Weaving a Spirit Pathway

Navajo weaving

Artist unknown

Wool on cotton warp

Arizona, c. 1970

Warner Collection, UMMAA 2008-17-32

If you look closely along the borders of many Navajo weavings, you can see a single line of a contrasting color extending out from the center to the textile's edge. This line is called ch'ihónít'i, which is translated into English as "spirit line" or "spirit pathway." In Navajo beliefs, thoughts, desires, and prayers are tangible objects that can have lasting effects on the material world. While weaving, the artist entwines part of her being into her cloth along with the woolen yarns that create the textile's pattern. The ch'ihónít'i allows this trapped part of the weaver's spirit to exit, safely separating her from her weaving and from any harmful thoughts that may come into contact with it as it is used, sold, or exhibited in a museum.