Arizona republican., 1920-12-02
SACRED FIRE DANCE
Of NAVAJO TRIBE
SEEN BY LOCAL MAN

enactment of the age-old fire
dance, one of the most solemn re-
ligious rites, with it's equally impress
sive chants, of the Navajo tribe, was
witnessed by f. P. Cruise, assistant
general freight and passenger agent
for the Santa Fe, at the Navajo reser-
walton As miles north and east of Tuba
City last Saturday.
The dance. as mystic as it is rare,
is one OF the highly religious func-
lions of the nearly pagan tribe, in
serious or lasting sickness to some
member and is destined to restore the
suffering to full and lasting health.
1t is the grand finale of a nine-day
ceremony, pompously observed by Gin
vited guests of the host or hostess, as
the occasion may be.
In this particular instance, Chief
Sam Begota was the host, the cere-
mony being observed on behalf of his
son and daughter, who have been suf-
fering four years from a strange mall
ady. Medicine men came from far
and near, at the solicitation of the
parent. to administer the rituals while
dancers from all sections of the res
ervation were in attendance.
Preparations for the dance are so
made, Mr.. Cruise declared, that con-
struction of the Enclosure, in which
the dance is held. is finished just as
the sun is sinking in the western
heavens. The dance itself lasts from
shutdown to sunup.
The Enclosure is made of cedar
boughs, and is circular in shape and
about 200 feet in diameter. The big
fire" around which all dances are
held, is in the center of the inclosure.
he fc, fir-cY iaH
than a carload of cedar was in the
pile. Another carload was used in the
smaller fires, of which there was
nearly a score, skirting the main
blaze. The family groups were seated
about these individual fires.
The Enclosure has but one entrance,
that from the east The afflicted, for
whom the ritual is observed take
seats on the west side of the in
closure, facing the east and the ris-
ing sun.
Dancers work in relays, performing
about the edge of the big blaze"
MANY of them performed in the nude.
while others wore elaborate costumes
of feathers. Only male members Of
the tribe participate in this ritual
One of the costumes, as described
by Mr.. Cruice, was a great feather
shield on the back of a dancer, repre-
senting the setting sun with its gol-
den rays streaming across the heavens.
Others wore feathered shields of diff
ferent designs, offset with arm or leg
bands. All dancers were employed by
the host at salary of three wethers.
In one of the dances alone, 81 Indians
performed.
The dance finale is participated in
by seven performers in the nude,
their bodies covered with a white clay
like substance. They enter the en-
closure with cedar torches. These are
| lighted from the big fire" and then
they start their wierd prancing, chant
ing a musical note the while.
Their bodies made immune from
heat because of the religious cere-
mony, the fire brands are drawn back
and forth across the skin of the
dancers. The wonder is. Mr. Cruice
declared, that they do not sustain
serious burns, but apparently they
suffer no i'll effects of any nature
This is followed by the entrance OF
robes. They circle the blaze four
times in a slow, impressive manner.
All save one OF them then retires,
while the fourth proceeds to the group
of the stricken family. There he per-
forms his ritual. all done in native
| tongue, touching each of the suffer-
| ing persons at different points of the
anatomy as he talks.
| He then heads the family group
back to the blaze and dancing slowly.
circles it four times, followed by mem
! bers of the family, including the two
| sufferers. AS he concludes his work
/ the family passes out through the
eastern gate just as the sun is rising