Two Grey Hills Tapestry Weaver Lynda Teller Pete was born into the Tabaaha (Water Edge Clan) and born for the To’aheedliinii (Two Waters Flow Together Clan). Her parents are Sam K. and Ruth B. Teller. Although her father has passed away, her mother Ruth still resides at the family home in Newcomb, New Mexico. Pete was raised there along with her siblings: two older sisters and two older brothers. On a yearly basis, the family took up residence behind the Two Grey Hills Trading Post, where her father worked for over 35 years. At the trading post, her mother demonstrated weaving and attracted a constant flow of tourists. Indeed, Ruth Teller’s rugs were so prized that tourists often purchased them right off the loom. Needless to say, as a child, Pete learned through observation.

Weaving is a legacy in the Teller family. For over five generations, Grandmothers, mother, sisters, aunts, and cousins have produced award-winning rugs. Lynda and her family are known for weaving rugs in the traditional Two Grey Hills pattern. Identified primarily by a double-diamond layout, intricate geometric design using natural colored, hand-carded and hand-spun wool, these rugs are easily recognizable. These finely woven rugs are known for their high weft counts. To qualify as a true Two Grey Hills tapestry, the weft count has to be above 80 in a one-inch square measurement. In addition to this fine weave, the family uses a trademark rich brown wool for the inside color field. In Pete’s family, weavers turn to maternal Aunt Margaret Yazzie and her flock of sheep to supply the necessary wool for their tapestries.

As the youngest child in a family of weavers, Pete was raised in an atmosphere that encouraged creativity. Weaving was viewed as a “way of life,” and weaving lessons were mandatory. However, Pete was given freedom to experiment. For example, she also pursued other art forms, such as beading and sewing. With so many mentors, it is no surprise that Pete won her first weaving award at the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremony at age twelve, in the Juvenile Textiles Category. Pete set aside other forms of artwork while she attended Arizona State University and relied on weaving to pay for tuition and books. Her mother also sold rugs to offset college costs. In 1979, Pete’s last rug—before her college hiatus—took the First Award at Tanner’s All-Indian Invitational Art Show in Scottsdale, Arizona. Recently, she took first place in the Textile Category at the 2004 Santa Fe Indian Market, giving her one year of bragging rights over her older sister weaver Barbara Teller Ornelas. For the past twenty-one years, Ornelas has won numerous awards at Santa Fe Indian Market, including two Best of Show titles, one in 1987 (in collaboration with sister Rosann Lee), and the other in 1991.

Lynda’s maternal Grandmother, Susie Tom and her paternal grandmother, Nellie Peshlakai Teller, although they both wove different regional styles, made sure their daughters and granddaughters learned the art of weaving. They emphasized many practices, such as respecting the loom; preparing one’s own wool via shearing, carding and spinning; the production and proper care of weaving tools; and paying attention to design elements, always emphasizing the importance of intricate patterns and color combinations. They always set high standards. From the age of six, when Pete was officially introduced to weaving, her mother Ruth Teller, her maternal aunt Margaret Yazzie, and her older sisters, Barbara Teller Ornelas and Rosann Lee instilled the belief that beauty and harmony should be woven into every rug. Today, Lynda Teller Pete continues to carry on this tradition.

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1st Place - Lynda Pete	2nd Place - Barbara Ornelas