Indian Sandpainting of the Greater and 50 similar items

Publisher: Naturegraph Publishers, Incorporated Date of Publication: 1986 Binding: stapled Edition: Condition: Good/No Jacket Description: 0911010920 text clean, light edgewear, 16 pages, color illustrations, excerpts from Tapestries in Sand, Additional Details ------------------------------ Product description: Naturegraph Pub [Published Date: 1962]. Pamphlet, 16 pp. 1993 printing. Color illustrations. [From Introduction] Sandpainting is a very old Southwest Indian Art in which the Medicine Man "paints" loosely upon the ground, or, on some occasions upon buckskin or cloth, by letting the sands flow with control and skill through his sensitized fingers. He may use also, in conjunction with the sands of natural color, corn meal, flower pollen, powdered roots and bark, in the execution of this ritual. The Medicine Man is an "Initiate" among his people, for his position has been earned not only through inclination, but after long years of apprenticeship. Because of the sacred nature of this ceremony, the sandpainting is begun, finished, used, and destroyed within a twelve hour period, and is therefore virtually unknown except in the Southwest. There are two definite types of sandpaintings, those that belong to the rhythm of the night and those that belong to the rhythm of the day. Nature behaves differently during the night, so man, like his brothers of the animal and the vegetable kingdoms, must do likewise. A sandpainting belonging to the night chant (see page 79) must be begun right after sunset and be made, used and destroyed before sunrise the following morning. A day sandpainting is begun at sunrise and finished, used and destroyed before sunset of the same day. The chanting and rituals have a miraculous effect upon the patient, for the Indian knows that the healing power of the "sing" is good for a sick mind and a sad heart. The ceremony may or may note cure is physical body, but, nevertheless, he believes deeply in the power of the Ancient One that comes to help him resolve his inner conflicts by establishing a peaceful and harmonious condition within himself and the world around him (psycho-somatic therapy). The following explanations of sandpaintings of the Navajo, Apache and Southern California Indians give only the spiritual essence and are devoid of tribal ritual as much as possible. The latter is mentioned only where necessary, but generally the attempt is made to capture some of the intrinsic beauty and wisdom of a mystical people. Subject code: