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March 28, 2024 2:33 am
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Lost City Museum Showcases Native American Culture

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

Kelly Yazzie, 11, performs a fancy shawl dance at the Lost City Museum Native America Day event held last weekend. PHOTO BY MAGGIE MCMURRAY/Moapa Valley Progress.

Smells of fresh Indian fry bread, sounds of Native American music and the colors of traditional dancing lured visitors to Lost City Museum last weekend. The museum held its annual Native American Day celebration on Saturday, featuring live music, dancing and vendors.

This year’s event featured dancing and music by two different groups. The Yazzie Family Dancers from Las Vegas performed several group and individual dances. The family was led by older brother Peterson Yazzie, a high school junior. As each of them performed, Peterson took the opportunity to explain what each dance meant, how it differed from other dances, and its historical significance.

Peterson himself performed a grass dance, which, he explained, is slower than some other dances because of the intricate footwork involved. Younger sister Dominique, 15, was a specialist in jingle dress dances. Youngest sister Kelly, 11, amazed the audience with her fancy shawl dances.

The Yazzie sisters both love to dance and share their native heritage with others. Dominique, who has been dancing for 6 years, said that the sidestep jingle dress dance is her favorite. “I love to dance because it really makes you feel free,” she said. “The movements also allow you to express how you feel while you dance.”

Kelly agreed, saying, “My mom made my costume and it’s fun to dress up. I can really feel happy when I dance.”
The Yazzie family allowed others to share in the joy with a dance that included members of the audience. Billye Silvester, of Overton, was one of the brave souls that joined the Yazzies in the dance circle. “The dance was fun and I appreciated the opportunity to join them,” she said. “I grew up watching Navajo dancers and even today when I hear native music, my feet start to tap.

Lucy Siracusa, Las Vegas, agreed. “I’m 87 years old and I was out there dancing and it was wonderful,” she said. “This is the first year I’ve come to this event and I think it is fantastic.”

The Yazzie’s were joined by Craig Luther from Sanders, AZ. Luther shared his experiences traveling throughout the world. Luther is not only a traditional dancer, but he also sang and played drums and played a native flute as part of his performance.

In addition to the dancers, there were booths featuring a flintnapper, pottery makers, and jewelry makers.
Rolanda Yoyletsdewa came from the Hopi reservation to show off her handmade pottery. She described a process of forming, sanding, polishing, washing, sketching, painting, and firing before the pots are ready. “Making pots like these takes a long time and has several steps,” she said. “But they are worth the time and effort when I get to see the final product.”

Margaret Tenorio, from Santo Domingo Pueblo in New Mexico goes through a similar process making her handmade jewelry. She starts with a lump of rock and then slices it, trims it to size, hand drills each hole, grinds, sands, polishes, and then strings her final products. “I listen to the old songs while I work so it is a source of therapy for me,” she said. “We learn how to do this when we’re very young with our parents.”

Museum Attendant Jesse Davie, who organizes this event every year, was pleased with this year’s festivities. “We are excited to have the opportunity to offer this day so that Native Americans can share their culture with our community and visitors,” he said.

Museum Director Jenny Strayer agreed that this year’s event was a success. “This event has been fantastic,” she said. “I was watching the dancers perform today with the pueblos behind them, and the mesa behind that, and I was struck by how beautiful it was. Sometimes we get caught up in the details of things when it is really moments like this when history comes alive that makes what we do here worthwhile.”

The Lost City Museum specializes in preserving the history of local Native American culture and has several other upcoming special events. November 26 is worldwide “Museum Store Day” where souvenirs and gifts in its gift shop will be 15% off. Those wishing to visit the store do not need to pay admission to get in. Also, the museum’s holiday open house will be on December 9 from 12-4 pm. This special day offers free admission as well as several other special events throughout the day. It is a great family opportunity that is both educational and fun.

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