Silk Scarf  oil, on a 10 by 8 inch, archival canvas panel, was finished December 27, 2004. It is the eighth painting in my series titled Unforgettable. Apart from the obvious beauty of this young Navajos iconic outfit, this picture symbolizes the changing social and cultural climate that was fast approaching when she posed in 1959. Prior to WWII, life on the rez had been pretty much the same for a very long time, but largely due to the remarkable contribution the Code Talkers made in the Pacific, all that was about to change. Americans had become interested in this nation-within-a-nation, that had saved them from the Japanese by their indecipherable language. Along with this interest came tourism, money, and progress, with all of its inherent benefits and ills. Shading her eyes from the glare of the future, and securing her hair in the winds of change, she finds comfort in her silk scarf. © 2004 John Watt  artist retains all rights to any reproductions of this original art.