Night Chant Spirits (Yei’s) In the cold winter as the dark male clouds hangs in the horizon The Yei’s descend from the heaven on the long male rainbow With their turquoise mask, evergreen collar, loin cloth and moccasin They tread against the frozen earth as one could feel the tremor The voice of the Yei’s derived from the white house, a holy place Within the deep canyon walls one could still hear the echoes Their fringes, leggings and sash sways as they dance The chant, the rattle, the rhythm dances with the fire The Yei’s are the Holy Ones and the healers of all illness Dine’ are the grandchildren of the Yei’s and we speak their language Their feathers and fox tail swing to their gait as they dance One who sprinkles the water imitates the coyote and brings laughter After the final dance the Yei’s head back into the east People rush to the Yei’s to offer corn meal for blessings The Yei’s footprints on the snow disappears into the east The Night Chant spirits ascend back into the heaven Orlinda Arthur-Williams
By Padma Komaravolu
50
January 2021
