This image shows several Navajo men working on a traditional sand painting. Originally, this painting would have been made by a tribal shaman as a part of a healing ritual, rather than as a collective effort for public display.
Genuine Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art Colortone”
The description states:
6–WHIRLING LOG (GOOD LUCK)
SAND PAINTING OF THE NAVAJO INDIANS
The Navajo Indians have an elaborate nine day ceremony, the Yebashi, in which a sand panting is made daily and according to their religion each one must be destroyed before sunset, otherwise it would be a very bad omen.
These are made by qualified Medicine Men in which many colors of sands are used, ground from colored rock. The”Whirling Log” sand painting is one of the very important of a group and is said to bring good fortune.
–The Yebashi is now more commonly spelled yebache, but there is no immediately available information on line about this lengthy ritual.
This image dates from the 1940s.