To learn about Indian art, drop in at the Heard Museum in Phoenix or the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. The best work commands high prices but can be a fine memento of a visit to the Native American lands. Indians know what their crafts are worth, so bargaining is not normally done. Competition, especially among Navajo at their roadside stands, can make for some very low prices. Discounts often mark the end of the tourist season in September and October.
Silversmiths also turn out bracelets, rings, concha belts, buckles, and bola ties.
The Navajo are especially fond of turquoise, which appears in much of their work. At the suggestion of trader Lorenzo Hubbell, weavers switched to a heavier cloth for use as rugs, which became extremely popular. Rugs have evolved into more than a dozen regional styles and may be made from hand-spun and dyed yarn or less expensive commercial yarn. Navajo once used sandpaintings only in ceremonies but now also produce the distinctive designs and colors for the tourist trade. The Hopi Artists carve exotic kachina dolls from cottonwood and create jewelry, pottery, and basketry.