At some distance away is a brush enclosure where the dancers don the sacred masks which have been ritually prepared by the medicine man. Dancers Of The Nightway Thursday, March 3rd, 2016// March/April 2016 Clitso Dedman (Din Navajo), Yeibichai dancers, ca. English: Navajo Yebichai dancers. Prior to the turn of the 20 th century, Yei were not permitted to be represented in textiles or paintings in any permanent forms. The figures in the weaving can be identified by their unique features: Talking God leads on the left side of the weaving. The Yeibichai are supernatural beings who created the Navajo people and taught them how to live in harmony with the universe. He is the bringer of rain and the water carrier of the gods. The six maleYei carry gourd rattles and spruce twigs or feathers, and make the hu call periodically during the dance. But it can give you a greater sense of appreciation when you realize the history and mythology behind specific weavings. PO Box The Nightway includes singing, dancing, pollen blessing, sandpainting . Talking God is distinguished by his white mask with eagle feathers. The Yei Bi Chei(also spelled Ybichai) is a sacred night dance of the Din (commonly but improperly called Navajo) people of the southwestern United States. traders in the Lukachukai, Arizona and Shiprock, New Mexico area Your email address will not be published. Navajo Dancers dress up as Yei (Navajo Gods) during the Night Chant Ceremony, a nine-day-long ceremony only performed in the cold time of the year, when snakes are hibernating. Adobe Gallery reserves reproduction rights to all images and content on this website. He is followed by six male and six female Yeis. Files are available under licenses specified on their description page. The history of the development of a religious belief system in the Navajo tribe isnt well known. The male gods wear full leather helmet masks like this one with a ruff of spruce twigs (formerly furs) around the neck. This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 70 years or fewer. He attended elementary school at the Indian School at Fort Apache, but ran away and returned back to the reservation. MAIN MATERIAL: antelope leather Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. This specific mask represents Ganaskidi, a god of the abundant harvest. The Yei Be Chei weavings present the dancers as they dance, perform, and enact the ceremony of the Yeis. Yei Bi Chei masks are always made by skilled medicine men. A membership group for young professionals who are interested in immersing themselves in the American art experience. Dancers of the Nightway: Ceremonial Imagery in Navajo Weaving presents a selection of these unusual pictorial works. This page was last edited on 12 July 2021, at 16:45. DESCRIPTION: Ganaskidi Mask Eduard S. Curtis. Do you know of anyone who weaves the sand paintings? MORE STORIES FROM NATIVE AMERICAN ART MAGAZINE. He often plays the role of the clown giving comic relief as he performs his dance moves. Following his graduation he went to work as an illustrator for the Indian Service. If you could see the back of the mask, it would be white. In the 19th century, a Yeibichai dance team would consist entirely of men. Original file (4,541 3,448 pixels, file size: 9.67 MB, MIME type: image/jpeg). Great data. Chief Blanket Rugs Latin America This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Every year near the holiday season, Adobe Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, holds its Native American Nacimientos exhibition. The Yei Bi Chei (also spelled Ybichai) is a sacred night dance of the Din (commonly but improperly called Navajo) people of the southwestern United States. Edward S. Curtis. You have some really great narratives that go with your rugs. These finely-crafted wall hangings depict the participants in the mesmerizing Yeibichai dance, the evening conclusion of a nine-day healing rite called the Nightway. . Circa 1920. His birth in 1916 was after some Navajo began illustrating Yei in textile and painted form, so he grew up in a period where it did not appear to be taboo but was more acceptable. into their own Navajo rug creations. Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 men and patients. Oceania. Another area of influence Now youll recognize the next Yeibichai dancers Navajo rug that you see! When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. The ceremonially attired dance teams enter the firelit area in front of the hogan led by Talking God or Yeibichai, the grandfather of the Yeis, who carries his sacred Abert squirrel bag. Talking God can speak to the Navajo. The original black&white picture is Wellcome Trust. century. COUNTRY:United States of America Curative ceremonies, with long song cycles, are emphasized by the Navajo, along with circular social dances, recalling those of the Great Plains tribes. CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: California law requires that we charge sales tax on all shipments to California addresses. The picture is housed in the Wellcome Collection and is on display. The latest news, articles, and resources sent to your inbox weekly. FW04420_201 Track Number. Year Released. On the ninth night, a public dance including six men and six women dance as Yei Bi Chei. ETHNICITY:Din (Navajo) You can findNative American beaded purses, coffee mugs, jewelry, and more. frequently with multiple figures in a horizontal row often surrounded He then attended school in Santa Fe and became a student of Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School. This file contains additional information such as Exif metadata which may have been added by the digital camera, scanner, or software program used to create