Portrait of Chis-Chili
[Navajo Name: Tsii’ Ch’ilí, Curly-Hair]

1908
By Elbridge Ayer Burbank

Maternal Clan: Lók’aa’ Dine’é [Reed People]
Paternal Clan: Unknown
Spouse: Asdzaa Ts’ah
Children: John Curley, Chischilly Begay, Tom Curley, and Chischilly Sani Bitzi [The daughter of Old Curly Hair].
2nd Wife: Bina'onil
Children: John Curley, Dolth Curley, Dasilah Curley

Chis-Chili was approximately 45 years old when this portrait was drawn. He was from Leeyááni [the area just north of Hubbell Trading Post], and is part Hopi. Chis-Chili and his wife, Asdzaa Ts’ah went to Fort Sumner. He is related to the Bluehouse and Ralph Jones’ families. Curly Hair posed for the painting, “Navajo Poker Game”[see HUTR 5277] where he wore a beige shirt, green bandana and a necklace. His son John Curley married Elizabeth Shepherd [see HUTR 2019], Chischilly Begay married Alnabaa daughter of Miguelito [see HUTR 3426]. Another son, Tom Curley married Marie Curley, also daughter of Miguelito [see HUTR 2012].

Conte crayon on paper. L 38.0, W 26.7 cm
Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, HUTR 1941