One of the most popular regional styles of Navajo weaving has always been the Yei and Yeibichai. He is the bringer of rain and the water carrier of the gods. 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. 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. 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? Yeii figures The original black&white picture is Wellcome Trust. person. Curative ceremonies, with long song cycles, are emphasized by the Navajo, along with circular social dances, recalling those of the Great Plains tribes. Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery. This issue was further amplified by the fact that even the tribes themselves were reluctant to divulge any information. Every year near the holiday season, Adobe Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, holds its Native American Nacimientos exhibition. Entdecke Postkarte - Monument Valley - Navajo County, Arizona in groer Auswahl Vergleichen Angebote und Preise Online kaufen bei eBay Kostenlose Lieferung fr viele Artikel! Middle East The Traditional Yeibichai Dancers Weaving. All structured data from the file namespace is available under the. Talking God is distinguished by his white mask with eagle feathers. were encouraging weavers to create multiple figure yei weavings. 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. Native American Navajo Painting by Jack Black from Cove AZ. Curative ceremonies, with long song cycles, are emphasized by the Navajo, along with circular social dances, recalling those of the Great Plains tribes. light-colored background and used a plethora of aniline-dyed Click on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. Navajo-Artist.com, Lajasta Wauneka Gallup, New Mexico 87301, Email: info@Navajo-Artist.com Phone: (505) 409-5796. Do you have any replicas of the chief style rugs or the Ganado style ? Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Winslow,AZ Valley National Bank Navajo County Arizona Mashek & Zeigler Postcard at the best online prices at eBay! first appeared in Navajo weavings before the turn of the twentieth depiction of the holy Navajo beings. Teec Nos Pos Navajo Rugs They wear red garters to hold up their leggings and moccasins on their feet. The Yeibichai dance is performed in front of a ceremonial hogan that has been built in a remote location near the patients home. partnership with a prominent medicine man named Hastiin Klah The Wellcome Collection, London.jpg. 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. Log in, Navajo rugs: More than just a pretty base | Arizona Sonora News Service, AUTHENTIC NAVAJO WEAVING Toh-Atin Gallery : I'd Order That. Following his graduation he went to work as an illustrator for the Indian Service. Charley's Navajo Rugs for SaleAuthentic Navajo Rugs for Sale Native American Navajo Indian Weaving. During the singing, the Yei Bi Chei representing the gods treat the patient while calling wu-hu-hu-hu-u. The gods represented are speechless and live in sacred caves, mountains and canyons. ", To Order: Call 559-259-9482 or Click Here to Email. Want to learn more about the painting you found while clearing out the attic? A yeii is a Navajo holy of weaving graces many a fine collection of Navajo rugs. Galleries and dealers come together to bring World Tribal and Native American Art to homes through a virtual event. You're welcome. In the In executing the carefully prescribed ritual dance movements, they call upon the Holy People to bestow good health on the patient and, by extension, on all those hundreds in attendance. Navajo Yeibichai are masked dancers representing the Deity Yei Supernatural Beings. Cherokee Art Market welcomes collectors from all over the globe to its website for a virtual event from December 7 to 21. Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). During ceremony, a team will be composed of fourteen dancers: the leader Yeibichai - the Talking God, six male dancers, six women dancers, and finally, the Water Sprinkler - the God of Precipitated Waters. Site content 1998-2023 Adobe Gallery. This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). Date: 1900: Source: Photo by Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin FRCP(Glasg) Author: Get notified of new items. And youll be able to appreciate the meaning behind the intricate weaving and vibrant colors. imagery, Navajo weavers nonetheless persisted in incorporating Navajo Blankets Yeibachi (sic) Yeibichai. They each wear a blue mask with two eagle feathers above the mask. On the ninth night, a public dance including six men and six women dance as Yei Bi Chei. Culture Group(s) . placing pictorial elements into their weavings. www.navajorug.com. 39" x 44" A yei'i is a Navajo holy person. Required fields are marked *. The myth characters personified in this rite are termed Ybchai, Grandfather or Paternal Gods. century. Other elements includedmay be: gourds, ruffs of spruce around the neck,fox pelts, moccasins, woven garters or sashes,arrows, corn, clouds, stars, and