The creation and migration stories have clues to common to the Diné culture. The creation story deals with male and female energy, and four in relation to the number two is a ritualistic theme: two ears of corn faced in the four cardinal directions, the corn was breathed on four times to create two beings –man and woman (Sheridan & Parezo, 1996, pp. 4). There is a content tie into duality north needing south, east needing west and the combination of them into four. When the Diné migrated from the northeast and down to the southwest there were four key clans: Tódich'nii (Bitter Water People), Kinyaa'áanii (Towering House People), Ashiihi (Salt People), and To'aheed'ííni (Water Flowing People)(Sheridan & Parezo, 1996, pp. 7). The ties to the
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Placement of the umbilical cord is vital to the success of a child in the future. The family guides the future of a child by placing or burying the umbilical cord near a corral, the fields, the home, or near the loom. These placements will guide the child’s path to tending the sheep or horses, farming, homemaker or weaving (Schwarz, 1997). There is special importance in adaptation of this ritual as it guides the child’s path, for one whose cord is lost or is not tended to can cause a child to not be grounded or wander in their path. The Diné are skilled at adapting to the changes of the world. In an effort to combine tradition and the need for new skills, the grandparents have found new ways to ground the children and guide their path. The spiral of the dried cord and placement within the earth, represents anchoring them to a place, a profession, or a course in this world. The next stage is the First Laugh ceremony. This ceremony, “...celebrates the child's initial expression of emotion” (Schwarz, 1997). This is vial, because this ceremony celebrates the vital connection to humanity, reciprocity, and being anchored in a child’s emotional life (Schwarz, …show more content…
One enters a Hooghan from the East, this is to place of the Thinking Process, then moves to the South –the Planning Process, then to the West – Living, and finally, to the North –Sihaasen or the place of faith, hope , and confidence. This makes it evident that the Hooghan, the home, has a greater connection to the sacred home of the Diné people as a whole. The sacred area is situated in such a way that there are four mountains or mountain groups: White Shell Mountain –Blanca Peak-- to the east, the Blue Beard –Mount Taylor-- to the west, the Abalone Shell Mountain –San Francisco Peaks-- to the west, and finally the Obsidian Mountain –Hesperus or La Plata Peak-- to the north. Therefore, the Ho-One (Hooghan) is a smaller version of the sacred area. The directions and the associated colors also tie into: white – dawn, yellow –twilight or dusk, back – night, and blue – sky or day (Long & Carey
Placement of the umbilical cord is vital to the success of a child in the future. The family guides the future of a child by placing or burying the umbilical cord near a corral, the fields, the home, or near the loom. These placements will guide the child’s path to tending the sheep or horses, farming, homemaker or weaving (Schwarz, 1997). There is special importance in adaptation of this ritual as it guides the child’s path, for one whose cord is lost or is not tended to can cause a child to not be grounded or wander in their path. The Diné are skilled at adapting to the changes of the world. In an effort to combine tradition and the need for new skills, the grandparents have found new ways to ground the children and guide their path. The spiral of the dried cord and placement within the earth, represents anchoring them to a place, a profession, or a course in this world. The next stage is the First Laugh ceremony. This ceremony, “...celebrates the child's initial expression of emotion” (Schwarz, 1997). This is vial, because this ceremony celebrates the vital connection to humanity, reciprocity, and being anchored in a child’s emotional life (Schwarz, …show more content…
One enters a Hooghan from the East, this is to place of the Thinking Process, then moves to the South –the Planning Process, then to the West – Living, and finally, to the North –Sihaasen or the place of faith, hope , and confidence. This makes it evident that the Hooghan, the home, has a greater connection to the sacred home of the Diné people as a whole. The sacred area is situated in such a way that there are four mountains or mountain groups: White Shell Mountain –Blanca Peak-- to the east, the Blue Beard –Mount Taylor-- to the west, the Abalone Shell Mountain –San Francisco Peaks-- to the west, and finally the Obsidian Mountain –Hesperus or La Plata Peak-- to the north. Therefore, the Ho-One (Hooghan) is a smaller version of the sacred area. The directions and the associated colors also tie into: white – dawn, yellow –twilight or dusk, back – night, and blue – sky or day (Long & Carey