CHANGE MAKER: Generational weavers pass down knowledge and traditions

CAVE CREEK, Ariz. — Vina Horseherder, 73, held out her rugs for auction at the annual Adopt-A-Native-Elder rug show, in a room lined with hand-woven Diné rugs. She recalled starting to weave and process wool at eight-years-old with her grandmother.

“She told me, ‘This is life,’” Horseherder said of her grandmother. “This is what you need to learn. It will help you. When you weave, you will get something good out of it.”

Each year, Adopt-A-Native-Elder hosts a rug show at the Holland Center in Cave Creek, Ariz. Established in 1984, Adopt-A-Native-Elder supports Navajo elders in need.

Linda Myers, founder and director, Assistant Director CJ Robb, and Jennifer Rosvall, director of the Holland Center, work alongside Laurie and Tom Saule, who helped connect the nonprofit to the center.

The event allows Navajo weavers to share and sell their rugs at their own prices, with 100% of proceeds going directly to them. This year’s show included eight weavers, including Horseherder.

Horseherder has passed down the value of weaving to her children.

In 2024, Adopt-A-Native-Elder delivered 1.1 million pounds in supplies for elders and gifted over $2 million in food assistance through Bashas gift certificates.

Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren holds elders close to his heart. Through the Navajo Division of Aging and Long-Term Care Support and the Navajo Department of Health, new or renovated senior centers are continually opening.

“Our elders show us it’s possible to succeed while staying true to who we are,” President Nygren said. “They’ve taught us how to live, and we must care for them, honoring their legacy through nonprofits like Adopt-A-Native-Elder and the skills of weaving.”