]
in the life of the patient, the one sung over. While in most ceremonials, the images are
created on the hooghan floor of mineral
[nahasdzáán bii' bi
haz'ánígíí] materials on
a base of sand [séí], the paintings in the
Blessingway ceremony
[Hózhójí]
are created on buckskin ['abaní]
using a variety of vegetal materials
(pollen [tádídíín], meal [naad
n] and
crushed flower petals) as the medium. The image is formed of charcoal
[t'eesh]
and crushed minerals [nahasdzáán bii' bi haz'ánígíí] placed on a bed of sand
[
séí] in the other ceremonies.
A large number (> 500) of different designs have been recorded by observers and
anthropologists over time, and more probably exist. A few are small, but many are so
large (20 feet in diameter) that they are made only in hooghans constructed especially
for them. The smaller sandpaintings ['iikááh]
can be made by two [naaki] or three [táá] people working for less than an hour
['ahéé'ílkid], but the largest may
require 10 [neeznáá] - 15 ['ashdla'áadah] people to work for most of a day
[j
]. The ceremonial sandpaintings
['iikááh] are made by assistants to the chanter
[Hatááii] (or singer), perhaps family
members of either the chanter [Hatááii] or
the patient, in a hooghan that has been blessed, or made sacred, for the
ceremony. The hooghan may even have been built
especially for the ceremony.
Each image is linked with a particular ceremony, which may last from one [t'ááá'í]
to 9 [náhást'éí] days
[j].
The stories associated with the ceremony dictate which designs are used and the manner
of executing these designs. If a shorter version of a ceremony is being conducted, the
designs to be used are decided upon by the singer [Hatááii]
in consultation with the patient and
his family in order to choose the one(s) most appropriate to the particuliar
situation.
Most sandpaintings ['iikááh] are made during the
daytime, but a few are created after dark. Most are made upon a base of fine sand [séí] that
is carried into the hooghan and laid down on a layer one
[t'ááá'í] to
three [táá'] inches deep upon the floor. While the colors ['atah'áát'eego nidaashch'
'ígíí]
can vary, the four [d] principal colors
['atah'áát'eego nidaashch''ígíí],
white [igai], blue [doot'izh], yellow [itso]
and black [izhin], are always present. These colors ['atah'áát'eego nidaashch''ígíí] are symbolically
associated with the directions [da'níts''góó]: white [igai] with
the dawn [Hayíík]
and the east [ha'a'aah], blue [doot'izh] with
the midday sky [yáh] and the south [shádi'ááh],
yellow [itso] with evening twilight [nahootsoii] and the west ['e'e'aah],
and black [izhin] with the night [t'éé'] sky [yáh] and the north [náhook
s].
The colors ['atah'áát'eego
nidaashch''íg'í'í] are laid on by the chanter [Hatááii] and his
assistants using the right [nishnááji] hand ['ala'] and allowing the material to trickle out between the
thumb ['álátsoh]
and forefinger. Some dimensions and the balance between certain figures must be
very exact in order for the sandpainting ['iikááh] to be effective, for the proper balance to be
achieved. Therefore careful measurements are made
using tape measures and pieces of string which are then stretched tight at the proper location and
snapped to make an accurate straight line [k'éhézdon
ídzoh] in the base sand [
séí]
as a guide line. In this way, figures are kept in proper alignment and proper proportion. In order to make the
image three-dimensional, the figure painting ['ak'ina'adzoh] on the backs of the figures is laid
down first and, when
completed, the proper colored sand
[séí] is laid on representing the body ['ats'íís] . Then the figure
painting ['ak'ina'adzoh] on the front side of the bodies is constructed on top of these, assuring that the complete
representation of the Holy People [dighin diné] is made. This will
more surely insure their presence and aid in the ceremony. To not to disturb
the parts of the sandpainting ['iikááh] that
have been completed, the chanter [Hatááii] and his assistants work outward from the center. If an error is made, that
part of the image is covered with fresh sand [séí] and is begun again.
