NAVAHOS PRAY FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD
by
Don Watson

A short time ago a Navaho woman, living near Farmington, New Mexico, claimed to have been visited by the "Banded Rock Boy," one of the legendary figures of the Navahos. As a result of this visitation strange things have happened on the reservation. A number of ceremonies have been held, ceremonies that are not only for the good of the Navahos but for the good of the whole world; the death of a famous medicine man has been blamed on the incident, and, only a few days ago, the strange visitor returned with a gift for the Navahos.

It all started one morning when the woman was sitting in her hogan with her back to the door. Being busily engaged with some housework she did not turn around when she heard someone enter the hogan; she merely thought that it was a member of the family or some neighbor who lived nearby. For a moment there was silence—then someone tapped her on top of the head.

Turning around she beheld a little man. He was not over three feet tall and was very, very old. All of his clothing was of a rich, wine color. The woman saw that the skin of his chest, where his jacket hung open, was vari-colored; banded like rocks that she had seen near her home.

After watching her for a moment the little man began to talk.

"You listen to what I am going to say," he admonished her. "Things are not good in the country. Times are bad; the people are bad. The rain does not come and the sheep do not increase. We do not live the right way anymore. The whole world is the same. People have forgotten the right way to live and everyone thinks the wrong thoughts. It is not good. The people should hold ceremonies. They must pray for things to be good again."

Then, after giving the woman instructions as to what ceremonies should be given the man left the hogan and disappeared, unseen by any of the other people who were around at the time. When the woman called the members of her family in and told them of her experience there was great excitement. The story spread quickly and the old men gathered to talk over the strange visitation. The banded effect on the little man's chest immediately made them feel that he was the "Banded Rock Boy," one of their legendary figures. Very near the home of the woman is the sacred spot where the banded rocks of the legend are found. The immediate feeling was that the message should be heeded.

As the story spread over the reservation plans were made in a number of places for the ceremony that the "Banded Rock Boy" had said should be held. Four of the ceremonies have already taken place. The first one was held over the woman who saw the little man, she happening to belong to the proper clan. Another was held near the Hogback, east of Shiprock, and a third was held across the river, north of Shiprock. One was held at Redrock at the time of the new moon and the Navahos say that others are being planned in more distant parts of the reservation.

The ceremony that is being held is one of the Hoshojis, which consists of prayers and songs of blessing. It is, to a certain extent, a prayer for rain, which, to the Indians, is the supreme blessing that encompasses all other blessings. Not only do they pray for rain but they pray that the grass will grow and that the sheep will do well and multiply. They pray that the people will live right and think only good thoughts. In short, they pray that all things, not only in the Navaho country but everywhere, will be just right. The Navaho way of expressing it is that "all things will be beautiful." That is their way of expressing perfection. This particular ceremony seems not to be for any one person or group of persons, it is more or less for all people and all things.

The ceremony is always held over a girl of the Bitter Water clan. She, however, receives no especial blessing from it; she merely represents the people and things for whom the blessing is asked. A medicine man is arranged for and a special medicine hogan is constructed. On the specified morning the people gather to make offerings. A buckskin is spread on the floor of the hogan and the men enter and place their offerings upon it. These consist of tiny bits of turquoise, jet, white shell, and coral. As the men place each bit of offering on the skin they specify whom it is for, mentioning by name the various members of their families. In this way hundreds of people may have their offerings on the buckskin.

The rest of the day is spent in the ceremonial washing of the patient, in feasting, and in preparing for the night chant. This begins at nine or ten in the evening and continues through the night. The singing is almost continuous; song after song of blessing being sung until dawn finally brings the chanting to an end. The patient gathers up the buckskin with the offerings and carries it to some high place, preferably a hilltop, and leaves it where it will not be disturbed. The medicine man chants over it, makes an offering of corn pollen and the ceremony is over.

During the last few days some of the Navaho have come up fron the reservation with stories of the latest developments in this affair of the "Banded Rock Boy."

The same woman has seen the little man again, this time in a dream. He commended the Indians for having held the ceremonies as he had advised and said that things would now begin to get better. He told the woman that all of the work being done on the reservation by the Government was for the best and that it would bring good sooner or later. As the little man disappeared he told the woman that he was leaving a gift of corn for the Navahos. This they were to plant for ceremonial uses.

When the woman awoke the next morning she started to go to her mother's hogan to tell her of the dream. As she left her own hogan she found a small amount of corn, about a double handful, in front of it. This she took back inside and placed in a sack. When she returned later from her mother's hogan she found that the sack was full; there was ten times as much corn as before. Indians who want this corn are being given four grains apiece. They will plant it and use the resulting corn in their ceremonies.

Another development concerns Tla, the famous medicine man of Two Gray Hills. After the first appearance of the little man some of the Indians went to Tla for his advice in the matter. After hearing of the strange visitation Tla refused to believe that it was the "Banded Rock Boy." He felt that it was some evil spirit and that his warnings should be disregarded. A few days later Tla died. The Navahos immediately ascribed his death to his lack of respect for the legendary figure.

No one knows what all this really means; only the actual happenings can be vouched for. The ceremonies have actually been held, and Tla is dead. The rest is all a mystery. The Navahos seem to believe that the little man actually visited the woman; once in person, and once in the dream. They believe that he left the corn and that Tla's death came as a result of his disbelief. But what is really back of it all, no one knows.

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