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The Case:
History Detectives investigates the mystery behind an unusual Navajo rug.
To the Navajo, weaving is more than a simple craft – it is a spiritual practice, connecting the weaver to the spirits of earth and sky. Their symbols tell stories from Navajo beliefs. But tradition also holds that some symbols are too sacred for the loom and to capture them risks harm to the weaver or their family.
Our contributor from Lompoc, California has a rug with a series of baffling symbols and wants to know what the story is behind this rug and who the weaver could have been.
History Detectives meets with a Navajo medicine man and a traditional Navajo weaver and tries to discover if the weaver violated a taboo to create this rug.
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