Second Night. She stood a ways off, just beyond the firelight. The embers from the bonfire lit up the sky and made the night gold on this bit of open space among the sage. She glowed with the color of firelight, reds and gold giving her a soft flow against the black night. Summer Sing, the Enemyway, where people travel for miles to gather on a flat stretch of ground, to sing in a circle all night, and then to dance the night away, to talk and to laugh. That is how it is done, while a short distance away the healing ceremony goes on. It was July and the nights were warm and pleasant. Folks gathered by the firelight and when the songs raised up in the night caused the ground to swell, the motion of dancers near the cedar fire swayed back and forth. Arriving with cousins, three of them; looking for chance to see some old friends, relations and to hear the goings on around this area known as Sanostee not too far South of Shiprock. Getting ready earlier, meant a sweat, a quiet time to reflect and cleanse the mind and body, to relax and feel the flow of the days hardships melt away. This is done alone in a small sweat made for one at the edge of the forest, it is way of tradition. Then to dress with clean clothes, a sign of respect to the family where you will visit and spend the night, a pair of Wrangler Jeans, some Dan Post boots, and a cotton shirt, western type. The old ones, you know those clothes that are broken in from wear, the favorite ones. You can really feel at ease in those clothes, they are soft and supple. Comfort is the name of the game tonight. Outside, an old beat up Chevy pulls up, baby blue, the Nez boys rush in and say, what’s the hold up and with a final look around, you take off and away you go. Talking and laughing. Eshkee, (Boy) You got cash money to pay for the dances? Nah, hes got commodity cheese in his bag to cover it. (the Sing is a womans choice dance, and when you are asked you have to pay the lady or else) Do you think those girls from Bistai will be there? They dont have any good ones, thats a bad place. Nothing grows there except rocks. Maybe that one girl from there might come. Oh, you mean the Towering House woman, she comes from Coyote Pass. I remember her from a rodeo over there, a couple of months ago. What is she called? I dont know her name. You mean the one with long hair, down to her waist…wears white boots? Yeah, I think she is the one. You mean that good looking one. She was with this one guy from Carino Canyon, down by Gallup, big cowboy dude. I think she is still with him; he had his arm around her. Maybe, she will be there, think so? Dont worry about it, she wont look at you. She could be there you know. Nah aint gonna happen, forget about it; think about the ribs and the singing. Baloney, I know you want some mutton ribs, the kind that are hot and tasty and the grease runs down your arms. Its Bedonie! Not baloney, dont call me that! That one girl, she was in (Totah-where the rivers meet)Farmington not too long ago, he thinks to himself, she was at the store there with her family and when she looked at him there was a certain look in her eyes, yes I remember the way she looked. Maybe she might be there. They rode on and took the dirt road cutting through the cedars, a chizh-a-teen (narrow wood hauling road) the kind you have to know where you are going to use. It was a bumpy ride and they traveled through washes and bluffs, going slowly across big rocks and kept on as the night fell. In the distance, the glow of three bonfires lit up the sky and as they drove into the Manygoats place, they could see that there were a lot of people already gathered there, trucks, cars and some wagons were scattered all through the area. In the middle of it was the cha-oh (large wooden shade house) where women were cooking and one could find pop, cooked mutton, frybread, sweets and corn cooked in the ground, sweet sweet corn. People were standing around their vehicles, and children ran about playing with one another. On one side was the ceremonial hogan where a second cha-oh sat for the immediate family and visitors. It was crowded like how it is when you come out of a movie house, people walking elbow to elbow. It was hard to see who all was there, since the night was thick and the light from the bonfires cast red shadows, a glow that flickered on the faces and bodies as they walked by. The four made their way to the food and found a plateful of ribs and sat down on some rocks and ate. They joked and saw old friends and family there. Across the way the center was open for a place to dance, where woman asked the men and they stepped in time with one another. The womens arm locked around the back of the man she danced with him and his arm over her shoulder, a blanket or large rug covered them both as they moved, There were many out there. He sat down and finished off the ribs and the dogs were waiting for him to finish so they could have a treat as well. He stood up and saw his cousins had wandered off. He looked around to see it he could see them. There she was. She stood a ways off, just beyond the firelight. The embers from the bonfire lit up the sky and made the night gold on this bit of open space among the sage. She wore a white squaw dress, satin which hung down to the ground, covering her dark brown moccasins fastened with a silver button that gleamed in the firelight. Around her waist, she wore a large silver concho belt, an old fashioned one, a family heirloom which covered as red sash belt, the fringes hung down by her side. Her velvet blouse was dark blue, shimmering in the light and when she turned she wore two large turquoise beaded necklaces, with a string of orange coral hanging down from her neck. Her long black hair was hanging loose and free down her back and she held a Pendleton blanket. In that instant there was no one else there but just them two. She moved in slow motion it seemed. She glowed with the color of firelight, reds and gold giving her a soft flow against the black night. She had soft eyes and yet her face was strong, as if she knew this was her time and place. She was delicate, but yet moved with a glow of Navajo women, who had come down through the centuries, strength in her bones and yet soft at the same time. Her eyes were dark and twinkled against the night, she was a sight. He stepped toward her, and she moved the shawl, flicking him with its end. He was her choice to dance, and so they moved to the dirt floor cut out of the sage. He looked into her eyes and thought, it is good to be born here among these people, and I can hear that song they are singing. How does it go? On horseback I go, across mountains and canyons I go, she waits for me there she waits for me there On horseback I go on horseback I go... It was just the Second Night of a Sing on the Navajo Rez….rustywire
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 07:38:34 +0000
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