Ye’ii Bi Chei opens oldest Navajo fair

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

SHIPROCK — Activities for the oldest Navajo fair have begun with its most popular event — the Ye’ii Bi Chei ceremony — beginning Sept. 26 and continuing to Saturday night with a grand finale.

The 97th Annual Shiprock Navajo Fair, which Shiprock Fair board President Frank Yabeny said is the most traditional of all the Navajo fairs, is being held at the Shiprock fairgrounds. The theme this year is “Nightway Blessing” and more than 100,000 people are expected to attend the fair in the Northern Agency.

While the fair officially opens on Oct. 2 and runs through Oct. 5, some activities, such as the registration for the Miss Northern Navajo, Elderfest and baby pageants and the Ye’ii Bi Chei, have already begun. The medicine man for the Ye’ii Bi Chei is Roy Lester from White Cone, Ariz.

The Yei’ rugs that depict the Yei’ deities have traditionally been woven in the area, and the fair is held in the fall to allow for the Ye’ii Bi Chei ceremony to be conducted. It is a nine-day healing ceremony for Diné people who are experiencing prolonged health problems with vision, hearing and thinking, according to the Shiprock Fair Web site. The ceremony begins when the medicine person arrives with singers and helpers. The Ye’ii dancers are initiated with a Ye’ii Bi Chei ceremony to perform the dances. The dances go on through the night and everyone is invited to watch, but no picture taking is allowed.

As part of the traditional activities that are offered, there will be Indian dances on Sunday at the Indian Market area with the first performance at 9 a.m. and the second performance at 1 p.m. A song and dance will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday and 5 p.m. on Friday. There will also be four sets of gourd dancing beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday and a powwow grand entry at 7 p.m. Powwow gourd dancing begins at 11 p.m. on Saturday and the song and dance grand entry will be at 1 p.m. The powwow grand entries on Saturday are at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Besides the Ye’ii Bi Chei, the most popular event is the rodeo, said Yabeny. An open junior rodeo begins at 2 p.m. on Thursday, which is Youth Day. The Four Corners Association Rodeo is on Saturday beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The Miss Northern Navajo pageant’s modern competition will be on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the Phil Thomas PAC building, the traditional competition is on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. at the PAC building and the coronation is at 7 to 9 p.m. on Friday at the same location.

Other highlights include the free barbecue and opening ceremony on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the City Market parking lot, the Elderfest at 8 a.m. on Thursday at the powwow grounds, a chili cook off at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday, the 4-H archery contest at 5 p.m. on Friday, and the parade on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Fanessa Comer, CEO of Northern Navajo Medical Center, will be the grand marshal.

Ongoing activities include the Ye’ii Bi Chei and on Thursday through Saturday there are the carnival and exhibits for school, industrial, community, 4-H and Future Farmers of America, arts and crafts, horticulture and home arts and science. There will also be country and western dances Thursday through Saturday night at the Indian Market.

Yabeny said the number one thing that fairgoers need to know is to practice safety and watch out for pedestrians during the fair activities.

Admission is $7 for adults,
$4 for senior citizens and
$4 for children ages 6 to 12.

Information:
www.shiprocknavajofair.org