Christina Solstad - Spirit of Chaco Blog

Summer Solstice at Chaco Canyon: A Short Film

While at Chaco Canyon for solstice this June, I met Lillian Kelly, a freelance filmmaker in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She prepared a short film, "Summer Solstice at Chaco Canyon," highlighting the Laguna Pueblo dancers, and G.B. Cornucopia discussing Chaco and solstice.

Her material often appears on New Mexico PBS, KNME.

We were both working with the Friends of Native Cultures, headed by Caroline Brown, who brought the Acoma and Laguna Pueblo dancers to Chaco this summer.

She did a great job of distilling some of the essence of the solstice experience, and providing some of G.B.'s expert commentary.

Thanks Lillian!

Here is the text provided with the Chaco solstice video on YouTube:

There are several places in Chaco Canyon that mark the movement of the sun throughout the year. Casa Rinconada, one of the larger kivas in the Chacoan system, is open to the public just before sunrise during the few days of the summer solstice.

During these days, the longest of the year, the sun shines through a window and into a niche. It's controversial whether this marker was intentional on the part of the Chacoan people, who started building the kiva in 1070.

When the kiva was found by an archaeological team in the 1930s, it was rebuilt. The exact size of the window is not known. Also, there are low walls surrounding the window that indicate the window may not have received light at all when the kiva was originally constructed.

Regardless of the intention on the part of the Chacoans, the canyon is a spectacular place to view the sky, both during the day and at night. There's nothing like faring the 16 miles of dirt road from U.S. 550 and getting far, far, far away from the things of modern man.

Originally broadcast on New Mexico PBS station KNME.

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Laguna Dancers at Casa Rinconada, Part 2

Just as the Laguna Eagle dancers finished their beautiful dance at Casa Rinconada, the sun began to appear through the cloud cover. When the bright yellow disk finally broke through the clouds, it was shining directly on the  niche in the western wall of the great kiva denoting the summer solstice marker. Perfect!

Then Kyle Swimmer, age 15, performed the hoop dance once again, next to the northeastern outer walls of Casa Rinconada, with the young drummer. 

Again, a lovely and sacred way to begin the day!

In a future post I'll write about visiting another special site at Chaco (not yet open to the public) with the Laguna Pueblo dancers and family.

Related posts:

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Laguna Dancers at Casa Rinconada, Part 1

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Laguna Dancers at Pueblo Bonito

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Laguna Dancers at Casa Rinconada, Part 1

After getting to see the Laguna Pueblo's Hoop Dance at Pueblo Bonito on solstice, we had another bonus the next morning. The young dancers came to Casa Rinconada at sunrise and performed both the Hoop dance and the Eagle dance.

I knew it would be a great morning when my breath was taken away by the first brilliant red light below the clouds on the eastern horizon. I had to take a moment to simply absorb its beauty.

I loved seeing all the young kids from Laguna in the early morning light, some dancing, some watching, but all family of one sort or another.

The sun remained absorbed in the morning clouds, so we did not get to see the sun move across the western wall of the great kiva. While we waited, we got to see the first dance.

Two young boys did a beautiful eagle dance for us ... their first time ever together, with Kyle and the drummer singing and playing drums for them. Many firsts for these proud young boys, and we got to witness and enjoy.

 

Related posts:

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Laguna Dancers at Pueblo Bonito

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Laguna Dancers at Pueblo Bonito

After the Acoma Dancers performed their traditional social dances at Pueblo Bonito, we were surprised by the arrival of members of the Laguna Pueblo (west-central New Mexico) and some of their young dancers.

So for those who stayed, we got to see a performance of the traditional Hoop Dance by Kyle Swimmer, 15 years old.  He was accompanied on the drum by a 13-year-old. Amazingly, they had never performed together before.

Here is a closeup of Kyle's costume, which he made himself.

The Hoop Dance is difficult to learn and perform, as the dancer uses a number of reed hoops - from a handful to ~40 or more. Kyle used ~15 hoops for his dances.

The reed hoops are much more difficult to use than the plastic hoops many use these days, since they can break.

He creates images with the hoops - usually various animals - which the audience then guesses (turkey, eagle, earth, sun, even mickey mouse!), and spur him on with applause to create more.  

Can you guess what these hoop "images" represent?

The dancer's feet never stop moving, and he dances for several minutes. Kyle has been dancing since he was quite young - and it shows!

This was a great surprise ending for a great solstice afternoon at Pueblo Bonito.

Related posts:

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Acoma Dancers, Pueblo Bonito, Part 1

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Acoma Dancers, Pueblo Bonito, Part 2

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Acoma Dancers, Pueblo Bonito, Part 3

Chaco Canyon Solstice 2008: Acoma Dancers, Pueblo Bonito, Part 4