Navajo Weaving I

Barbara Jean Teller Ornelas is a fifth-generation Master Navajo Weaver and culture bearer, raised near the famed Two Grey Hills Trading Post on the Navajo Nation. Her father, Sam Teller, was a Navajo trader for thirty-two years. Her mother, Ruth Teller, was a weaver, gardener, quilter and photographer. When Teller Ornelas was ten, her paternal grandmother dreamt that she would become a great weaver who shared their traditions around the world. Fifty-seven years later, Teller Ornelas has not only honed her artistry as a Two Grey Hills weaver, but shared it with audiences internationally in the form of workshops, lectures, and exhibitions. For Teller Ornelas, weaving is a living art form. She uses her work to tell stories—a legacy passed down from her great-grandfather, a Keeper of Stories who was imprisoned at Bosque Redondo after the U.S. military forcibly relocated the Navajo people in 1863. Teller Ornelas is herself a survivor of two U.S. government residential schools—institutions which aimed to eradicate Navajo culture. In the face of this, she has dedicated her life to preserving and innovating Navajo weaving. Her designs reference both her matrilineal traditions and lived experience. As a teacher, she has shared her knowledge with students from Arizona to Peru and Oaxaca, to Uzbekistan, to Kyrgyzstan, building solidarity with other indigenous peoples. In 2023, Barbara became a US Artist fellow. Today, her mission is to connect Navajo people in her own cultural ecosystem with their heritage by passing on this crucial ancestral knowledge and nurturing new generations of Navajo weavers.

Diné tapestry weaver Lynda Teller Pete was born into the Tábąąhá (Water Edge Clan) and born for the Tó’aheedlíinii (Two Waters Flow Together Clan) and originally from the Two Grey Hills, Newcomb, NM area of the Diné Nation. She currently lives in Denver with her husband, Belvin Pete. Weaving is a legacy in the Teller family. For over seven generations, her family has produced award-winning rugs in the traditional Two Grey Hills regional style. Along with her weaving, Lynda collaborates with fiber art centers, museums, universities, fiber guilds and other art venues to educate the public about Diné history and the preservation of Diné weaving traditions. Lynda and her sister Barbara co-authored Spider Woman’s Children: Navajo Weavers Today in 2018—the first book about Diné weavers written by Diné weavers since the era of Spanish and colonial contact. They went on to publish How to Weave a Navajo Rug and Other Lessons from Spider Woman in 2020, as well as Navajo Textiles: The Crane Collection at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science in 2016. Lynda has a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in Public Programs from Arizona State University. She is also a 2022-2023 Luce Indigenous Knowledge Fellow and has an elected Board of Director position with the Textile Society of America for 2020-2025. Lynda was selected for the 2024 School of Advanced Research’s Rollin and Mary Ella King Native Artist Fellowship in Santa Fe, NM.

Your lab fee includes the use of a pre-warped loom and essential tools such as a batten and comb, four skeins of wool, and paper and pencil for note-taking and design work. Additional wool and tools will be available for purchase during class if needed or desired.

All suggested items are optional but suggested for comfort.

•Padded cushion for your seat

•Back support device

•Clamp-on light

•Clip on fan for comfort

•Reading glasses if necessary

Your workshop starts at 9 a.m. each day. Lunch is served from 12 to 1 p.m. Workshops resume at 1 p.m. and wrap up at 4 p.m. Dinner is served from 5 to 7 p.m. You are welcome to join evening programming led by other adult art programs on campus, please see your schedule for event details. 

NOTE: Some instructors allow for after-hour work sessions. If the instructor(s) is/are willing and present in the classroom, you can work on your pieces after 4 pm.

Generous donors have made scholarships and fellowships for adult workshops available on a limited basis for these specific groups:

1) Native American Community Leaders, Artists, Members, and Teachers.
2) Southern California professors, and graduate students.

Scholarships include workshop tuition, dorm housing, and all meals provided by the campus dining service. 

Please note: Transportation to and from campus is not provided. Registration and Lab Fees are also not included in scholarship awards.

Scholarship Details:
1) Native American Community Members, Leaders, Artists, and Teachers

For adults 18 and older with current tribal affiliation or proof of descent. This scholarship intends to support the traditional transference of knowledge in Indigenous communities. The scholarship welcomes community leaders, artists, members, and educators to workshops at Idyllwild Arts to benefit both the scholarship recipient and those in their schools or tribal home communities. Applicants must explain how this opportunity will enhance their understanding of Indigenous arts and their potential benefits to their home community(s). Applicants with financial needs may receive priority. We also offer scholarships for Native American Teens for both the Summer Program and the Academy.

2) Southern California professors, and graduate students
For adults 18 and older who are current teachers in lower and higher education who will benefit from learning about Native American Arts and Culture to take back into the classroom as well as currently enrolled graduate students. The scholarship is designed to provide professional development for those in education to share with their learning communities.

Click here for more information about adult scholarships.