" NAVAJO NIGHT DANCES " 1957 NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE EDUCATIONAL FILM BF10295c

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Dating to 1957, "Navajo Night Dances" was part of the Cultural Heritage Series, produced by Walter Lewisohn Associates in cooperation with The National Council of American Indians and distributed by Coronet Films. It presents Navajo dances that are part of the nine day Mountain Chant Ritual.
The setting is established with wide shots of Monument Valley, showcasing its iconic buttes and mesas, with scenes of Navajo people traveling through this landscape, some on horseback and others in horse-drawn carriages. The narrative then transitions to daily life activities around a camp setting. Here, we see preparations for meals, particularly the making of fry bread, with women kneading, shaping, and frying dough. This communal activity involves various family members, from children to elders, highlighting social bonds and traditional food preparation.

The film then captures parts of the Mountain Chant's rituals:

Great Feathered Arrow Dance: Four men, adorned with eagle feathers, perform a ceremonial dance involving arrows, symbolizing perhaps purification or protection. They move in unison, performing intricate movements with the arrows.
Feather Dance: A young girl, with eagle feathers, performs a dance where feathers on a rug are animated by movements from behind the scenes, suggesting a spiritual or magical element where the feathers themselves "dance." This is accompanied by chanting and drumming, emphasizing the connection between dance, music, and spiritual practice.
Fire Dance: Men dressed in white with painted faces dance around a large bonfire at night. This dance possibly represents endurance, transformation, or purification through the interaction with fire, as they light their torches from the bonfire.

The film concludes with the dawn over Monument Valley, symbolizing the end of the night's rituals and the return to daily life, with people packing up and moving out in their wagons. This natural cycle from night to day is metaphorically linked to the cycle of the ritual.

The closing credits reaffirm the cultural and educational intent of the film, part of a series aimed at preserving and sharing Native American cultural heritage.

0:35 - The narrator mentions traveling to a place called "Beautiful" in the mountains.

0:39 - The ancient inhabitants, referred to as Dina, meaning "the people" in their language, are introduced.

0:52 - Music plays.

1:04 - The journey passes by "Circle of Rat" and later by "Wing Around a Rock."

1:13 - More music.

2:13 - Discussion about ancestors being taught by gods to make beautiful blankets, and the significance of turquoise and other sacred ornaments.

2:42 - Explanation of why they camp in a circle under piñon trees to hear the gods.

3:03 - Annual gathering after the first frost to seek help from the great spirit, including making "slap again" bread.

3:44 - Description of marriage customs, particularly the interaction between mother-in-law and son-in-law.

4:13 - Description of the Mountain Chant ceremony, including the dance of the great feathered arrow.

5:27 - Reflection on the long tradition of building homes in circular designs to connect with nature.

6:10 - Mention of the magical teachings from gods that have been passed down.

6:32 - Prayers for health, good crops, and rain, which are part of the ceremonies.

6:51 - Introduction of the Feather Dance within the Mountain Chant ceremony.

7:36 - Description of how eagle feathers move during the dance, symbolizing connection to different directions.

9:25 - The Sacred Fire Dance is introduced, where dancers in white perform acts of endurance with fire, symbolizing the transformation from evil to good.

10:53 - As the ceremony concludes with the dawn, the people prepare to return home, with poetic descriptions of the beauty of the daybreak.

This summary captures the cultural, spiritual, and communal aspects of the described journey and ceremonies.

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This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com