Navajo Yei and Yei-be-chai
YEI
“Yei” (pronounced “yay”) is the Navajo (Diné) name for the benevolent supernatural beings who bring their healing power to medicinal ceremonies still performed today. In fact, they were first portrayed in traditional sandpainting designs created for these ceremonies, but the modern Yei rug is more of a pictorial composition, showing a row of the front- facing stylized stick figures. Male Yeis have round heads, while the more commonly found female Yeis are shown with square or rectangular heads.
Between the Yeis, cornstalks, feathers and arrows may appear, and a Rainbow Guardian often surrounds and protects the figures on three sides, indicating the sandpainting roots of this particular style. Navajos believe that Yeis have the sacred power to heal, but the Yei rug itself has no religious significance.
YEI-BE-CHAI
“Yei-be-chai” is the name of the masked human dancer participating in the actual healing ceremony and impersonating the Yei. The Yei-be-chai rug shows side-facing figures representing a line of Navajo dancers impersonating Yeis in the healing ceremony, allowing the Yei spirits to be amongst the people. Most often, the dancers are led by Talking God and followed by a clown at the end of the line. Occasionally, one or more patients and the medicine man are depicted. Uplifted feet suggest the action of the dance, which is an important part of the multi-day healing ceremony.
The masks of the Yei-be-chai dancers are made of buckskin. They wear kilts and concha belts, and in their hands they carry a sprig of spruce and a rattle. On their side, they often wear a medicine pouch filled with healing herbs and corn pollen. The Yei-be-chai dance can last many days until the patient is healed.
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