Dine' songs, dances, games bring smiles to Utah community

By Marley Shebala
Navajo Times

MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah - January 4, 2007

More than 550 people of all ages and from as far away as Yah Tah Hey, N.M., welcomed the new year with Navajo songs, dances and games at the local high school.

As Alger Greyeyes, lead singer and composer for the To’di’ Ne’e’sh Zhe’e’ Singers, counted down to midnight, people began gathering under two large plastic bags that were filled with balloons and hanging from the Monument Valley High School gym ceiling.

Some of the balloons held $5 bills.

Dorothy Bigman, one of the organizers of the New Year's Eve celebration, said that a total of $65 was hidden in the balloons.

So it was no surprise to see elders decked out in their finest Navajo clothing and turquoise and silver jewelry, scrambling with kids and teens for as many balloons as possible as they trickled down from above.

Some of the taller and quicker folks were nabbing the balloons before they hit the gym floor and then popping them to see if they were $5 richer.

In the end, the hunt for the money didn't seem to matter as the loud screams and laughter were replaced with exchanges of "Happy New Year!" and hugs that were far more valuable more than $5 or even $65.

Some of the elders wiped tears from their eyes with their beautifully colored scarves.

The younger crowd, which included about 12 of Monument Valley High's 37 seniors, didn't hug but rather slapped each other's hands and smiled.

The smiles and laughter were partly to welcome 2007 and to acknowledge that the song and dance was almost over.

The New Year's Eve song and dance was the ninth one sponsored by the Monument Valley High School seniors, parents, teachers and advisors.

The New Year's event was also a fundraiser to raise money for the senior trip. Bigman said Tuesday that $5,363.86 was raised for the seniors and the school accountant deposited all of it in the bank.

The more than $5,000 came from a small admission fee, a concession stand, cakewalks and a huge raffle.

Bigman noted that the primary attraction for the crowd was having the To’di’ Ne’e’sh Zhe’e’ Singers as one of the host singing groups and also having their manager and member, Albert Nelson Jr., as master of ceremonies.

"Fans follow TNZ," she said. "Whenever they started singing, the whole crowd would dance and a lot of people even sang along."

TNZ ended the 9th annual New Year's Eve Monument Valley High School Benefit Song and Dance competition about 2 a.m. January 1, 2007. The benefit started at 2 p.m. Dec. 31, 2006.

Tse' biyi' nidzisgai, a local women's group, who Bigman sings with, joined TNZ in the festivities. Tse' biyi' nidzisgni also was the host group.

Bigman noted proudly that about 40 groups from across the Navajo reservation traveled to Monument Valley to sing and dance.

She explained that at last year's event, they had 27 groups.

Greyeyes, who shared the M.C. microphone with Nelson, said he usually asks questions about Navajo culture and history and the individual with the correct answer would win a prize.

But he said the large number of singing groups had him too busy to provide that bit of annual entertainment.

Greyeyes and Nelson did make time for a string game, which brought a medium size crowd of all ages into the center of gym to compete against time and against each other.

In the Navajo tradition, the string games are only to be conducted in the winter and were given to the people by Spider Woman to help them keep their thinking in order, which would then help them to keep their lives in order.

But before the string games, TNZ sang their Victory Song and then an Honor Song for Navajo Code Talker and Congressional Silver Star Medal recipient, Samuel Tom Holiday, 82, of Monument Valley.

The seniors, parents, teachers and advisors decided to recognize Holiday as a special part of this year's celebration.

As TNZ sang, Holiday led more than 100 dancers around the gym.

After he finished dancing, Holiday, who was with his wheel chair- bound wife, Lupita Mae, smiled as he looked around the gym full of people and said that the tribute touched his heart.

Jeremy Smith, 17, senior class president, and Waynette Denny, 18, senior class vice president, took a few minutes to rest after the concession stand finally ran out of food, which was a few minutes after midnight.

They said they didn't compete in the string games but they pretty much have their lives in order. Both Smith and Denny will be joining the Army National Guard after they graduate.

They and most of the 12 seniors who showed up to help at the song and dance didn't have New Year resolutions.

Denny said her resolution was not to make a resolution, which made them all laugh.

Many of seniors who showed up at the song and dance were not dressed in the usual Navajo clothing and turquoise and silver jewelry.

They were dressed more like skateboarders.

Mathias Cly, 17, senior class secretary said none of them danced but they liked being there.

"It's pretty good," Cly said about the song and dance. "It gives the elders a chance to come out instead of staying home doing chores."

Smith said he didn't speak Navajo, which is probably why the songs and dances seemed repetitious. He said he picked up a little Navajo culture though and he liked that.

As the names of the winners of the song and dance were called out, people began picking up their prizes - 12-packs of soda, a 25-pound bag of Blue Bird flour and other goodies.

Martha Mose, one of the organizers and a member of Tse' biyi' nidzisgni, noticed some of the people, mostly the elders, were having problems carrying their winnings out the door so she asked the students to help them.

Without hesitation, the students jumped from the bleachers and hoisted bags of flour over the shoulders and carried them out into the cold night.

Greyeyes was outside saying farewell to family and friends, including volunteer San Juan County emergency medical technicians Sarah Nez and Seraphene Chee.

Chee and Nez, who were assigned to the New Year's Eve benefit, said they were able to stay for the whole celebration because they didn't get any emergency calls, which meant it was a quiet beginning for 2007.

Chee smiled and said that her New Year's resolution was to get a new gurney for their ambulance.

But Nez topped her resolution but saying she wanted to get a brand new 2007 ambulance.

Greyeyes said his resolution was to be a better person.

END

© Navajo Times