Saying goodbye
(Times photo - Paul Natonabah
Clarenda Begay, curator at the Navajo Nation Museum, points to Chief Manuelito's wife Juanita, center, in an 1874 photo wearing the biil when she was with a Navajo delegation that traveled to Washington to talk with President Ulysses Grant.
Descendants of Chief Manuelito, wife Juanita, give farewell to textile
By Noel Lyn Smith
Navajo Times
WINDOW ROCK, Nov. 7, 2012
(Times photo - Paul Natonabah)
Navajo Nation Museum curator Clarenda Begay, right, and Angie McGrew, conservator from Autry National Center in Los Angeles, carefully fold Juanita's biil while the family members watch.
Wearing a latex glove, Jenny Nez carefully padded the blanket dress that once belonged to her great-great-great-grandmother Juanita.
"One last time," Nez said as she patted the biil. Then she patted her heart.
Nez was one of five descendants of Chief Manuelito and his wife, Juanita, who were on hand Oct. 26 to watch the return of Juanita's dress to the Autry National Center in Los Angeles.
The dress had been on display at the Navajo Nation Museum as part of the Chief Manuelito exhibit since it opened in August 2010.
It was originally intended to be on loan from the Autry for six months but the museum was granted an extension, said Navajo Nation Museum curator Clarenda Begay.
Tabitha Manuelito, another great-great-great-granddaughter of Juanita, captured the final moments with her camera.
"I feel a little sad that it's going back," Manuelito said. "Sometimes we don't hold on to things like we should."
Despite the loss, she said the family was still fortunate to see the textile.
"It's so neat to see something that you never thought you would see," she said.
She has visited the dress six times.
Also present were Rose Nez, a great-great-granddaughter, and Daniel Frank Herman Denetdale, a great-great-great-great grandson.