Yeibichai. If you google it, you won’t find much information. You won’t find a picture of one (extremely taboo). You might find a drawing or painting, but they’re probably inaccurate (because that’s also highly discouraged). You probably can’t pronounce it properly. Yeibichai: the lead Diné (Navajo) ceremonial dancer. Yeibichai’s are primarily responsible for the 9-day healing ceremonies that take place in the colder months, but they also have a couple of other roles in our community. As far as I can understand, the Yeibichai also leads the ceremony for the changing of seasons from fall into winter (possibly other seasonal changes also, but I haven’t been here that long).
From what I’ve been told, part of the ceremonial responsibility includes the punishment of misbehaving individuals in the community in order to bring them into balance and harmony. How does this unfold, you ask? Whipping. I rolled my eyes at it, too, assuming that even if it happens, it’s rare and discreet. Then two of the students approached my roommate in a huff saying, “It’s your fault I got whipped!” Baffled and assuming that it was going to progress into a sarcastic joke followed by “Nay”, my roomie inquired nonchalantly. They proceeded to explain that because she wrote them up, they were in lunch detention; and because they were in lunch detention, they were there when the Yeibichai came to whip the problematic students.
White mask. Animal pelts. Eagle feathers. I’d be upset, too. If you drive to the Chaco Wash, our Laundromat, you’ll see a sign that points and says Yeibichai. I don’t go that way.
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