Letter by a Native American Crafts Dealer in New Mexico Relating to a Fund to Support Navajo Weavers By Purchasing Sheep
Coolidge, New Mexico: 1932. Typed retained copy of a letter, 8.5 x 11”, together with a typed statement, 8.5 x 11”, both on carbon paper. A copy of a letter sent to Berton I. Staples, a Vermont merchant who moved to Coolidge, New Mexico, to trade in Native American crafts made by his Navajo employees. There, Staples became an honorary member of the tribe and set up the “Red Wing Fund”, the purpose of which he lays out in this letter, sent to Philip Dana Orcutt, treasurer of the fund: “the purpose is to start each family with a little herd of sheep that will produce the right kind of wool to revive the old blanket industry.” The letter also discusses the Navajos’ own agency in starting the fund, their excitement about the project, the types of sheep themselves, and the progress of the project thus far: “This has been their decision and I think it is nice to have them so interested and to really work it out themselves…The Indians are all very much interested in this and we are having many more inquiries for these sheep than we have means to supply. We have started by giving out ten sheep to each family…” The letter comes together with a copy of a typed statement describing the fund that, according to Staples, was originally signed by the tribes people. Creasing to paper, slight toning, paper clip ghosting to upper corner of letter. A set of duplicates is also included. Item #8841
Price: $200.00