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Before they started raising sheep, the Navajo wore clothes made of woven yucca plants or deerskin. The men wore breechcloths and the women skirts. Their shoes were soft leather moccasins. Later, they wore clothes woven from the wool of sheep.
Anthropologists have grouped these ceremonies into six major divisions: the Blessingways, Holyways, Lifeways, Evilways, War Ceremonials, and Gameways. Parts of the general Blessingway, especially the songs, are included in most Navajo ceremonies.
Did the Navajo have any special ceremonies?
Navajo Holyway chants are two, five, or nine nights in length (a “night” being counted from one sunset to the next). They consist of component ceremonies strung together in a specified order. Many chants include a bath, a sandpainting ritual, a sweat and emetic ceremony, and an all-‐night sing on the last night.
Did Navajo wear headdresses?
The Navajo did not wear Indian headdresses. Men would wear cloth headbands. Mostly, men and women would wear ponchos or cloaks made from deerskin or rabbit fur.
There are more than 50 different kinds of ceremonies that may be used in the Navajo culture – all performed at various times for a specific reason. Some ceremonies last several hours, while others may last as long as nine days.
The Navajo woman’s traditional style of dress consists usually of foot or knee-high moccasins, a pleated velvet or cotton skirt, a matching long-sleeve blouse, concho and/or sash belt, jewelry and a shawl. Men also wear jewelry, moccasins and preferably a velveteen shirt.
What kind of ceremonies do the Navajo Indians do?
The Navajo Way contains four major ceremonies, which are called the Mountaintop Way, Grandfathers’ Ceremony, the Enemy Way and the Lightning Way. The Blessing Way is a separate ritual used to complete each of the other four ceremonies. The Navajo belief system is focused on ideas of harmony and balance,…
What kind of clothes did the Navaho Indians wear?
Women gradually wore the “squaw dress,” made of plain dark blankets The ancient Navaho had very poor and simple clothes in contrast to their well-dressed descendants. Women wore merely a two-piece apron effect about the waist, woven from yucca fiber or cedar bark, while men wore breechcloths.
As part of the Navajo culture and traditions, these colors define direction. Black is referred to as north, white represents east, blue represents south, and yellow is represented as west.
The Blessing Way is a separate ritual used to complete each of the other four ceremonies. The Navajo belief system is focused on ideas of harmony and balance, and each ritual is designed to restore that harmony. Rituals were traditionally used to cure diseases and other ailments, and are still used to complement modern medical practices.