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Hum. ***** The Ohio State University 1996 Disssertation Committee: Approved by Professor Amy Zaharlick, Adviser Professor John Messenger Adviser Professor Patrick Mullen Departmentlent of Anthropology UMI Number: 9710563 Copyright 1996 by Francis, Sandra Toni All rights reserved. UMI Microform 9710563 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition Is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48103 Copyright by Sandra Toni Francis 1996 ABSTRACT Navajo healing ceremonies have been studied for many decades; however, their associated dances have received little attention. This study of Ye’ii Bicheii dancing in a Nightway ceremony employs the theory and method of labanotation to reveal the structure and effort patterns of the dances. These structural data, supplemented by information obtained from field interviews, films, sacred texts, and the anthropological literature, demonstrate (1) what the dances represent to Navajos, (2) what their ceremonial function is, and (3) how that function is achieved. The masked Ye’ii Bicheii dancers are representatives of Navajo deities (Holy People). Their dancing recapitulates a healing event from sacred history wherein an earth- surface-person was restored to health by means of a ceremony which included dancing. The dance events, which take place on the final two nights of this nine-night ceremony, help restore the patient to hozhç— a state of order, balance, harmony, wellness, and beauty. This function is achieved in several ways. (1) The dances attract good. The appearance of the dancers (replicating the appearance of the deities) attracts the Holy People to the ceremonial site. (2) The dances demonstrate correct order. Through adherence to the principles of repetition, cardinal direction, fourfold repetition, sunwise motion, the open circle, even numbers, and, to some extent, right-footedness, the dancing reestablishes the order which became disturbed by the patient's error and subsequent illness. (3) The dancing 11 brings to life a legendary healing event, causing it to happen again. Movement (the basis of life for Navajos) has life-giving and power-producing properties. Ceremonial movement is particularly powerful— it causes things to happen. The movement, singing, concentrated thought, and focused energy of the dancers bring the healing episode to life. (4) The dance event causes the patient to become identified with the hero of the legend. The patient, who blesses all dancers and who is present for all performances, is the focus of the danced action. Through offerings of prayer, c o m meal, and prayers ticks, the patient establishes harmonious relations with the Holy Ones and assumes the role of the legend's hero. Sacred time and present time merge; the patient and the hero become one; and the healing is achieved. Ill To Sam, David, Suzanne, Eva, and Hadd, with appreciation IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to thank my adviser, Amy Zaharlick, for intellectual cind emotional support beyond the norm. I acknowledge also a large debt to Navajo culture scholars James Paris, Charlotte Frisbie, David McAllester, and Gary Witherspoon for sharing information and ideas with me and for commenting on a draft of this dissertation. Their help was invaluable; however, they are in no way culpable where the final product is concerned. I thank Adrienne Kaeppler, Ward Goodenough, Ann Hutchinson, and Roderyck Lange for their advice during the early stages of this research, and many thanks go to Nadia Nahumck for her preparation of the labanotation scores— an effort which bordered on heroic. Her patience, good humor, and untiring professionalism proved a great asset. I am very grateful to my mentor and colleague, Anna Bellisari, for making the 1995 field session possible, productive, and enjoyable. I acknowledge also the assistance of several institutions. For their patient assistance I thank the following museum personnel: Janet Hevey of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Leslie Freund eind Judith Polanitch of the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology, Gabrielle Vail and Lucy Fowler Williams of the University of Pennsylvania's Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, and Pamela Wintle of the Smithsonicin Institution's Human Studies Film Archives. I theuik also the Graduate School of the Ohio State University for partially funding this research. Most of all, I wish to thank the Navajo families and V individuals who took me into their homes and lives and taught me new definitions of 'health' and 'wellness.' May they walk in beauty. VI VITA December 12, 1945 ............B o m - Dayton, Ohio 1989 ........................ Master of Humanities, Wright State University 1995 ........................ University of Pennsylvania, College of General Studies— taught course entitled:“Native Americcuis of the Southwest" 1991-1994 .................... The Ohio State University, Anthropology Dept. Graduate Teaching Associate— taught courses in cultural and physical anthropology 1991-1994 .................... Wright State University, Comparative Studies Program— taught course entitled “Non Western Cultural Systems" 1989-1991 .................... Wilmington College, Project Talents— taught courses in cultural and physical anthropology in Wilmington's prison education program V I 1 PUBLICATIONS “Exploring Dance as Concept: Contributions from Cognitive Anthropology." Dance Research Journal 28(1): 51-66 (Spring 1996). "The Origins of Dance: The Perspective of Primate Evolution. " Dance Chronicle: Studies in Dcuice and the Related Arts 14(2 & 3): 203-220 (1991). FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Anthropology Studies In: Cultural Anthropology, Medical Anthropology, Cognitive Anthropology, sind the Anthropology of Human Movement Vlll TABLE OF CONTENTS J Page ABSTRACT ............................................... ii DEDICATION ............................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ......................................... V VITA ..................................................... vii LIST OF M A P S ........................................... xii LIST OF F I G U R E S ........................................... xiii Chapters ; I. INTRODUCTION ....................................... 1 Background of this study ..........................1 Topic: Navajo ceremonial dance .................. 5 Orientation of this study to other studies of Navajo ceremonialism and to other human movement studies ................................ 6 Theory and m e t h o d .................................8 Research goals ................................... 11 Organization ..................................... 11 Terminology.......................................12 II. NIGHTWAY (Tieeji; ................................. 14 The Nightway c e r e m o n y .............................14 ix Published accounts ................................. 16 F i l m s ............................................... 18 Navajo ceremonies: Overview .................... 18 III. THE DILKON NIGHTWAY .................................24 The Dilkon f a m i l y ...................................24 Physical setting ................................ 30 My participation ...................................31 Description of the Dilkon Nightway ................ 32 Dilkon Nightway: Summary of Events ................ 54 Nightway: Observations ........................... 56 IV. NIGHTWAY DANCERS: A CASE S T U D Y .....................67 The Four Comers f a m i l y ............................. 67 The Four Comers dance t e a m .........................69 Dcince Data ........................................