Kathy Anne M'Closkey

University of Windsor · Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology

Native Americans, along with the scenery, are primary attractions in New Mexico and Arizona, and tourism brings billions into the region annually. Since the Indian arts and crafts ‘boom’ in the 1970s, unemployment has increased dramatically on reservations where artisanal production provides essential income. Isleta carver Andy Abeita acknowledges...

Navajos, or Dine', were dramatically affected by rapid changes in two of the three largest post- Civil War domestic industries: agriculture and textiles. In my 2010 TSA paper, I revealed how changes in the wool tariff triggered an escalation in textile production by thousands of Navajo weavers, as traders sought ways to market the unstandardized wo...

After the formation of the reservation in 1868, the government issued licenses to regulate trade in wool, textiles, and pelts that traders acquired from Navajos. In 1890, blanket sales were 10% of wool sales; by 1930, weavers processed one-third of the clip, their textiles were valued at $1 million, and provided one-third of reservation income. Onl...

Kathy M'Closkey examines the impact of commercial incorporation on the lives of Navajo women weavers. She argues that although weavers played a significant role in the regional economy, they rarely received an equitable share of the wealth they created. Their work provided a buffer for traders against the volatility of the global wool market. Yet t...