Navajo Sand Painting

Sand paintings, as created by Navajo Indians, were not made to be an "art object," but rather were made as part of an elaborate healing ritual or ceremony. The artist, or in the Navajo context, the medicine man, would use naturally colored grains of sand, and pour them by hand to create these elaborate "paintings."

Once completed, the person that needed healing was asked to sit on top of the sand painting, which was supposed to act as a portal so that the healing spirits could come through the painting and heal the patient. Once the healing ceremony was over, then the painting was believed to have removed the illness from the patient, and therefore had the illness contained within it, so at that point the painting was destroyed.

Here's a look at some more Navajo sand paintings. The figures in sand paintings are symbolic representations meant to tell a story in Navajo mythology. They might represent objects like the sacred mountains where the gods live, or legendary visions, or they illustrate dances or chants performed in rituals.


Click here to play the Sand Painting Game!

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