Matthews, W: Mountain Chant

Excerpt from The Mountain Chant: A Navajo Ceremony

Sometimes the collective rites and amusement-s oi' the last night ue spoken of as ilnasjingo qacal, or chant in the dark circle of branches, from it, branches of a tree; new, surrounding, encircling jia, dark; and go, in. The name alludes to the great fence of pinon branches, erected after sunset on the last night, to receive the guests and performers. I shall often refer to this inclosure as the corral. Some white men call the rites I describe the corral dance, but more usually they call them the hoshkawn dance, from one of the minor perform auces of the last night, the liaclti'in or act of the Yucca baccata, u rite or drama which seems to particularly excite the Caucasian interest. To such minor acts the terms inca' and all are. Applied; these may be translated dance, show, act, or exhibition.

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