The Navajo and his Blanket [SOLD]

THE NAVAJO AND HIS BLANKET 

By Uriah S. Hollister

Publisher of first edition in 1903 was U. S. Hollister, Denver

Publisher of this first re-print in1972 was The Rio Grande Press, Glorietta

This edition is hardback with white vinyl cover, red lettering, and rug picture on cover.  Title repeated on spine. 

Excellent condition with minor fraying of cover, 152 pages, with textiles illustrated in color and historic photographs in black and white

INTRODUCTION

“With the passing of the North American Indians from their native condition there is an increasing interest in all that relates to them, to their origin, and to their modes of life before they were disturbed by the influences of advancing civilization. In the sequence of events it will not be long until they will live only in history; and therefore, realizing that this fate awaits them in the near future, we are collecting and recording all information we can obtain concerning their legends, traditions, beliefs, habits, manners, customs, and handiwork, and are eager to witness their tribal ceremonies and religious rites before the encroachments of the white man bring about their discontinuance. Every fact pertaining to their lives that we gather and record, and every article of their production that we obtain and reserve, will be of value to coming generations, and add to the stock of material available to future historians of this remarkable race of men.

“Our researches along these lines bring us into contact with the structures and other remains of those strange and unknown peoples, the Cliff Dwellers and the Mound Builders, who were certainly far antecedent to our Indians in their occupation of our country. We study with intense interest their surviving monuments and other evidences of their presence here in the remote past in our still baffled efforts to determine who and what they were and how and when they lived; and treasure their lesser relics—their implements, pottery, and woven fabrics—as mementos of vanished races who, as we have many reasons for believing, may have risen and flourished long before the Christian era.

“In decorating our homes with fine examples of our Indians’ barbaric work which we willingly purchase at almost any price, we gratify our love for curious things and yield to our fancy for unusual embellishments; but in doing so we may also be building better than we know.  Collections of the implements of domestic use, and of warfare, and of the clothing and ornaments, made by the Indians of our eastern coast in the time when our Pilgrim Fathers landed, would be of great value now; and collections assembled by us of similar articles made by the Indians of the present day will be hereafter of great ethnological and historic value. . . .

“But the Navajo blankets are peculiarly attractive to those who become familiar with their remarkable qualities and very interesting history.  Indeed they are unique among Indian products, and may be said to stand aloof from all the others.  Made by only one tribe, they have characteristics that no other people try to imitate; and at this time are attracting probably more attention than any other articles of Indian manufacture.”

CONTENTS

Introduction

The North American Indian

The Red Man

A Summer Day in Navajo Land

The Navajo Land

The Navajo

Habitations

The Beginning

Another Step

The Blanket

Conclusion