The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-11-15
THE NAVAJO DANCE.
The Great Navajo Ceremony Coneiudtd-In,,restir,
Incidents.


The Great Navajo Ceremony Concluded-1nterestfu
Incidents.
We are again permitted TO publish the following
extract from a letter bya Washington
lady to her father In this city:
KEAeS's CANON, ARiz., Oct. 20, lsss.
How wish you could have witnessed the
Navajo dance on tue last night Of the ceremony.
There were not less than 1900 Indians on the
ground dressed In their best and finest blankets and
jewelry; the women Gorgeous In their red dresses
caught at the shoulders and with arms bare. on
each side Of the broad avenue where the dance was
TO occur there were four immense fires, the wood
piled five or six feet high, and scattered around at
some distance were some ilfty more fires Around
the eight large fires on either side of the avenue
were circles OF spectators, each fire having Its own
circle OF men and women, while around the more
distant and smaller fires were groups OF men en-.
gagged in all manner of games, or women engaged in
earnest gossip, for bear in mind that many friends
had met here who had not seen each other for many
long day. Can you appreciate the wonderful scene
presented? The bright flrc,Irht making p,cturc OF
the greatest brilisncy and richness which language
is Inadequate to dcscribe-made doubly picturesque
by the swsthy faces shaded by the long, red silk
scarfs worn around and over the head like the
Turkish turban. All were not sitting, but many of
the men stood up with blankets thrown gracefully
around them.
You must know that our efforts to learn al This
great ceremony did not lead over a bed of roses
While the head priests of this particular ceremony
were extremely kind and friendly throughout,
many others demanded that we should not be al.
lowed TO make and carry OF pictures and tescrlp.
tions Of their medicine; but the priests friendly to
us held firmly to the position they had assumed and
said that we should see ALL as we were not going 10
sell the things we obtained or show them to small
pcorle but they were for the Great Father In WASH
ington and they were sure the Great Father would he
pleased with everything There was one Old chic 4
who seemed to feel very ugly toward us. MIR.
Kearns had lust arrived on the mesa and heard Of
this chief, AMI he said In a loud voice: al have a
few words TO speak before the dance begins. |
noted well the effect of his words, and in an Instant
he had the attention Of that great crowd OF red men,
the gamblers as well as all the others crowdinu as
near as possible, so AS not to miss word he said.
Mr. Kearns continued "Thls lady and her hu sbapd
are friends OF niue from Washington and am
pleased to hear OF all the kindness aud attention
that have been extended 10 them BIZ the Nayaios but
deeply regret to learn that there had been some 10
complain; that when people came mere from Wash.
inaton to work among the Navajos II was for the
good Of the Indians, and II they were wise they
would always treat such people with marked kind
ness and consideration. Mr.. Kearns, who, you
know is great man among the Nayajos continued
in ths strain for some minutes, and made them an
exceedingly neat speech, speaking all the time in
the Navajo language.
A man now stepped out into the middle of the
avenue with all the grace and elegance OF Roman
Senator. Although young man. he is q great chief
and one Of their celebrated orators lie made quito
IN elegant speech ana said many pleasant things
about u.s. Navajo John, our Interpreter, stood by us
and interpreted the speech for us as was delivered
The attitude and gestures Of this orator formed a
grand study
When the speaker had concluded | thought
would see If all these grea. chiefs and warriors woult
listen to ,coman. made step to the front ant
addressed them for a few minutes. Every one
was an attentive listener. I told them how much
pleased we had been with the manner In which we
had been treated by the Nava,os during the days WI
had been with them in camp; that we already re
garded the old men as our fathers and looked upor
the young men as our brothers, and wished to tel
them why we were there, and why we made so man,
pictures and did 30 much writing II was not tC
hurt or destroy the medicine 30 dear to all of then
but It was to preserve and protect It for them tina
we would show these wonderful and beautifu
pictures to the Great Father, who would have then
carefully placed away and locked up where no on
could carry them OIL At this point the orator agail
rose to speak, but he was iuterrupted by the o.,