Peyote Fans, Pow Wow Fan, Feather fan, Smudge fans, Ceremonial Fans, and any other kind of fan used by Native Americans. This page is created for people that want to learn about the different type of fans, the purpose we use fan, and education material about fans.
FANS OF FAME!
Prayer or Dancing Fans
As told to us by our elders, these fans are quite significant to the Native Americans. They are used in the Native American Church to sing and to pray with. They are also used in Pow Wows to dance with. The legends told to us about these fans are as follows: This story is told according to the Navahos elders. There are many others told by other tribes, but this is the way this particular fan is put together.
The fringe part of the fan is said to represent our roots. We usually put 12 fringes on the handle of the gourd rattles and the fan handle. These 12 fringes represent our roots; it represents our 12 months; it represents the 12 tails of the eagle and hawks; it represents the hogan songs, the mountain song, and the early morning dawn songs. This is where our roots lies. The Navahos have strong ties to their roots: the roots being their origination, the clans being passed down through the mother, the elders, and all relations. The fringes are made of buckskin to represent our necessities of life; as the deer was used for food, clothing and shelter. We as human, we all have roots, some keep these roots strong and keep in daily contact with where they are coming from We nourish these relations with our elders. We respect our elders, since they are the reason we are alive today. This is why we usually put 12 fringes on the fans and gourd rattles.
The beadworks and the floral decorations are each made differently to represent the morning dawn, the sunrise, the sunset, the dark and also the different seasons. This is where all walks of life are born, live, die - and this is where we live our daily lives.
ANATOMY OF A FAN
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~MEANING OF AN EAGLE TAIL or HAWK TAIL FAN~
An eagle or a hawk has twelve tails. Each of these tails represent certain things according to the Dine (means the people, also known as Navajo) legends. The right center tail is said to represent the Naghee'nezhghani, or Monster Slayer, the male side, and the sky. The left side is said to represent the Tobaghishchini, or One born for the water, the female side, and the water holding and giving life on earth. The five feathers on the right side of the fan is your father's side. That represents the red colors, the harsh side of you, the fire side of a person, the hunter's side of you, the one that has harsh teaching. The five feathers on the lefts side represent the mothers side. That is represent in blue colors. That is the calm side, the comforting side, the caring side of you, that is the side that gives life on this earth. Putting both sides together, we are humans. This is how our people talk about these fans. Being human has five dimensions, each tail represents these different dimensions. They are; social, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Each of the feathers on the right represents your father's side. Your father's side has these dimension, that is what your right side represents. The left side represent your mother's side, she has her dimensions too. When we are raise with all these dimensions, we are raised very well. When we bless ourselves; when we are boys/men, we bless our right side first. When we are girls/ladies; we bless our left side first. This is how our elders talk about these eagle and hawk tails.
The Immature Golden Eagle, the black part of the feathers represent the darkness. The white part represents the early morning dawn. This is why in the Dine culture, these tails are usually put on the Ye'iis as bonnets. It represents the good things in life. This fan is usually associate with the east. To the west, the red tail hawk is represent that way, usually carried by ladies in the Dine Culture.
These are very much respected by our people, and if you want, please do respect and carry on these teach with pride!
DIFFERENT TYPES OF FANS
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******* Single Hair ties ********
******* Flat Fan *******
Style #1 - This style is a loose flat fan. The fan is strung together, so it opens up and close to fit into a gourd box. Sometimes their are no beads to hold these feathers together, and it drops like a drop fan. This would most likely be used by men. It can be used in dances, peyote ceremonies, and/or devotions
Style #2 - This is a Stiff Flat Fan, GROUPED. These feather are permanently set in place, so the feathers do not move around. The feather work is one whole piece of feather work around the feathers. This fan has a design on the front and the back of the fan. This fan would be use mostly by ladies. It would be use by jingle dress dancers, or used by ladies in the peyote ceremonies. The feather worked is called grouped feather work. This fan is used only for educational purpose.
