Week Six: Cultural Ceremonies
Dhurva S -
Welcome all to my sixth blog post.
While Kivas are a large part of Pueblo spirituality, it is also important to note the value dances play in their culture. Before the Spanish conquests, the Pueblo tribes had dances for many events. Each event and tradition had its own dance with its own style and custom. Once again, photographs or any form of visual representation are not allowed, especially by visitors.
When visiting the Saint Ildefonso Pueblo I was lucky to witness the Male Dance. As the name suggests the dance would consist of all men. These dances would not have a strict schedule to follow. Meaning, that the dances would start when the timing was right and not at any specific timing. For this dance, the men would all line up in a single row and dance to a song they sang. In one hand would be a bow and arrow and in the other would be a musical instrument that would make a shaking noise. All of them would wear identical regalia and color their skin in various hues. They would also all face one end of the line. The dance would consist of stomping their feet on the beat and raising their hands. Throughout the dance, the direction faced or formation would not change. Halfway through they would all walk in a “U” shape in the same formation to face the other direction.
This was just one of the many dances I was lucky to witness. At the Laguna Pueblo, there were also many dances of various styles but none in the same fashion as the Male Dance of Saint Ildefonso. One dance in particular was of great interest to me. One of the first dances I saw was one where the people in their various regalia would dance in a circle around a choir of men singing. This dance was not exclusive to people of the Laguna Pueblo but rather consisted of people from all different Pueblo tribes.
Many of the Pueblo tribes heavily publicize their festival dedicated to their saint and welcome as many people as they can. However, other events are exclusive to only their tribe. The Saint Ildefonso Male Dance is an exception to this generalization and there are plenty of other events that are allowed to the public apart from the saint feasts. I was not allowed into the Zia Pueblo for this reason. Here the village was opening an irrigation channel to combat the drought they were in. Before opening this channel, they cleared two days to dedicate to ceremonies.
Celebrations and dances like this are one of the most enduring ways that these tribes hold onto their ancient cultures.
Thank You