or digitize it. The Yeis perform specific dances and rituals, as directed by the Medicine Man, during the ceremony for the desired end. The Yei Be Chei weavings present the dancers as they dance, perform, and enact the ceremony of the Yeis.. TITLE:Yei Bi Chei Ganaskidi Teec Nos Pos Navajo Rugs As early as the mid-1800s, Navajo weavers were Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Monument Valley Navajo Children Rest Herd Sheep Totem Pole Men Horse Postcard at the best online prices at eBay! The Night Chant or The Yeibitchai Dance is one such ceremony for which you may not come across a lot of detailed descriptions. chai ybch plural -s 1 : a Navajo supernatural represented by a masked dancer in an initiation or curative ceremony 2 : the ceremony performed by Yeibichai dancers Word History Etymology Navaho ye'ibeshichai Love words? He can be identified by the four eagle feathers on top of his white mask. Often referred to as the Grandfather of the Navajo Kachinas, the Yeibichai is one of the more enjoyable features of the Navajo Kachina Dance. Curtis; Edward Sherriff Curtis, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. Copied The Yeibichai are often featured in a ceremony called the Nightway Chant dance. FREE SHIPPING for all rugs shipped to an address within the Continental US. An Most of the present-day information comes from the data recorded by the Europeans who came into North America in the sixteenth century, but even the records are not completely accurate because the Europeans were neither familiar with Native American cultures and nor they did they understand any. Date: 1900: Source: Photo by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) Author: Cherokee Art Market welcomes collectors from all over the globe to its website for a virtual event from December 7 to 21. Pueblo masking influenced neighbouring tribal dances such as the curative yeibichai of the Navajo. We are passionate for art. (4,541 3,448 pixels, file size: 9.67 MB, MIME type: Edward Curtis; E. S. Curtis; Edward Sheriff Curtis; E.S. All hand carded, and spun, and hand dyed native wool. These weavings emerged from the Shiprock, New Mexico area after the turn of the 1900s when weavers began putting the figures of Deities from the traditional sand painting ceremonies in their rugs. Listen as Steve describes this rug in the video below. Ceremonies are performed to either attractor exorcise effects to The People. Yeibichai rugs generally depict the dancers from the side and in motion. American Indian dance styles In Native American dance: The Southwest dances such as the curative yeibichai of the Navajo. Please inquire for other rates. If you are someone who likes and appreciates Navajo arts and crafts, such asNavajo coin purses, check out our online store to discover a selection of products made by native Navajo artists. Navajo Artists Weave Magic by J. Fatima Martins 01:42 Country(s) United States. You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. The Yei Be Chei dancers are the human impersonators who perform the ceremonies. Four areas of influence contributed The leader of the dancers is Talking God, the feather headdress dancer to the left. Navajo Yeibichai are masked dancers representing the Deity Yei Supernatural Beings. Want to learn more about the painting you found while clearing out the attic? The rugs from this area tended to be larger and the . depictions, Klahs weavings nonetheless had a tremendous static, front facing figures, depicted either singly or more The Yeibichai are supernatural beings who created the Navajo people and taught them how to live in harmony with the universe. Highly controversial because of their sacred The ceremony ends with thechanting of the Bluebird Song which celebrates the happiness and the peace that the bluebirdsymbolizes. One of the most popular regional styles of Navajo weaving has always been the Yei and Yeibichai. Sandpainting Rugs The Four major rites are carried out throughout nine nights. 39" x 44" A yei'i is a Navajo holy person. These early Navajo yei weavings typically had a white or other They would be depicted with square blue masks only covering the front portion of their faces and spruce ruffs like the men. The role of the female Yeis was assigned to teenage boys or young men of smaller stature who would let their down their hair and wear the appropriate rectangular female Yei masks, all the while dancing in their traditional male kilts. Traditional Navajo Ceremonies: The Yeibitchai Dance Or Night Chant, Danced Across the River (Klay-chahjihHatal). This story is from the April - May 2020 edition of Native American Art Magazine. The leader of the dancers is Talking God, the feather headdress dancer to the left. The Yeibichai dance is performed in front of a ceremonial hogan that has been built in a remote location near the patients home. AGE: ca. sandpainting designs. these religious figures into their rugs. NAVAJO YEI BE CHEI (Yeibichai) The Yei Be Chei dancers are the human impersonators who perform the ceremonies. These dancers are more humanlike, and uplifted feet commonly suggest the action of the dance. In the earliest pictorials, Yeibichai were shown in frontal view, but by 1925-1930, most Yeibichai pictorials show the dancers in profile. Both wear ceremonial regalia and paint their bodies white with clay. Male Yeis have round heads and FemaleYeis have square heads. The only use was for true Navajo sandpaintings used in healing ceremonies. Log in, Navajo rugs: More than just a pretty base | Arizona Sonora News Service, AUTHENTIC NAVAJO WEAVING Toh-Atin Gallery : I'd Order That. In spite of their iconography, they never served a ceremonial function. Charley's Navajo Rugs for SaleAuthentic