THE NAVAJO. Written by Lois Essary
Jacka. Photographs by
Jerry Jacka. Flagstaff, AZ: Northland
Publishing (P.O. Box 1389, 86002),
1994. Hardbound. 199 Pp. ISBN
Number 0-87358-584-4. $55.00.
Lois and Jerry Jacka, a writer-
photographer team, offer through
“Enduring Traditions” an extensive
collection of contemporary Dine’ art.
The Dine’ (this name, preferred by
most Navajo people, is translated to
mean “The People”) presently live on a
16 million acre reservation in
northeastern Arizona and northwestern
New Mexico. They are the
largest tribe in the United States. Art
attributed to the Dine’ spans from the
eighteenth century rock art of their
ancestral homeland to today’s
modernized renditions of reservation
life. “Enduring Traditions” is replete
with color photographs of extraordinary
weavings, ceramics, silver work,
sculpture, basketry and paintings. The
extensive text contains historical
background as well as contemporary
interviews with Dine’ artists.
“Enduring Traditions” provides the
reader with much more that a
photograph album of Dine’ art. The
Jacka’s lead the reader on an
enjoyable journey through Dine’ art as
it is intertwined with Dine’ culture. They
trace the evolution of Dine’ art and
provide explanation of the various
changes over time. They follow the
artistic path of the Dine’ through
numerous meanders, acquisitions from
other cultures, and artistic influences
on other cultures. A glossary of Dine’
words and suggestions of additional
reading materials add further value to
this book. An index is provided but is
not very complete. “Enduring
Traditions”, with its lavish photos and
cultural explanations, will be a welcome
addition to any library of Native
American art and culture.
Anita Cheek Moon, Member
Reviewers’ Consortium