Style #3 - This is a Stiff Flat Fan, INDIVIDUAL. The big difference on this one is that each individual feather is feather worked. The feathers in this fan does one move, they are permanently set, it is a stiff fan. This type of fan would be used by dancers, or by ladies in the peyote ceremonies. Many traditional dancers (common among both men and ladies) and jingle dancers like this style fan. Usually a bigger fan box is needed for this type of fan. Some people prefer straight cut fringes on these types of fans. Most NAC people prefer twisted leather fringes on these types of fans.
Style #4 - This is a double side, stiff flat fan. This fan has 24 tails in it. It is a double side fan. You can hold the fan any side, and the design is usually the same on both sides of the fan. This type of fan can be made into a side drop fan, by loosing the feathers. It will only open up to the side. For this particular fan, it is a stiff fan. This type of fan is most commonly used in peyote ceremonies and by straight dancers in pow wows.
Style #5 - This is a traditional Dancing style Wing Fan. This is for educational purposes only.
******* Side Drop Fan *******
Alexandria feathers fan, side drop fan. This fan only opens toward the side, it does not drop like a round drop fan. This style is common among gourd dancers, NAC people, and Straight Dancers
This is a Side Drop Mixed feather fan
******* Round Drop Fan *******
30 tail Scarlet macaw fan
30 tail, Mixed Macaw fan
******* Fan & Gourd Sets *******
Fully Beaded Gourd Dance or Peyote Set
Changing Wind Set - Fan and Gourd Set
Spiritual Water and Fan Set
******* Old Style Fans *******
1930 to 1940's style drop fan - NOT PATRICK'S WORK, this is just a sample.
1960's Style Fan - NOT Patrick's Work
******* Flop Drop Fan *******
Photos will come soon!
******* Oklahoma Style Fan *******
Double layered side drop fan, most common among the Oklahoma Indian tribes. NOT Patrick's Work, sample only!
******* SHADOW BOX FANS *******
For the ELITE COLLECTORS, THESE ARE FOR YOU! These are for collectors only, these are permanently set inside shadow box show cases. This is to permanently preserve the feather fan forever. This kind takes a lot more work to do, and many trips to find all the highest quality material. Only museum quality materials are use on this type of work. Acid free paper, glass front, high quality wood frames, one of a kind design cuts and layout on mattes. These usually measure 18 inches wide by 32 inches high.
What is different about this fan maker!
What makes Patrick's Fan work different from other Fan Makers! First of all, each fan is individualized, meaning it is made for very unique individuals. Most of the time, the artist has to get to know you, and ask you questions about what you want these fans are made for. Why you want them done? Who is the owner? Is it going to be carried for your life times, etc. Then, the artist meditates with these information, and comes up with colors and designs just for that purpose. Many times, with Natives, tobacco is exchanged to build up relations and used as an offering to fix a fan. The design may take anywhere from 1 week to a few months to come up with. While sitting in ceremonies, sitting in sweat lodges, while running or exercising, while doing daily activities, these are usually the thoughts going through the artist's mind. When it feels appropriate, and when the artist feels comfortable, only then does he start the work on it.
The feather work is one of the most time consuming part of making the fan. Hours and hours are spent on the details. Extreme detailing takes the most time. Many times, it takes the artist 2 to 4 days just cutting and detailing the feather work. Once they are done, they are sealed. When the feather work is done, the sealing part preserves the featherwork for years.
On the beadwork, most of the designs are made with a unique style, the gourd stitch. There are two sizes of beads used by this artist. They are size 14 seed beads, and size 13 cut beads. The cut beads are usually made on the traditional style peyote stitch. On the gourd stitch, size 14 seed bead are much better to use. The gourd stitch style was originated with Patrick and his brother, Bennie Scott. They were learned thru trial and errors. It is a style that is barely hitting the beadworkers. More and more people are copying these designs and trying to duplicate these designs.
With the leather work, white suede, top quality leather is most common. Brain tanned, smoked hides are also used. Only top quality leather are used on the leather portions of the fan.
On the feathers, extensive time is taken to pair up the right feathers, may take many weeks or months to make the right combinations. This artist like to use top quality feathers, even if it takes him an extra few weeks or month to make the right selections. If the artist does not feel comfortable with the feathers, he will try to find others that will make a better selection.
That is what makes this artist's work different from others.