Making baskets has been an important part of Navajo culture and other native cultures for centuries.
The skills required to craft the intricate designs make each item truly a work of art.
Those skills are fewer and far between these days as traditional crafts have become more rare in the modern age.
One couple, Pat and Jack Seltzer, has been working to help preserve the art.
The couple were educators for years on the Navajo Nation, where they worked to help children embrace their culture.
While not Navajos themselves, they also worked to provide classes that would preserve the language and heritage.
A collection of Navajo baskets and saddle cinches is being kept in Camp Verde.
Many of the baskets were made by Mary Holiday Black, who was taught the craft by a relative and a young age. Black has been dedicated to preserving the work and has been nationally recognized for her skills.
To read the full story, see the Wednesday, Nov. 19, edition of The Camp Verde Journal.
