Sacred dance essay prompts tribal banishment
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Tito Naranjo, a professor of Native American studies at the University of New Mexico, was banned from Taos Pueblo by his Indian community.
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TAOS PUEBLO, New Mexico (AP) -- A college professor has been banned from a New Mexico Indian community after writing an essay about a sacred tribal dance that was published in a newspaper.
The banishment means Tito Naranjo, 66, could be arrested if he enters Taos Pueblo, which has about 1,200 tribal members near the city of Taos, about 110 miles northeast of Albuquerque.
Many tribes prohibit sacred dances from being recorded in stories or photographs because they believe doing so detracts from the ritual's spiritual significance.
Naranjo, who lives in nearby Mora, said he was inspired by the "deer dance" and submitted a short essay to a newspaper writing contest. The essay, published December 21, took first place in the adult category and earned Naranjo $100.
Leaders of Taos Pueblo accused Naranjo of using tribal religious activity "for self promotion by writing an essay of a sensitive activity for publication."
Naranjo, a professor of Native American studies at the University of New Mexico at Taos, said the only way to preserve the tribe's oral traditions is to write them down and record the sounds of the dance.
"Young tribal members are watching television instead of doing community work," he said. "CD-ROM will record the entire language of the elders and preserve precise intonations and authenticity of the language for future generations."
The order banishing Naranjo says he "caused irreparable harm to the sensible nature of the religious activity through exploitation." Taos Pueblo Gov. John Mirabal declined to comment.
Naranjo hopes the banishment will be lifted, but he acknowledges he considered the consequences before writing the essay. Naranjo is married to a Taos Pueblo woman whose father lives in the community.
"I thought immediately, Taos Pueblo is going to disagree," he said. "Am I going to be a wimp, or am I going to write about this?"
Copyright 2004 The
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
