Pueblo Dances

Buffalo, Corn, Deer and Turtle Dances

New Mexico offers much to keep your attention, and some of the most touching and beautiful events are the Pueblo Dances, many of which are combinations of ancient southwestern ceremonies and Spanish-introduced Catholic celebrations.

These Dances are complex and beautiful, combining song, in which stories are told, and formal and studied dance movements. Together they act out nature's dramas.

They celebrate the bounty of Mother Earth, the harvest of corn and the animals who give up their lives so that the People may survive. They celebrate the seasons, the winds, the blessed moisture in a dry land and the gifts of wisdom, strength and persistence.

Though many ceremonies may not be shared, the Pueblos, often called "The Rain Dance People," nevertheless welcome visitors to special celebrations which allow glimpses of their proud heritage.

Please keep in mind that these Dances are spiritual in nature. Following the Pueblo's rules of etiquette will not only allow you to enjoy their beauty and drama, but will show respect to The People who have kept these traditions alive for more than a thousand years.

The Buffalo Dance

The buffalo is a symbol of abundance.

Historically, Pueblo Peoples crossed the mountains to the north to hunt or trade for buffalo and bring back meat for the long winter.

Like all Animal Dances, the Buffalo Dance is a celebration of thanksgiving. The hunter takes on the spirit of the buffalo he has hunted during the year. He thanks the spirit of that animal, and he asks for good luck for next year's hunting. To be asked to dance in the Buffalo Dance is a great honor.

Buffalo Dances are held at Acoma, Cochiti, Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara, Taos and Tesuque Pueblos in December.

The Corn Dance

The corn dance is a ceremony of thanksgiving for the bounty of this year's harvest and a prayer for enough rain for next year's crops. Evergreen branches and corn may be carried in the dancer's hands. Hollow gourd rattles filled with pebbles symbolize the falling rain, and drums are beaten to symbolize thunder.

Corn Dances may be held several times a year, and one may be seen at Isleta Pueblo.

The Deer Dance

The Deer Dance is a celebration of thanksgiving in which the hunter takes on the spirit of the deer he has hunted during the year. He thanks the spirit of that animal for providing the people with continuing life and asks for good luck to the hunters.

The Dancers may wear antlers and hold long sticks to represent the front legs of the deer.

The Deer Dance is usually held on Christmas Day (December 25) or King's day (January 6) at Acoma, Cochiti, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara and Taos Pueblos. (505) 843-7270.

The Turtle Dance

The water-loving turtle has a long life and represents time, longevity, persistance and strength.

The Turtle Dance ceremonial is dedicated to the rain-making spirits and is a thanksgiving for all that is moisture: Clouds, rain, snow, lightening and thunder. It honors Mother Earth for providing plentiful crops and gives thanks for the many beauties of life.

The singing tells of evergreens which symbolize strength and eternity, the gourd rattle and the turtle. It tells of the creation of the Kachinas who create the elements of clouds, lightening, thunder and the production of water. Woven into the singing is the story of corn, pollination, the way the kernals sprout and ripen, the gathering and processing into food.

Turtle Dance Day is an important day. It is a day to give thanks for the bounty of Mother Nature, to ask for moisture upon a dry parched land.

Turtle Dances are held at Acoma, Cochiti, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara and Taos Pueblos each December.

Links

Myth*ing Links - Kathleen Jenks' has compiled and annotated the definitive collection of links to online articles about the world's sacred arts, traditions, mythologies, and folklore including the Celebrations of Winter.