Navajo student at Carlisle.ADORNED

Torlino, Navajo male

I've seen this photograph published in books and on the internet several times and have met the great-grandaughter of Torlino once.

This photograph was said to be taken as he arrived to the Carlisle Indian Boarding School in PA. They often show it as the "before" photo as he was taken from his homelands to the east.

Here we see him ADORNED with Navajo silver jewerly. As was traditional he has both of his ears pierced, both with silver hoops.  He is wearing a silver choker, a motif that some say was adapted by the Spanish missionaries and or conquistadors. But, many Navajo have used this symboli the arts of rugs and in sandpaintings.

This photograph is truly magnificent. He looks so regal, and truly Indigenous.

Diné Male Adornment

Diné Male Adornment



Navajo - Kia-E-Te-Nita 1908



In this historical photograph a Diné male is depicted wearing a beautiful silver bead necklace with an iconic naja pendant. He is wearing earrings and has his hair tied up in a traditional Diné hair bundle called a tsíiyaal. He is also wearing a silver concho belt and woven sash.

Diné Song and Dance

Diné Song and Dance

Diné men at Song and Dance social event



Concerning Indigenous ADORNMENT practices by Diné males in the 21st century, by far the Navajo Song and Dance events are where its at. For it is a time to dress to the "T" as participants, both men and women put on their finest turquoise, silver and Diné  cultural wear.

As a young person I was blessed to a regular participant in the social dance within Navajoland. I would bring my grandmother along and sometimes my mother and they would assist my in ADORNING myself in Diné cultural attire. I was always grateful when and elder woman would gift me with new mocassins, or a sash belt and sometimes even turquoise earrings.

As a participant I was able to view the diverse ways in which the dancers and group singers would dress, adding their own flare to their cultural regalia.  For me this experience was monumental, for it changed the way I thought about my Diné  people and their love for song and for dance. I fell in love with the idea of Indigenous ADORNMENT practices! I was able to understand the spiritual and physical connection that was needed for the Diné person to find happiness.

When one is ADORNED one becomes a better version of themselves, somehow, someway they are able to transcend, I seen this especially with the Diné  elders. What magic it was to see them dances circles around me, conversing and singing with the children and teens....pure medicine!

If you want to see true Diné  ADORNMENT visit a Song and Dance event, you'll be blessed in everyway.

-Vj

male adornment. via sweetwater travelers. dine' group

Tuesday''s song features group Sweetwater Travelers -




This video footage is from the Tuba City Fair on the western region of the Navajo nation reservation.
The group of singers are called the Sweetwater Travelers and consists of three males singing traditional Dine' social songs at a Navajo Song and Dance gathering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tGtCzXEvTI

The three Dine' men are dressed in their cultural attire. Besides being singers they also will participate in the social dance.

Hopi with Navajo jewelry.

Hopi woman.

The necklace is a Dine' style necklace, made in the choker style.

Later the Navajo would make the necklace longer and add some other beads to make the unique Dine' jewelry piece called by the Anglo, Squash Blossom necklace.

The girl is also wearing her traditional Hopi Butterfly earrings. These earrings are made in the traditional Hopi styled called mosaic.

Navajo-made silver beads with naja pendant.

 Navajo-made silver beads with naja pendant.

Laguna Pueblo Woman. 1880s

Many surrounding tribal peoples such as the Pueblo in the desert southwest traded with the Dine' People. The majority of the exchange was in woven wool rugs and silver and turquoise jewerly items.

This picture shows a Pueblo woman ADORNED with a Dine' old style naja pendent necklace with silver beads.

She is wearing a traditional Puelbo manta woven dress.

Navajo woman painting.

Safekeeping by James Sayers

This painting features a c. 1880s Navajo woman wearing a traditional woven dress and holding a lamb painted by artists James Sayers.

This is a really regal depiction of a Dine' woman dressed in and ADORNED with turquoise. Her hairstyle is in a traditional Navajo woman's hairstyle, which is called Tsiiyaal, a hair bundle. She wears a Dine' woven rug dress and turquoise beads and earrings.

Good art!

Juanita. Dine' woman.

Dine' woman

Late 1880s

This historic photograph depicts a very important Dine' (Navajo) woman named Juanita (English name). She was the wife of fierce Dine' leader, Manuelito.

In this portrait she is wearing a traditional Dine' woven dress (made of wool) called Biil,  and traditional Dine' buckskin mocassin and wraps, we call these Kelch'ii. She is ADORNED with a silver concho-styled belt which is most likely fastened to a leather belt strap.

Around her neck is strung beads probaly of turquoise, heishe shell and or coral.

This portrait sitting also depicts a variety of Dine' woven rugs scattered about, and Juanita is also sitting upon one.

Another one of my fav photos of Dine' matriarch.