Anyone interested in learning about and buying Navajo rugs is welcome at the Navajo Rug Auction on Nov. 4, at the Student Union Building on the UNM main campus. More than 250 rugs will be available for preview from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Ballrooms B and C.
As part of the preview, R.B. “Bruce” Burnham will offer a short talk at 11 a.m. and at noon about how to evaluate and buy Navajo rugs. He will also be available to answer questions prior to the auction. The R. B. Burnham Trading Company is organizing and conducting the auction and Bruce Burnham will act as auctioneer.
Burnham, the owner of R.B. Burnham & Company Trading Post in Sanders, Ariz. is a fourth-generation Indian trader. His expertise in buying, selling and evaluating Navajo rugs has earned him the respect of area collectors and peers nationwide.
The auction is expected to run from 1 to 5 p.m. It is one of the final events of the 16th Navajo Studies conference. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Navajo Studies Conference Inc.
This is the third time UNM has hosted the conference. The purpose of the conference is to promote Navajo Studies of language, culture, history and all aspects of Navajo life. This year's theme is Diné daniidíigo hózhóogo nideikai, “In the sacred manner we walk as Diné.” Anyone who is interested in attending can register online at: http://elibrary.unm.edu/inlp/navajo_studies-conf.php.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth, (505) 277-5627; e-mail: kwent2@unm.edu