Prayer or Dancing Fans
Anatomy of Fans
Meaning of an Eagle Tail or Hawk Tail Fan
What is different about this fan maker!
Prayer or Dancing Fans
As told to us by our elders, these fans are quite significant to the Native Americans. They are used in the Native American Church to sing and to pray with. They are also used in Pow Wows to dance with. The legends told to us about these fans are as follows: This story is told according to the Navahos elders. There are many others told by other tribes, but this is the way this particular fan is put together.
The fringe part of the fan is said to represent our roots. We usually put 12 fringes on the handle of the gourd rattles and the fan handle. These 12 fringes represent our roots; it represents our 12 months; it represents the 12 tails of the eagle and hawks; it represents the hogan songs, the mountain song, and the early morning dawn songs. This is where our roots lies. The Navahos have strong ties to their roots: the roots being their origination, the clans being passed down through the mother, the elders, and all relations. The fringes are made of buckskin to represent our necessities of life; as the deer was used for food, clothing and shelter. We as human, we all have roots, some keep these roots strong and keep in daily contact with where they are coming from We nourish these relations with our elders. We respect our elders, since they are the reason we are alive today. This is why we usually put 12 fringes on the fans and gourd rattles.
The beadworks and the floral decorations are each made differently to represent the morning dawn, the sunrise, the sunset, the dark and also the different seasons. This is where all walks of life are born, live, die - and this is where we live our daily lives.
MEANING OF AN EAGLE TAIL or HAWK TAIL FAN
An eagle or a hawk has twelve tails. Each of these tails represent certain things according to the Dine (means the people, also known as Navajo) legends. The right center tail is said to represent the Naghee'nezhghani, or Monster Slayer, the male side, and the sky. The left side is said to represent the Tobaghishchini, or One born for the water, the female side, and the water holding and giving life on earth. The five feathers on the right side of the fan is your father's side. That represents the red colors, the harsh side of you, the fire side of a person, the hunter's side of you, the one that has harsh teaching. The five feathers on the lefts side represent the mothers side. That is represent in blue colors. That is the calm side, the comforting side, the caring side of you, that is the side that gives life on this earth. Putting both sides together, we are humans. This is how our people talk about these fans. Being human has five dimensions, each tail represents these different dimensions. They are; social, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Each of the feathers on the right represents your father's side. Your father's side has these dimension, that is what your right side represents. The left side represent your mother's side, she has her dimensions too. When we are raise with all these dimensions, we are raised very well. When we bless ourselves; when we are boys/men, we bless our right side first. When we are girls/ladies; we bless our left side first. This is how our elders talk about these eagle and hawk tails.
The Immature Golden Eagle, the black part of the feathers represent the darkness. The white part represents the early morning dawn. This is why in the Dine culture, these tails are usually put on the Ye'iis as bonnets. It represents the good things in life. This fan is usually associate with the east. To the west, the red tail hawk is represent that way, usually carried by ladies in the Dine Culture.
These are very much respected by our people, and if you want, please do respect and carry on these teach with pride!