Spider Woman: A Story of Navajo Weavers and Chanters

by Gladys A. Reichard

This lively account of a pioneering anthropologist's experiences with a Navajo family grew out of the author's desire to learn to weave as a way of participating in Navajo culture rather than observing it from the outside. In 1930, when Gladys Reichard came to stay with the family of Red-Point, a well-known Navajo singer, it was unusual for an anthropologist to live with a family and become intimately connected with women's activities. First published in 1934 for a popular audience, Spider Woman is valued today not just for its information on Navajo culture but as an early example of the kind of personal, honest ethnography that presents actual experiences and conversations rather than generalizing the beliefs and behaviors of a whole culture. Readers interested in Navajo weaving will find it especially useful, but Spider Woman's picture of daily life goes far beyond rugs to describe trips to the trading post, tribal council meetings, curing ceremonies, and the deaths of family members.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Native American, Anthropology, Womens, Ebooks

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1968

About the author

Gladys Amanda Reichard was an anthropologist on the faculty of Barnard College, specializing in Navajo language and culture.

Reviews

[Roxanna López · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4 stars. A book that is difficult to review for various reasons. The book reads as what it probably is, a field journal. Here and there, strange sentence structures interfere with the flow of the descriptions. In spite of this, I really liked it, it has many sections that are very interesting, human and humane. On the other hand, the parts about weaving, the way that they are presented without any explanations for the unitiated, are so tedious that they detract from the pleasure of reading. I am glad I read it anyway.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice addition to reading the Tony Hillerman books.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fascinating to me. Gladys Reichard was an anthropologist who wanted to learn how to weave from the Navajo Indians. She lived with one family for 4 summers in the 1930s and learned how. In this book, she describes the method of how looms are constructed and strung, the weaving process, the carding, spinning, and dying of yarn, and how blankets and rugs are made. (Looms for large rugs are 14-16 feet high!) The father of the family was a chanter, so she also describes Navajo sings, sand paintings, dances, prayers, and many other customs in this book. This book was eye-opening to me. If you are at all interested in learning about the Navajo, I highly recommend this book.

[Teresa Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very worth the read

I loved this book and how she tells of not only learning to weave but learning and living the Navajo way of life. I doubt my life circumstances would allow me such deep study so I find it good that she is able to share some of what they and their life is really like.

[Mert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 Stars (%61/100)

I always have difficulty trying to think of points to give to nonfiction works. As nonfiction works contain factual information (for the most part), I try to grade them out of personal enjoyment. Spider Woman was a book that has been staying in my kindle library for a very long time. I couldn't read it on my kindle and I forgot that I can read it on my phone. I got the chance to read it at my office and I actually quite enjoyed it. I was expecting more of a legend/myth regarding Navajo people but surprisingly, it is more like a field journal of Gladys Reichard who lived among said people and recorded her experiences. I actually learned quite a few things about their lives, culture, and more specifically weaving. The fact that Reichard included pictures made it more enjoyable and easy to understand in my opinion. If you are curious about Navajo people and want to learn new things about them and their culture/history, this book could be a good source.

[Arnold M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Navajo life

A pleasant way to learn about daily life, and its disruptions, in the Navajo Southwest. Unfortunately the photos, which would have been most valuable, are not in this edition.

[Chad Olson · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author learns how to weave from a Navajo famiy

[Geralyn Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book.

I would like to thank the author because I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and interesting. I didn't want to stop reading it.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is hard to describe the delight of reading an ethnography by an anthropologist who can write. I don't think they make them like this anymore. A frank, insightful, loving biography of a time now gone. I learned so much about life on the Navajo reservation in the 1930s, about weaving, and especially about what defines family.

[Terry Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are interested in Navajo rug weaving, myth, or religion, this is a must read. Although Ms. Richard is an anthropologist who's goal was the study of Navajo rugs, the book is a fascinating story of the daily lives of a Navajo family both at, and away from the loom.

[George · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring unless you like reading about the individual hand strokes in a weaving operation. Written by an Eastern liberal from Swarthmore, what credibility is that with the Navajo? Started, didn't finish, don't expect to.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very easy read and really let you in on the very private lives of the Navajo

[Rochelle Yazzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read the book yet. But it seems very fascinating to me. I can't wait to read this book.