Sound of drums
Downtown Indian dances inform, entertain crowd

NIGHTLY CULTURE: Brendon Othole with the Red Tail Hawk Dance Group from Zuni does a dance to honor the red tail hawk on Monday evening at the courthouse. The group will appear at the nightly summer dance series for the ret of the week and at various other dances throughout the summer. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Staff Writer

GALLUP — The downtown nightly Indian dances is the happening place to be in the evenings.

Friday evening, more than 130 people gathered in front of the courthouse to watch the dances. While some people planned far in advance to check out the dances, others stumbled across it while downtown. Spectators listened carefully as Sheldon Manuelito of the Naat'sii'lid Dancers offered a brief history of the songs he sang and the purpose of each song in Native American culture between performances. The audience consisted of locals who sporadically attend the event to out-of-country foreigners.

Jolene Patterson, 30, attended the dances for the first time Friday. "I know when its 7 p.m. because I can hear the drums from my house," Patterson said.

Patterson moved to Gallup from Winslow, Ariz., six months ago. Being around Native people is nothing new to her, especially because she used to live in Kayenta, but said he learned a few new things from attending the dances.

"He's (Manuelito) giving a lot more education and belief of what's going on," Patterson said.

"It's interesting," said Annika Zentner, 30, from Frankfurt, Germany. Zentner said she has been visiting a friend from Gallup for the past week. Her friends Julia Probst, 24, and Marcel Pohle, 26, also from Frankfurt, also said they enjoyed the dances.

"We're learning a lot," said Mary Comella, 66, from Lake Havasu City, Ariz., who just arrived into Gallup a few hours before going to the dances.

Greg Moore, 55, of Yucaipa, Calif., was visiting his father in the area, and said the dances provided him with some background about how important water is within the Native culture.

"The impact of water, it seemed like the main thing," he said. His father, George Moore, said he goes to the dances often and meets his friends.

Ken Purvis, 59, of Greewood, Miss., has been visiting the area for the past few days, and said he plans to spend the rest of his summer in the Gallup area. He often goes to Native American events, like powwows, and has read numerous books on various Native cultures.

"I really appreciate the spirituality," Purvis said.

Though a brief history was provided on each dance performed, Purvis acknowledged that he understands that the meanings are much deeper.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, guests and locals alike can enjoy nightly Indian dances that capture the spirit of Gallup in a few lively, breathtaking minutes. This will give you a sense of historic and harm onious blend of cultures for which the city of Gallup is well known.