significance, and its representation of a well-being individual. The back shows the smoke and embers as they float into the night skies. The detailed quilting is a cross between the cacti and snakes of the desert and was done by Sharon Hughes of Idaho.