OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2000

Anne James (O) 202/208-4659

Exhibit Featuring, "Sandpainting of the Arrow People: A Historic Navajo Rug," Opens at
the Department of the Interior Museum June 30

Opening June 30, 2000, at the U.S. Department of the Interior Museum is an innovative exhibit installation, that provides an in-depth look at a Navajo treasure, Sandpainting of the Arrow People, The Story of a Historic Navajo Rug. The vibrantly colored, boldly designed monumental rug by weaver Bahe Shondee (also known as Bullsnake Springs Woman) depicts one of the sacred histories of the Navajo Nation.

The new exhibit will chronicle the tapestry's commissioning by Roman Hubbell of the Hubbell Trading Post, Ganado, Arizona, its creation in the early 1930s by Bahe Shondee, and subsequent purchase by the Department of the Interior in 1937. Exhibit displays highlight Navajo weaver Bahe Shondee's inspiration-a watercolor by Navajo medicine man Miguelito of a sandpainting design Shooting Chant, historical photographs, and a textile vest Roman Hubbell wore, also created by weaver Bahe Shondee and based on sandpainting designs. The exhibit is open to the public and will run through August, 2001.

Bahe Shondee's design shows the story's action radiating from the rug's center: the Hero Twins encounter the Arrow People at The Place-of-Emergence, and a struggle ensues. A rainbow figure surrounds the scene at the textile's perimeter; the Sun and the Moon guard the opening to the East. The mural-size weaving was originally purchased in 1937 to decorate the newly-constructed Interior Department's headquarters building, a structure now listed on the National Register and home to the Interior Museum. After a recent cleaning, the Sandpainting of the Arrow People textile is being displayed for the first time in decades.

The Interior Museum is open to the public Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with the exception of federal holidays, and the third Saturday of each month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the building, its Museum, and the exhibit are free. Adult visitors must present some form of photo identification (such as a driver's license, student ID, or employment card) when entering the Interior Building. The Main Interior Building is located at 1849 C Street, NW, in Washington, D.C. Wheelchair access is available at an entrance on 18^th and E Streets.

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