more. Known as Ybchai in Navajo, the Nightway is a ceremonial that lasts nine nights and is performed by a singer to heal a patient, although family members and friends are often present in the hogan, along with the Holy People, for the healing. Yeibichai Navajo Rugs Differing from the Shiprock Yei, the Yeibichai Navajo Indian rugs are usually bordered weavings and depict Navajo dancers impersonating Yei spirits. So, make sure you keep an eye out for our upcoming blogs about Night Chant or The Yeibitchai Dance. Two Grey Hills Navajo Rugs. This page was last edited on 12 July 2021, at 16:45. DESCRIPTION: Ganaskidi Mask The masked dancer personifies the god represented. frequently with multiple figures in a horizontal row often surrounded This piece represents the Nightway ceremony of the Navajos, in which a medicine man calls upon the power of the Yeibichai to heal someone. 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. The history of the development of a religious belief system in the Navajo tribe isnt well known. The Navajo Yeibichai Kachina is sometimes called the Talking God, although in many ceremonies the Yeibichai does not actually speak. The legacy of Cherokee artist Shan Goshorn is honored during an exhibition at the Gilcrease Museum. As early as the mid-1800s, Navajo weavers were In spite of their iconography, they never served a ceremonial function. Navajo Rugs Subscribe to Magzter Gold to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,000+ magazines and newspapers. You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. Storm Navajo Rugs She has always wanted a Navajo rug and this is the year! elaborate nine day ceremony, it features male and female yeii, Provenance: from a collector of Native paintings from California, Recommended Reading: American Indian Paintings of the Southwest and Plains Areas by Dorothy Dunn, American Indian Painting of the Southwest and Plains Areas [SOLD] Pictorial Rugs At some distance away is a brush enclosure where the dancers don the sacred masks which have been ritually prepared by the medicine man. In the 19th century, a Yeibichai dance team would consist entirely of men. Adobe Gallery On the final night,teams of dancers appear in public in what isreferred to as the Yeibichai Dance until justbefore dawn. But it can give you a greater sense of appreciation when you realize the history and mythology behind specific weavings. The six maleYei carry gourd rattles and spruce twigs or feathers, and make the hu call periodically during the dance. If the file has been modified from its original state, some details such as the timestamp may not fully reflect those of the original file. We learned that male and female Yeibichai dancers are differentiated by round or square heads. 1951 Catalog Number. Yeibichai rugs generally depict the dancers from the side and in motion. The Lukachukai Navajo Indian rugs are thicker, nubbier, and coarser. The Yei Be Chei weavings present the dancers as they dance, perform, and enact the ceremony of the Yeis. 6 Duration. NAVAJO YEI BE CHEI (Yeibichai) The Yei Be Chei dancers are the human impersonators who perform the ceremonies. The leader of the dancers is Talking God, the feather headdress dancer to the left. An ethnologist and linguistic expert, Washington Matthews, is one of the very few people who wrote extensively about it in his bookThe Night Chant,which was published in 1902. 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. Forward to Friend. A national membership group of museum friends who share a love of American art and craft and our commitment to celebrating the extraordinary creativity of our nations artists. 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. The last participant is Water Sprinkler, who provides an element of comic relief by shaking a tattered fox pelt at the spectators. the actual ceremonial dance performed in the winter months. In the early 1920s, The Yeibichai are supernatural beings who created the Navajo people and taught them how to live in harmony with the universe. influence on weavers of that area and eventually weavers in northwest Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 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. Navajo Regional Rugs, Saddle Blankets, & Other Styles Information, Navajo Regional Rugs & Navajo Saddle Blankets Info. Year Released. who was responsible for the creation of rugs depicting Navajo This file has been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights. 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. 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. 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. 