August is a month that belongs to the Native Americans in
this part of the world. There are
numerous exhibitions and fairs focused on the pueblo Indians. There are two fairs in New Mexico that are
exclusively about contemporary Indian culture: one is in Gallup known as
Inter-Tribal Ceremonial; and the other in Santa Fe called Indian Market (I will
discuss the latter next week).
Also at this
time of the year, many of the pueblos celebrate their feast days with dances. These are days of renewal allowing the tribes
to celebrate their culture with family, tribal members and invited friends from
in and beyond the
pueblo.
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| Painting by Benedick Naseyoma |
We have attended three such feast days this month at
Pojoaque, Santa Domingo and Santa Clara and in the past we have attended others. This year we were lucky enough at each of
these pueblos to be invited by one of the Indian families to join them in their homes for their feast. Dances on the pueblos are often all day
affairs going from dawn to dusk. We usually
arrive in mid-morning to see some of the dances and then go to one of the homes
on the pueblo for lunch. One thing that
you will usually find on the dinner table will be a red chili stew and a green
chili stew. When we first came out here
in the restaurants we were always asked do you want green or red chili? At first we naturally had no idea how they
would taste so we asked which one was hotter and always picked the less spicy
one. I could never make up my mind so I
would ask for Christmas which meant you got half of each! They might also have posole, whose basic
ingredients are hominy
and pork. There may also be some turkey or small sandwiches and lots of deserts.
The food is cooked by family members
with additions brought
by tribal members or as gifts from visitors. We learned early on that when you visit
someone on the pueblo you bring a gift and often receive one in return. I remember bringing one couple at Hopi a
baseball cap for the katsina carver and a jar of honey for his wife. This is a tribal tradition we have found at
all the pueblos we have visited and it makes for an instant camaraderie between
visitor and host.
Since so many visitors have been invited to partake of the
feast and most of the houses are quite small these feasts are rotating
meals. You sit down when there is room
at a table. You may find a family member
or an Anglo friend or
one of the dancers sitting next to you.
In any case, it is always interesting company. Also, just passing the many dishes around the
table creates a link between all those who are there. After you are done you get up to make room for
the next guests to sit down. After lunch
it is time to return to the dance to see the afternoon edition.
It is difficult to describe an Indian dance in words. No
photos by visitors are allowed during dances anymore but I found a few samples
of smaller dance groups on YouTube. Here is one of a Hopi Corn Dance to give you
an idea of what I am talking about. It
does not give the feeling or ambience of actually being there, which has quite
a different effect on the viewer than watching a demonstration on a stage or in
an arena.
CLICK ABOVE TO PLAY VIDEO
On a small pueblo there may be as few as half a dozen dancers
but on a large pueblo with many inhabitants you might have hundreds with crowds
of observers around the plaza and on the roofs of the surrounding houses. If there are too many to
be on one plaza they may use two or three.
A plaza on a pueblo is an open space around which homes have been
built. It is usually the elders who have
these houses and they are passed down through the generations. In some cases these houses are shared with
other family members for a feast day. This
is so the many members of the family may show their generosity and invite their
friends. It makes for quite a crowd.
All the dancers wear traditional costume. The women wear black dresses and tall painted tablitas
(headdresses). The men have
painted their skin which also protects from the scalding sun light. They wear thin pine branches tied into their
armbands and in various other places on their body which must scratch
terribly. Many will have large strings
of small shells over their shoulder or tin jingles sewn to their clothing, others
may have large shells tied around their waist or to their legs. They
often have jingle bells on their
legs and arms, as well, and carry rattles in their hands. In the center of the plaza you will have the
musicians, mainly drummers beating a rhythmic beat and others chanting. After a few minutes the sound becomes totally
mesmerizing and you find yourself inadvertently totally taken over by the sound
and continuous motion. I asked an Anglo
whose daughter has married into a tribe when the dances ended in the
afternoon. He said he had no idea
because he gets so into it that
time just melts away.
The Indians may dance from dawn to dusk, their stamina is phenomenal. Often there are small children as young as
three or four who
participate and they are always wonderful to watch. Most are extremely serious and work very hard
at following the rhythm and steps. There are also the “warriors” who keep the little ones in line
and help them and the adults with adornments that may have come loose or fallen
off during a dance.
It is quite an experience to attend a dance in a pueblo but
you must leave yourself open to it and not think about when it will start or
end. It just is. If perchance you have the honor to be invited
into a Native home it will be a day you never forget.
