Unknown Diné (Navajo)

Native American

Sand Painting
circa 1940

Sand on plywood
12 x 12 x 0.5 in.
Gift of Gertrude Shurr and Rachael Dunaven Yocom
1990.56

Sandpainting is a sacred art with deep cultural significance for the Diné people. An ancient practice known as iikaah, or “place where the gods come and go,” Diné medicine men use naturally colored sand, charcoal, and other ground materials to depict healing spirits for tribal ceremonies, rites of passage, or medical treatment. While these examples were likely produced for the tourist trade, sand paintings were originally created by a spiritual elder who let the colored sand fall gently through his fingers upon the dry land.

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This object has the following keywords:

• face
• lines
• Native American

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Anthropology 3110: North American Indian Cultures , 9/15/2015 - 7/8/2016
• HIST 6620 Seminar in Native American Studies , 3/28/2022 - 8/29/2022