Putting the Native in Nativity
Submitted Children of all ages participate in the Live Nativity at Navajo Ministries.
Diné children, Navajo Ministries to act out its own Christmas story
FARMINGTON, N.M.
Submitted
Children dressed as Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus sit in a makeshift stable at Navajo Ministries during the annual Live Nativity.
In this version of the Christmas story, all the players are Navajo.
Submitted
Children of all ages participate in the Live Nativity at Navajo Ministries.
On the campus of Navajo Ministries, a nonprofit, Christian organization in Farmington, N.M. that cares for disadvantaged Navajo children, preparations are under way for the 31st annual drive-through Live Nativity. The event, which runs from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 23, will feature 15 children and teens in the traditional nativity scene.
The twist, said 14-year-old Danielle, who plays the innkeeper this year and has participated in the annual event for the last decade, is that all the characters are Navajo. The holy family is Navajo. The shepherds and angels are Navajo. Even the celebrated baby Jesus is Navajo – strapped to a traditional Navajo cradleboard.
“Our costumes are similar to what you see in other nativities,” said Danielle, who asked to keep her last name confidential to protect the privacy of her family. “But you’ll see the girls wearing Navajo dresses and turquoise and silver jewelry, with their hair in buns. We’re still in the theme of the nativity, but we’re also showing that we’re Navajo.”
The nativity draws visitors from across the Four Corners area, said Eric Fisher, president of Navajo Ministries. An estimated 300 cars drive through the 16-acre campus during the two-hour event.
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Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow