Native American Pictographic Writing, A Navajo shaman’s memory aide, 1900-1920
«[1] A Navajo shaman’s memory aide, painted on hide, and depicting an array of mnemonic images designed to aid in the performance of a medicinal rite, including a spectacular large Yei figure at far left & an array of prayer sticks. [2] The Navajo, who refer to themselves as Diné, share a complex belief system that emphasises the interrelatedness of all living things. Ceremonial life largely evolves around prayer offerings and elaborate “chants”, which are designed to prevent or cure illness and disease. [3] As part of the healing process, the Medicine Man (or Hatałii) would perform sand-painting, creating highly sophisticated design patterns with a variety of coloured sand, using these to invoke the Holy People (or Yeibicheii). [4] The sand-paintings themselves are thought to become enlivened beings, and must be destroyed after their completion lest they pose a danger to the community. More than 600 different designs are known to the Navajo, of which up to 30 may be included in a single ceremony. [5] Since the potency of sand-drawing depends on the quality of its execution, mistakes in the accuracy of the detail could inflict serious harm on the patient. Medicine men would therefore create personal memory aids on buckskin like this, to avoid any possibility of error.» – Incunabula
