Yei / Yei-be-chai

51 products

Navajo Healing Ceremonies

“Yei” (pronounced “yay”) is the Navajo name for the benevolent supernatural beings who bring their healing power to medicinal sandpainting ceremonies still performed today. In fact, Yeis were first portrayed in rugs through traditional sandpainting designs created for these ceremonies, but the modern Yei rug is more of a pictorial composition, showing a row of the front-facing stylized stick figures. Between the Yeis, cornstalks, feathers and arrows may appear, and a Rainbow Guardian often surrounds and protects the figures on three sides, indicating the sandpainting roots of this particular style.

“Yei-be-chai” is the name of the masked human dancer participating in the actual healing ceremony and embodying the Yei. This allows the Yei spirits to come among the people during the ceremony. The Yei-be-chai rug portrays a line of dancers, usually shown from the side and often with one foot raised as though in a synchronized dancing motion. The patient for whom the ceremony is being held may be shown facing the procession. The medicine man and “Talking God” often lead the way, and a clown is often shown at the end of the line.

Some weavers currently involved in these two styles include Margie Harvey, Daisy Nakai, Marilyn Paytiamo, Ruby White, and Elouise Bia.

51 products
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$12,500
Yei by Rose Bia - Garland's
Yei by Rose Bia - Garland's
$4,800
Sandpainting Yei by Marietta White - Garland's
Sandpainting Yei by Marietta White - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Louise Bia Yazzie - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Louise Bia Yazzie - Garland's
1920s Corn Stalk Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1920s Corn Stalk Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Ella Yazzie - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Ella Yazzie - Garland's
1960s Sandpainting by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1960s Sandpainting by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Miniature Pictorial by Louise Bia Yazzie - Garland's
Miniature Pictorial by Louise Bia Yazzie - Garland's
Yei by Rena John - Garland's
Yei by Rena John - Garland's
$2,400
Yei-be-chai by Ella Yazzie - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Ella Yazzie - Garland's
1930s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1930s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Yei by Ruby White - Garland's
Yei by Ruby White - Garland's
$3,600
Yei by Ruby White - Garland's
Yei by Ruby White - Garland's
$3,600
Sold Out
1930s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1930s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1940s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1940s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Yei by Janice Vanwinkle - Garland's
Yei by Janice Vanwinkle - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
$6,500
$5,500
Storm Pattern Yei by LaRose Bia - Garland's
Storm Pattern Yei by LaRose Bia - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Lula Brown - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Lula Brown - Garland's
Yei by Ruby White - Garland's
Yei by Ruby White - Garland's
$1,200
Yei-be-chai by Ella Yazzie - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Ella Yazzie - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Louise Bia Yazzie - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Louise Bia Yazzie - Garland's
1940s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1940s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
Millenium Yei-be-chai by Sarah Paul Begay - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Roselyn Begay - Garland's
Yei-be-chai by Roselyn Begay - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
Miniature Yei-be-chai by Elouise Bia - Garland's
1930s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
1930s Yei by Vintage Collection - Garland's
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