Navajo song ceremonial complex facts for kids

The Navajo people have special spiritual practices. These practices help them find balance and harmony in their lives. They are called the Navajo song ceremonial complex. There are two main parts to these ceremonies: the Blessing Way and the Enemy Way (Anaʼí Ndááʼ).

The Blessing Way

The Blessing Way ceremonies are about healing, creation, and peace. They include songs and prayers that tell the amazing Navajo story of how the world began (called Diné Bahaneʼ).

One very important Blessing Way ceremony is called the Kinaaldá. This ceremony helps a young girl become a woman when she has her first period. During the Kinaaldá, the girl acts like a powerful spirit woman named Changing Woman (Asdzą́ą́ Nádleehé). Changing Woman is important because she brings life and growth into the world. The Kinaaldá ceremony includes the girl showing her strength by running each morning for several days. It also includes a hair-combing ritual and baking a large corn cake.

What is the Kinaaldá Ceremony?

The Kinaaldá ceremony helps a girl get ready for her future as a Navajo woman. It teaches her to be strong, kind, and generous. It is very important that this ceremony is done correctly. It sets a good path for the rest of her life. Family and community members also take part in the ceremony.

This special ceremony lasts for four nights and five days. During this time, the young girl has an adult female mentor. This mentor is called the Ideal Woman. She is a great example of someone who follows Navajo traditions. She also has qualities like Changing Woman. The Kinaaldá ceremony has five main steps:

• Molding into Changing Woman
• Running
• Hair washing
• Face painting
• Making of the corn cake

Molding into Changing Woman

Changing Woman is a Navajo spirit who shows all the best qualities of a Navajo woman. The girl in the ceremony is gently molded by her mentor, the Ideal Woman. The family chooses the Ideal Woman. She represents the good qualities of Changing Woman and an ideal Navajo woman.

During the Kinaaldá, the girl's body is thought to be soft, like when she was born. This means it can be easily shaped. The girl lies on a blanket or sheepskin. Her mentor massages her body. This molding helps her gain the physical and mental qualities of Changing Woman. Changing Woman is seen as a supreme mother. She has ideal traits like kindness and being nurturing. She also has good physical traits like good posture, strength, and beauty.

Running

The girl must run two to three times a day during the ceremony. She runs each day to prepare for a challenging life. It also helps her become stronger. She must complete these daily runs towards the east. She runs at dawn, noon, and sunset. The runs help her become more powerful, energetic, and hardworking. They also help her live a longer life. These difficult runs also prepare the girl for life's challenges.

Hair Washing

In this part of the ceremony, the girl's hair is washed. They use a yucca plant and a special Navajo basket. The girl's jewelry is also washed. Both the hair washing and jewelry washing are ways to make things pure. Her mother takes the rinse water. She pours it out near their home. This helps the girl always feel connected to where she came from.

Face Painting

The Ideal Woman paints the girl's face with white clay. Sometimes, ashes from an Aspen tree bark are used. This is done to help her grow taller and have fewer signs of aging. Her cheeks and forehead are painted. This is hoped to give her smooth, wrinkle-free skin. Other people at the ceremony may also be painted. This is done to bring them blessings.

Making of the Corn Cake

One of the most important tasks in the Kinaaldá ceremony is making the corn cake. This cake represents Changing Woman, new life, and growth. Corn is ground to get ready for baking the cake. The cake is baked on the fourth night of the ceremony. This cake is seen as an offering to the sun. Four small pinches of the cake are buried as an offering to the earth.

Grinding the corn and mixing the cake show the girl's strength and willingness to work hard. They also show her good future possibilities. The girl herself is not allowed to eat the cake. This is because it represents her own ability to bring life. Instead, she serves it to everyone at the ceremony. This shows her thanks and generosity.

The Enemy Way

The Enemy Way (Anaʼí Ndááʼ) is a traditional ceremony. It helps to deal with the harmful effects of ghosts (chʼį́įdii). It has been performed for soldiers returning from war. Generally, the Enemy Way aims to help someone who has been affected by an outsider's spirit. This could be a non-Navajo person. A special treatment called "blackening" is done first. This helps decide if the Enemy Way ceremony will work for the person. After blackening, the person acts like the Monster Slayer. If the person feels better after blackening, the Enemy Way ceremony is then performed.

The Enemy Way ceremony includes songs, sandpainting, dance, and the powerful mythical figure Monster Slayer. The ceremony lasts for several days. It also includes acting out a battle.

A "Girl's Dance" is part of the Enemy Way. Young men are invited to this dance by young women who are old enough to marry. This comes from a part of the Monster Slayer myth. In that story, two captive girls are set free.