eNewMexican

In the absence of ceremony

Remembering traditional Pueblo dances

By Rosemary Diaz

The evil spirits of drought had come and stayed too long! All of the people, the animals, the birds and the plants were in abject misery! As the days came and passed, the birds sang only sad songs; the plants drooped lower and lower; the animals walked slower and the people were haunted with despair! The earth's rhythm was out of step!

The ancient people were ready to abandon the homes they had lived in all of their lives. The very old and sick ones were to stay but they were brave and were ready to accept their fate. As a farewell to their ancestors, whose spirits were ever-present, the people performed a special ceremonial. Unusual preparation was required for this particular ceremony. They offered prayer sticks covered abundantly with every available bird feather. They were sprinkled heavily with sacred corn meal, and they endured great physical suffering to please the Great Spirit. When they finished their rituals and waited for an answer, they gazed at the sky with prayers and hope in their hearts.

Excerpted from “Why Rivers Never Run Straight” (1961) by Pablita Velarde, Santa Clara Pueblo; permission to publish courtesy of Velarde’s great-granddaughter, Helen K. Tindel.

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2021-05-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-23T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://enewmexican.pressreader.com/article/282316797932560

Santa Fe New Mexican