Salt Lake Telegram | 1930-02-02 | Page 14 | 300 Navajo Braves Dance to Cure, Aged Chieftain "Tormented by Devils'

Navajo Braves Dance to Cure Aged Chieftain Tormented by Devils' Devils FLAGSTAFF FL Ariz Arh Feb 1 UP As As the now non m moon on rose to today d 1 the tired feet teet of ot hued copper Indian bucks quickened d to the the- throb of or the desert drums beaten b by hands that for Cor or three three- generations have have- accompanied accompanied the tho ritual danco dance to tho Navajo god of ot fire Ire High up In tho Navajo reservation reserva reserva- Uon tion near Oraibi the braves danced around a flaming barrier which surrounds surrounds surrounds sur sur- rounds a specially prepared hogan where here a a. lO year old old ear chief mediL cino man uttered throated deep prayers DUb Ye who had particIpated participated paled In these dances danceR a dozen times s but now flO flOis Is tormented by l do dovile believed d h he lie was Wll recovering Ho lie believed that before th th new moon should hould cast it Us its beams over oyer tho Painted desert tonight he would arise stretch his hula arms and join his followers In a chant of oC victory Spurred b by tho encouraging re reports reports reports re- re ports from their chief the Indian braves continued their frenzied ceremonials Fifteen hundred Navajos sum Navajos sum summoned b bv by swift Indian runners runners had had started the weird rites at sundown sundo n la last t night after aner t two o da days daya D of oC preparation prep prep- Now all but about of oC th the dancers their bodies covered d with burning pitch the the- theun un undulating un Un- hue lino which encircled the tho hogan swaying their bodies to drive tho the evil spirits through an nn opening In the continually replenished wall of fire Ire Muscles strained oyes oye sparkled men fell teU exhausted from tho the strenuous atren- atren dance s some sone rested a while lilie and reentered tho the line lino of oC blazing smoking warriors Anxious ed but quiet squaws watched the ceremony from rom a 3 dIe dis tance At da dawn n they bundled their papooses In varicolored blankets and silently withdrew to their camps As the morning brol n over ocr the eastern castern mountains the Indian bucks hucks rallied d as a team cain In the tho last few minutes of oC pIa play Then the tho exhausted warriors wS fell to the sro n to sleep sleep sleep-a. a sleep o of the tho worker who has done his best best best- and takes hi his prayers for tor o oll to the fire god od