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. American Indian dance styles In Native American dance: The Southwest dances such as the curative yeibichai of the Navajo. He was an avid student and was known to have stayed in the studio painting until forced to return to the dormitory. Tom Yazzie has depicted all of the participants in this sacred ceremony in his carving, wearing their ceremonial masks and headdresses to resemble the Yeibichai. He also wears a spruce ruff around his neck, a white deerskin sash knotted over his left shoulder, and a kit fox pelt hanging down his back. SUBREGION:Arizona these religious figures into their rugs. Prior to the turn of the 20th century, Yei were not permitted to be represented in textiles or paintings in any permanent forms. USA, 1900. Raised Outline Rugs Yeibichai Dancers. He attended elementary school at the Indian School at Fort Apache, but ran away and returned back to the reservation. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1928. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/PDMCreative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0falsefalse. Craftsman David Dave Drake, enslaved for most of his life, produced uncommonly large ceramic jars in 19th-century South Carolina adorned by his poetic verses. Four major rites are carried out throughout nine nights. Pueblo masking influenced neighbouring tribal dances such as the curative yeibichai of the Navajo. The Nightway includes singing, dancing, pollen blessing, sandpainting . 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. AGE: ca. I have, All these supposed white Native American stories are just a ploy by white Americans so they can feel easy about, Cupik and Yupik Native American History, Inupiaq and St Lawrence Island Yupik Native American History, Aleut and Alutiiq Native American History, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian Native American History, Mexican Zapotec Native American Indian History, Canyon de Chelly the Origin of Navajo Culture, Native American Art Navajo Pottery History, Sandpaintings Religion and Native American Art. They are: Even though an extremely demanding ceremony, Night Chant plays a pivotal role in Navajo life, and just one blog is not enough to explain all the rites and rituals associated with it. These dancers are more humanlike, and uplifted feet commonly suggest the action of the dance. Tom Yazzie, Yeibichai Dancers with Medicine Man and Patient, ca. Much displeasure was exhibited by traditional Navajo when some weavers and painters began picturing Yei in forms that were to be sold to non-Indians. It can take someone as much as five to six years to become competent enough to conduct their first ceremony. TYPE: helmet mask height of tallest 10 1/2in. He then attended school in Santa Fe and became a student of Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School. 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. early 1900s, Yanapah, a Navajo weaver married to trader They would be depicted with square blue masks only covering the front portion of their faces and spruce ruffs like the men. ceremony. Traditional Navajo Ceremonies: The Yeibitchai Dance Or Night Chant, Danced Across the River (Klay-chahjihHatal). Curtis; Edward Sherriff Curtis, https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/. Bringing up the rear is Water Sprinkler, the Navajo God of Precipitated Waters. However, if there were not enough qualified younger men, one or more mature women might be invited to perform the female Yei roles. Ceremonies are performed to either attractor exorcise effects to The People. English: Navajo Yebichai dancers. sandpainting designs. by Dorothy Dunn (1903-1992). Listen as Steve describes this rug in the video below. On view now at King Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is Charging Forward, a new two-artist show featuring the pottery of Kaa Folwell and the paintings of Derek No-Sun Brown. Clitso Dedman, consisting of fourteen figures, including representations of Talking god, Water Sprinkler, a medicine man, patient, and ten male and female dancers, realistically carved and with various attachments and accouterments. 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. Today, this popular style Water Sprinkler can be identified by the three eagle feathers above his blue mask. Differing from the Shiprock Yei, the Yeibichai Navajo Indian rugs are usually bordered weavings and depict Navajo dancers impersonating Yei spirits. The Yei Be Chei weavings present the dancers asthey dance, perform, and enact the ceremony ofthe Yeis. Regardless of the monetary value of your artwork, if it is personally meaningful, you should consider having the object conserved. 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 . more animated form to portray the dancing of the yei during the Join Charley's monthly news. in northwest New Mexico came from the Newcomb Trading Posts Yeibichai weavings constitute a small but highly collectible category of Navajo textiles. 1970s Richard Simpson and living near Farmington, New Mexico, started Release. It is matted and framed in a wood frame. to the development of Navajo yei and yeibichai weavings. Highly controversial because of their sacred Great data. Only on the last day of the ceremony do the dancers dress up in costume.