Jeff King Hashkeh-yilth-e-yah, Navajo Medicine Man
+ Add Artist to My Preferences
The Legacy of Jeff King: Diné Medicine Man and World War II
Jeff King (Hashkeh-yilth-e-yah) was a respected Medicine Man of the Diné (Navajo) Nation whose work holds a unique place in history. As the United States entered World War II, many young Navajo men left the reservation to serve. In response, Hashkeh-yilth-e-yah performed a critical healing ritual for them called "Where the Two Came to Their Father."
This two-day ceremony tells the story of two young heroes who travel to the hogan of their father, the Sun, and return with the power to destroy the monsters plaguing their people. The ritual, which included songs and elaborate sand paintings, was intended to keep the young men's souls healthy as they went off to fight far from their land and community.
At the time, ethnologist and artist Maud Oakes was living on the reservation. With Hashkeh-yilth-e-yah's permission, she meticulously recorded the ceremony, including the intricate sand paintings. The resulting publication, Where the Two Came to Their Father: A Navajo War Ceremonial, with commentary by mythologist Joseph Campbell, is considered one of the most complete extant recordings of a Navajo ritual.
TAGS: Navajo Nation, Native American Original Prints