Shalako

Shalako is a series of dances and ceremonies conducted by the Native American Zuni people for the Zuni people at the winter solstice, typically following the harvest. The Shalako ceremony and feast has been closed to non-native peoples since 1990. Nancy Bonvillain described the Shalakos, "They brought good fortune, abundant crops, and many children." They are chosen at Winter Solstice, when they begin to learn the chants they will recite in the early December ceremony.