The sandpainting ['iikááh] is oriented so that
the top is at the east [ha'a'aah] and is surrounded by a
guardian on the other three [táá'] sides. This protects the sandpainting ['iikááh] from evil on those
sides and allows strength and all good things (which come from the east [ha'a'aah] with the dawn [Hayíík])
to enter. The sandpainting ['iikááh] derives its power to heal from the coexistence within
the image of multiple layers of time, space, and meaning. The layers of time derive
from the presence of the Holy People
[dighin diné] (in their images and their presence which is
presumed); the layers of space derive from the careful construction of the back and
front images of the Holy People [dighin diné]; the layers of meaning come from the myths and stories
associated with these sandpaintings ['iikááh]
especially chosen for the situation at hand ['ala'] in the same way that the parables of the
Bible are used. The patient sits on the sandpainting ['iikááh], in direct contact with the images of the Holy People
[dighin diné]
during the ceremony. They enter his body ['ats'íís] and
thus help to heal him in this way.
It is important to note that the process itself of creating a sandpainting ['iikááh] contributes to the healing because the act of drawing such symmetrical, orderly images focuses the thoughts of everyone present on the principles of balance and order. The patient can begin to believe in the possibility of his healing based on his belief in the ability of the perfectly executed sandpainting ['iikááh] to bring the Holy People [dighin diné] and the power that they can bring to bear on his behalf.
The images become almost unrecognizable during the ceremony. After the ceremony the sand [ séí] is all swept up and removed from the hooghan. It is taken far away and ceremonially disposed of. It is still holy and possesses great power. If it is not properly treated, great harm may come.
In order to take a closer look at one of the central sandpaintings ['iikááh] in many of the ceremonies, I have shown here a
watercolor [bee na'ach'
Both figures sit on clouds [k'os] of mist, blue [doot
The scanned image of the watercolor of the Mother Earth - Father Sky sandpainting
is used with the permission of the artist, Trudy Griffin-Pierce.
A selection of reasonably priced sandpaintings, both traditional and contemporary/pictorial, can be found
at the Penfield Gallery of Indian Arts, Albuquerque, NM.
This discussion is taken from the short description of sandpainting found in The
Navajo by Clyde Kluckhohn and Dorothea Leighton and the extensive work of Trudy
Griffin-Pierce in Earth is My Mother, Sky is my Father, Space, Time, and
Astronomy in Navajo Sandpainting. For a more detailed discussion of this
sandpainting and a recounting of a ceremony using the Mother Earth - Father Sky
sandpainting in which she was a participant, see Trudy Griffin-Pierce.
An alternate version of the placement
of the sun, moon and stars is given in Navaho Folk Tales by
Newcomb. A painting by Navajo artist
Clifford Brycelea shows the Holy People placing the stars.
Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, Earth is my Mother, Sky is my
Father, Space, Time, and
Astronomy in Navajo Sandpainting, University of New Mexico Press.
Newcomb, Franc & Paul Zolbrod, Navajo Folk Tales, University of New Mexico Press.
Farella, John R., The Main Stalk: A
Synthesis of Navajo Philosophy, University
of Arizona Press.
McNeley, James
Kale, Holy Wind in Navajo Philosophy, University of Arizona Press.
Zolbrod, Paul, Dine Bahane : The Navajo Creation Story, University of New Mexico Press.
hí
tóhígíí] painting of the Mother Earth - Father Sky image from the Male Shootingway
chant [Na'at'oii bika' bihóchó'íjí]
made by Trudy
Griffin-Pierce. You can immediately find in this painting many of the characteristics
that have already been mentioned: the presence of the four [d]
principal colors ['atah'áát'eego nidaashch''ígíí] and the
rainbow [nááts'íílid] guardian surrounding the image on three [táá']
sides. The arms ['agaan] and legs ['ajáád] of Father Sky lie over
those of Mother Earth [Nahasdzáán Shimá] just as the sky [Yáh] lies above the
earth [Nahasdzáán]. The faces ['aníí'] of both Mother Earth [Nahasdzáán Shimá]
and Father Sky are covered with the Sun's [Jóhonaa'éí] house stripes,
the yellow [itso] of evening twilight [nahootsoii] in a band
across the chin ['ayaats'iin], the blue [dootish] of the midday
sky [yáh] above the mouth ['azéé'], the black [izhin] of the night
sky [yáh] across the eyes ['anáá'], and the white [igai] of dawn [Hayíík]
across the forehead [á'táá].
