Felt the Sun

 This trip seeks to facilitate and strengthen kinship among fiber artists—rural and urban, indigenous and cosmopolitan—to enhance appreciation for those who take on stewardship of the sheep and the land that are the foundation of our art and craft.

Duplicate informational meetings will be held Wednesdays 5/12 and 5/26 6pm and Sunday 5/16 and 5/30 6pm at 1065 Harvard Rd, Piedmont, CA 94610. RSVP.

This is a unique opportunity to buy prized Navajo-Churro wool, from this spring’s shearing, directly from the families who raise them. We will stay with Navajo (Diné) families on their historic lands, and travel through the Black Mesa region.

This is the first time a group of fiber artists has been organized to participate.

The mission of Black Mesa Weavers for Life and Land states: “Our work is grounded in the knowledge that human and environmental justice are inseparable.”

In addition to being the foundation of Navajo (Diné) culture and the durable fiber of Navajo rugs, Navajo-Churro fleece is prized for its amazing colors—black and white, and tans, charcoals, grays,  silvers, reds and browns.

Recognized for its unique fiber, meat, and place in traditional Dine’ lifeways, the Navajo-Churro is listed as a “threatened” domesticated sheep breed by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 

Our van leaves Oakland Thursday morning, June 10 - returns Monday night, June 14.

This trip package includes the purchase of 10 lbs of Navajo-Churro wool, fiber arts workshops, potluck with sheep butchering, and in-kind donation to host families.

We will also take orders for fleeces at $10/lb for those who want to support the Black Mesa Weavers but cannot participate in the travel.