Notah Dineh Museum - Cortez, Colorado

Notah Dineh Museum - Cortez, Colorado

Into each life there comes an opportunity to learn about the culture and values of those that came before us.  At the Notah Dine Museum you will find the story of the Navajo and other Native American Indians that have influenced the United States for generations.  Here you will see Antique cradleboards, beaded toys, ceremonial gloves, and moccasins, tomahawks, breastplates, pottery fetishes, woven baskets, kachinas from the 20′ and 30’s.  There are also antique Navajo rugs which showcase the Native American life of this honorable and respected tribe.

The Museum opened to the public in 1994 to assist in the continuance of the knowledge of the Native American way of life.

You will see a cradleboard that was the home to infants from the time of their birth until large enough to learn to creep.  Although wrapped and bound, even in the summer, the child seemed quite happy.  The card is a "linen", often produced by pressing the paper against cloth in the process, it has the texture of linen on the face of the card with the colors often being very vibrant.

The breastplates worn by the warriors were a form of armor.  Today they are worn for ceremonial purposes as regalia.

When you are at the museum and you see the fetishes you may want to know more about what they are and stand for to the owner.  Native American fetishes can be likened to the amulets, charms, and talismans of other cultures. They are objects that carry mystical significance which can have a direct impact on its possessor. While all Southwestern tribes make and use fetishes, the Zuni and Navajo are the most widely known. When the artist who creates the fetish prays over their work, it is said to release the spirit of the animal into the carving. The animal spirits are said to bring good luck, protection, and guidance to it’s owner. There are six main fetishes that are associated with the six cardinal directions, each of which carry special powers. The North is represented by the mountain lion, the South is represented by the badger, the West belongs to the bear, and the East is represented by the wolf.  Fetishes are commonly made of alabaster, turquoise, coral, jet, and antler. Each animal symbol has a different meaning.  Studying the meaning of each will be an interesting journey for those that choose to take the time.

The Kachinas (or katsinas) are actually stylized religious icons, meticulously carved from cottonwood root and painted to represent figures from Hopi mythology. For generations, these figures have been used to teach children about their religion.  Authentic kachina dolls are made only by Hopi artists. There are plenty of other tribes with their own figurine-carving traditions, but the kachina tradition is unique to the Hopi. When you see Navajo kachinas or Mexican kachinas, those are imitations of the real Hopi kachinas.

The Navajo rugs that are on display show the talent of the weavers. Like all things Navajo, the weaving of a Native American rug involves both the spiritual and temporal world. From the spiritual side, the Navajos believe that the art of weaving was passed on to them by Spider Woman, a deity of the Navajo emergence story. From a temporal view, they respond to both artistic pride and augmentation of their meager income. The Two Grey Hill’s rug became known for its all natural wool colors blended to various shades of tan, grey, brown, black and white. The other distinction was the weavers carded and spun the wool to a fineness rarely found in the other regional styles. The Two Grey Hills style rugs and tapestries are one of the best know, most sought after and expensive patterns, a fact still true today.

One challenge of the Two Grey Hills style of weaving is the making of a rug that is very large in length and width. Due to the extra time and effort to produce the finely woven and intricately designed Two Grey Hills rugs, they are generally smaller in size and more suited to wall use. A 5′ by 7′ would be considered large.  At the museum you will be able to see some of the outstanding works done by the Navajo’s in the creation of these beautiful rugs.  You will also see the largest Two Grey Hills rug thought to have ever been created.  This 12×18 weaving was started in 1957 and completed in 1960.  After spending years in a private home and then in a shop in California it was purchased and returned to it’s home area in Colorado to be put on display for you to admire.

Location: 345 West Main, Cortez, Colorado 81321

Phone: 1-800-444-2024

There is also a Trading Post at this location for you to purchase items to remember your trip back in time.