On the body ['ats'íís] of Mother Earth
[Nahasdzáán Shimá]
are seen the four [d] sacred plants [nanise'], corn [naadí]
plants [nanise'] rising toward the south [shádi'ááh], the black [izhin]
squash [naayízí]
plant with yellow [itso] squash [naayízí] toward the west ['e'e'aah],
and five [ashdla'] blue [dootish] stems of tobacco to the north [náhooks], all radiating from the
central lake, representing the place of emergence of the Navajo into this the Fourth
World. The plant [nanise'] images are made solely by female assistants. This is important as they
represent the regeneration and renewal of the earth
[Nahasdzáán]. The gray-blue color of the body ['ats'íís] of
Mother Earth [Nahasdzáán Shimá] represents the turquoise
[doot'izhii] dress
of the summer [sh]
sky [yáh].
The body ['ats'íís] of Father Sky is covered by the constellations
[s'ání], the sun
[Jóhonaa'éí],
the moon [T'éhonaa'éí] and
the Milky Way [Yikáísdáhí].
The Milky Way [Yikáísdáhí]
is represented by the crossing zig-zag lines
[noolt'iizhgo na'asdzoh] running
across the shoulders ['awos] of Father Sky from hand ['ala'] to hand ['ala']; as it is associated
with the east [ha'a'aah],
it should be placed high up on the body ['ats'íís] near the head ['atsíí'],
which is at the east [ha'a'aah]. The blue
[dootish]
disk of the Sun [Jóhonaa'éí] is centrally placed.
The white [igai]
disk of the Moon
[Téhonaa'éí] is
placed above the Sun [Jóhonaa'éí]. The top of each disk is oriented toward the west ['e'eaah],
indicating their paths across the sky [yáh].
Horns of power are placed on each disk and they are painted with eyes ['anáá'] and mouths ['azéé'].
Feathers are drawn at the tops of each disk to symbolize their ability to float
through the air and the powers of clear thought and good judgement.
The constellations
[s'ání] represented are
Náhooks bika'ii (the Big Dipper), a male figure,
Náhooks ba'áadii (Cassiopeia),
a female figure, Dilyéhé (the Pleiades), 'Atsé'ets'ózí
(Orion), Hastiin Sik'ai'í
(Corvus), 'Atsé'etsoh (composed of the front part
of Scorpius), Gah heet'e'ii (the tail of Scorpius).
The hands ['ala'] and feet ['akee'] of both Mother Earth [Nahasdzáán Shimá] and
Father Sky are painted with
yellow [itso] pollen [tádídíín] to
represent fertility.
The Sun's [Jóhonaa'éí] tobacco pouch is placed just above Father Sky's right hand
['ala']; the Bat [jaa'abaní] goes above
Mother Earth's [Nahasdzáán Shimá] left hand ['ala']. These guardians will protect
the eastern opening. Pollen [tádídíín]
balls are placed in the mouths ['azéé'] of both Mother Earth
[Nahasdzáán Shimá]
and Father Sky and a line of pollen
[tádídíín]
stretched between these two balls.
'izh]
and black [izhin], held together by rainbows
[nááts'íílid]. The last
act of the creation of the sandpainting ['iikááh] is to place the
constellations [s'ání] in their proper
symbolic location. This is done by the chanter [Hatááii]
himself while recounting the story of the
creation. In this story, Coyote [M'ii],
"the patron of disorder", disrupts the orderly
placement of the stars [s'] by the
Holy People
[dighin diné] by flinging the
as yet unplaced stars [s'] up into the sky [yáh].
The chanter [Hatááii] draws
only the constellations [s'ání] that were placed in the sky [yáh] in an
orderly manner, thus restoring order to the "disordered" spiritual and physical world
of the patient.
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