1. Cochineal Insect
Eyeshadow Shade: Deep, vibrant red
Navajo Context / Name: Navajo weavers likely called it “łizh yázhí” (little red bug) or described it as “bug that makes red”.
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
This vibrant red echoes the heart of the desert and the sacred life force. It represents vitality, protection, and courage in Navajo weaving.
Origin Story:
The cochineal insect, brought from Mexico through trade, became a prized source of deep red dye. Navajo weavers incorporated it to honor the life and color of the land.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Collect cochineal insects.
Crush or grind to release color.
Dissolve in cool water.
Add wet yarn and allow dye to soak in.
Repeat dips for deeper shades.
Rinse and dry in shade.
2. Indigo Plant
Eyeshadow Shade: Deep, cool blue
Navajo Context / Name: Described as “plant that makes blue” — no single Navajo word existed.
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Evokes calm, wisdom, and the endless sky. Its color reflects the sacredness of water and sky in Navajo creation stories.
Origin Story:
Indigofera tinctoria is not native to the Southwest. The Navajo acquired it through trade with other groups who cultivated it.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Chop 2 lb indigo leaves; simmer in 5 gallons water for 60 minutes.
Pre-soak 1 lb yarn in ash water.
Submerge yarn; repeat dips for darker shades.
Rinse and dry in shade.
3. Prickly Pear
Eyeshadow Shade: Warm coral with pink and red
Navajo Context / Name: hwoshntxyeeli binesd’ą’
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Prickly pear fruit captures the warmth of the desert sun and the sweetness of resilience, echoing blooms after rain.
Origin Story:
Native to the Southwest, prickly pear provided dye and food. Navajo dyers fermented the juice to create coral shades for wool.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Collect 2–3 lb fresh cactus fruit (or 3 lb dried).
Squeeze juice into 3 gallons of cool water; strain.
Stand in warm place for a week to ferment.
Add wet yarn and rub dye in often.
Do not boil; it will turn tan.
Rinse and dry in shade.
4. Chokecherry
Eyeshadow Shade: Rich, deep purplish-brown
Navajo Context / Name: didzedig’ozhiih
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Reflects the strength of mountain berries and the stories carried by elders. Symbolizes endurance, wisdom, and nourishment from nature.
Origin Story:
Chokecherry roots were peeled and boiled to create a deep hue, incorporating the plant’s strength into fibers.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Break up 1 lb chokecherry root bark.
Soak in gallons of water overnight.
Add wet yarn and stir.
Boil 2 hours.
Leave in dye bath overnight.
Rinse and dry.
5. Ironwood
Eyeshadow Shade: Cool, soft grey
Navajo Context / Name: mą’ iidaą’ or g’iishzniniih
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Ironwood berries create a cool, grounding gray that mirrors mist over mesas. Its color embodies patience, balance, and quiet strength.
Origin Story:
Harvested for muted grays, the berries required fermentation, allowing the essence of the land to infuse fibers.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Boil 2 lb ripe ironwood berries in 4 gallons water for 15 minutes.
Strain and add wet yarn.
Boil 2 hours.
Remove and ferment in dyebath 4 days.
Rinse and dry.
6. Shrub Oak
Eyeshadow Shade: Soft, muted light gold
Navajo Context / Name: chech’ilntłizih
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Mirrors autumn light and seasonal rhythm. Represents endurance, warmth, and grounding presence.
Origin Story:
Shrub oak leaves and galls provided a warm light gold, deeply valued in woven designs.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Pulverize 4 lb galls (green or brown).
Boil in 5 gallons water for 2 hours.
Add ¼ cup raw alum and 1 lb yarn; stir.
Boil 10 minutes.
Leave yarn in dyebath overnight.
Rinse and dry.
7. Rabbit Bush
Eyeshadow Shade: Rich golden yellow
Navajo Context / Name: giiłtsoididjoolih
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Mirrors the desert sun and fields of rabbit bush. Symbolizes joy, abundance, and illumination.
Origin Story:
Rabbit bush blossoms were gathered for bright yellow dye; alum helped fix the color for long-lasting textiles.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Boil 3 lb rabbitbrush blossoms and twigs in 6 gallons water for 1–2 hours.
Strain, add ½ cup raw alum and 1 lb yarn; stir and boil 10 minutes.
Leave in dyebath overnight for deeper color.
Rinse and dry.
8. Cliff Rose
Eyeshadow Shade: Soft olive green
Navajo Context / Name: cliff rose (keep original)
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Cliff Rose grows on rugged canyon edges, resilient and steadfast. Its green dye captures the spirit of cliffs and shaded canyons, reflecting the balance between endurance and beauty.
Origin Story:
Navajo dyers used the entire plant to produce gentle green tones for weaving, echoing the life that persists in harsh landscapes.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Collect 1 Russian thistle (entire plant) and 1 lb yarn.
Boil thistle stalks in 5 gallons water until very tender.
Add wet yarn and allow leaves to ferment in the dyebath with yarn for 1 week.
Rub the dye into the yarn often.
Remove from heat and allow another week of fermentation.
Rinse and dry.
9. Sagebrush
Eyeshadow Shade: Dark bluish-black
Navajo Context / Name: Traditional name for sagebrush (ya’át’eeh béesdą́’)
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Sagebrush is sacred, used for purification and blessings. Its deep, smoky hue reflects protection, mystery, and the night sky over the desert.
Origin Story:
Leaves were collected and simmered to extract a dark, spiritual color, often used in ceremonial textiles.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Collect sagebrush leaves.
Chop and simmer 60 minutes.
Pre-soak fibers in ash water.
Submerge fibers, repeating dips for darkness.
Rinse and dry in shade.
10. Succamc Berries
Eyeshadow Shade: Soft, delicate salmon pink
Navajo Context / Name: Traditional name (hózhó béesdą́’)
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Succamc berries are small yet vibrant, symbolizing delicacy, renewal, and the gentle side of the desert’s palette.
Origin Story:
The berries fermented naturally, giving soft pinks used for subtle highlights in weaving and ceremonial cloth.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Grind 4 lb dried sumac berries.
Soak in 3 gallons lukewarm water for 2 days for fermentation.
Strain, squeezing pulp through.
Add wet yarn and rub often.
Rinse thoroughly and dry.
11. Mesa Rainwater
Eyeshadow Shade: Soft, silvery purple
Navajo Context / Name: (tó nizhóní béesdą́’) – “water of beauty”
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Rainwater collected from mesas is sacred and life-giving. The soft silvery-purple hue reflects the harmony of sky, earth, and water.
Origin Story:
Collected after heavy rains, filtered water infused fibers with subtle, shimmering tones for ceremonial and everyday textiles.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Collect 4 gallons of rainwater from red mesas.
Add ½ lb wet yarn immediately.
Stir well and boil for 4 hours, adding clear clay to deepen the hue.
Remove and dry in shade.
12. Mountain Bark
Eyeshadow Shade: Deep, reddish-brown
Navajo Context / Name: (díyín béesdą́’) – “sacred bark”
Storytelling / Cultural Significance:
Mountain bark represents strength, endurance, and connection to high places. Its rich reddish-brown evokes canyon walls at sunset and the warmth of the land.
Origin Story:
The bark was harvested carefully, boiled, and fermented to release deep red pigments for weaving patterns symbolizing sacred mountains.
Traditional Navajo Dyeing Recipe:
Boil 2 lb mountain mahogany root bark in 5 gallons water for 2 hours.
Add 1 lb wet yarn and boil 2 more hours.
Stir well and leave in dyebath overnight.
Rinse thoroughly and dry.
