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Clara Sherman

Clara won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts in August, 2004 and she won a New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2006. Congratulations for a lifetime of masterful weaving!

While the art of weaving may be diminishing in the Navajo Nation as a whole, the increasing number of larger, finer work coming into the Toadlena Trading Post every week demonstrates that when the lady weaving the rugs can support herself with her craft, the craft blossoms.

Clara Sherman
SWAIA Lifetime Achievement Award


On May 28th, 2004, 90-year-old Clara Sherman was honored by SWAIA (Southwest American Indian Artists) with Lifetime Achievement Awards. Clara has been weaving since she was a child. She has created some of the most outstanding Navajo textiles in existence.

The Museum of Northern Arizona houses the piece shown on the book cover to the left…Our congratulations to Clara. Her honor is well deserved.

Best wishes,
Historic Toadlena Trading Post

Ninety years old and full of life!
She can keep a melody and bass line going at the same time. A good harmonica player 35 years younger admires her style…but he can't play it.
Clara and that crazy Navajo rug man, Mark Winter, 'whose tongue keeps waggin’.
Clara addresses a group of people at The MASTER WEAVERS OPENING.