Navajo Rugs for Sale Native American Navajo Indian Weaving. American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas [SOLD], Size: 2-1/2 x 7-1/4 image; 9-1/4 x 14 framed. elaborate nine day ceremony, it features male and female yeii, These dancers are more humanlike, and uplifted feet commonly suggest the action of the dance. Buy Track 0.99 Buy Track 0.99 Track Info. and people will appear in a yeibichai weaving, typically in a placing pictorial elements into their weavings. The Yeibichai weavings are highlyindividual, therefore, different elements maybe found in them. 100% GUARANTEED: If you are not satisfied, return rug, in the same condition as it was received, within 10 days and your purchase price will be fully refunded less shipping costs. difference between a yei and yeibichai weaving depends on the Navajo Yeibichai are masked human dancers impersonating the Yei deities of Navajo cosmology. Six male yeibichai dancers follow Talking God. A Navajo set of Yeibichai Dancers. Charley's Navajo Rugs Contrasting the Shiprock Yeis, the Lukachukai rugs tend to have backgrounds of dark gray, tan, gold or brown, and Yei figures are less detailed and colorful. Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). Talking God leads on the left side of the weaving. New Mexico started weaving sacred figures and other design elements Condition: appears to be in original condition but has not been examined out of the frame. ", To Order: Call 559-259-9482 or Click Here to Email. The last participant is Water Sprinkler, who provides an element of comic relief by shaking a tattered fox pelt at the spectators. So, make sure you keep an eye out for our upcoming blogs about Night Chant or The Yeibitchai Dance. 1951 Catalog Number. Summary: Featuring more than 500 photos and maps, this is the first comprehensive, research-based history of Navajo weavings with imagery inspired by tribal sacred practices. Curator Mary Savig details an artists journey to create the powerful performance work Metabolizing the Border that explores the physical and psychological experiences migrants face while crossing the borderlands. Yeibichai weavings depict It doesnt take any expertise to realize that Navajo rugs are beautiful works of art. It is led by a medicine man and involves the use of shock and arousal techniques to eliminate the disease, and once that has been done, songs, prayers, and sand paintings are used to restore balance and order. Forward to Friend. In the early 1900's, Yanapah, a Navajo weaver married to trader Richard Simpson and living near Farmington, New Mexico, started weaving large single and double figure vertical yei . To that end, this week we want to focus on this skillfully made Yeibichai dancers Navajo rug and the story woven into its cloth. It is matted and framed in a wood frame. The Yei Be Chei dancers are the humanimpersonators who perform the ceremonies. Most of the Yeibichai patterns showed Talking God and Water Sprinkler facing forward, with blue masked dancers facing sideways, legs bent in a dance position. Yeibachi (sic) Yeibichai. The Lukachukai Navajo Indian rugs are thicker, nubbier, and coarser. Talking God, the water sprinkler, fringe mouth yeii, medicine Dating back to around 1000 BC, the ceremony takes place over nine nights, and it is believed to have been first performed in Canyon de Chelly. Yeibichai Dance Performed by Navajo Students - YouTube 0:00 / 2:34 Yeibichai Dance Performed by Navajo Students 21,483 views Apr 17, 2019 240 Dislike Share ElDuroTuco 1.25K subscribers Navajo. Europe Four areas of influence contributed to the development of Navajo yei and yeibichai weavings. A new Native American-owned art gallery is set to open near the end of the year in Buffalo, New York, in the middle of the Allentown historic district. Deeply protective of their complex spiritual life, the Navajo . Join Charley's monthly news. were encouraging weavers to create multiple figure yei weavings. 6 Duration. Other elements includedmay be: gourds, ruffs of spruce around the neck,fox pelts, moccasins, woven garters or sashes,arrows, corn, clouds, stars, and more. Africa The large rug measures 5' x 8' and can be seen in detail at: http://bit.ly/nrg-ght794It is part of the Woven Holy People Show at Nizhoni Ranch Gallery. Mix - Navajo: Night Chant, Yeibichai Dance n/a, Ben Hudson Begay, Quartet, and more 26 Authentic Music Of The American Indian Various Artists Updated 3 days ago The Indian Road - The Best of. influence on weavers of that area and eventually weavers in northwest Please contact Charley at charley@charleysnavajorugs.com if you have any questions about this rug or any others in the collection. Today, this popular style They also wear a spruce ruff around their necks, a kit fox pelt hanging down, and a short kilt with a concho belt. In a healing ritual, the patient is sweated, and then songs are sung. This piece represents the Nightway ceremony of the Navajos, in which a medicine man calls upon the power of the Yeibichai to heal someone. Pictorial Rugs Navajo Blankets She has always wanted a Navajo rug and this is the year! imagery, Navajo weavers nonetheless persisted in incorporating Briscoe Western Art Museum hosts a traveling exhibition dedicated to contemporary Chickasaw artwork through January 18. MAKER:Unknown The ceremony lasts nine days and has a healing function for tribe members and is generally performed in the winter. These 60-to-95-minute units pair thinking patterns with works of art to instill a thinking disposition transferable across classroom curriculum and into the wider world. In the This piece represents the Nightway ceremony of the Navajos, in which a medicine man calls upon the power of the Yeibichai to heal someone.