The Navajo are a Native American people who live and lived in the southwestern United States. The Navajo, generally speaking, reside mainly in the four corners area where the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet. The Navajo have a rich cultural history and cosmology which has been passed down through generations. This history informs the connection between the people and the natural, spiritual world. Most Native people have an origin story which explains how the world came to be and why it works the way it does. The Navajo’s creation story is no different. It is known as the Diné Bahaneʼ. The story takes place in the area around the Navajo’s homeland, referred to as Dinétah. The story begins by describing how in the beginning,
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There are over fifty Navajo ceremonies and many of them revolve around lifetime milestones and events. Life events such as the end of a pregnancy, when a child begins to walk, coming of age ceremonies, as well as marriage ceremonies. In addition, the Navajo believe that certain ceremonies have the power to heal illnesses, provide a person with good luck, and even restore balance and harmony. Some of these ceremonies are short, while some of them can last for much longer. They are a great influence on their lives and help keep the people connected both to each other and to their …show more content…
There are twelve different levels but it is easiest broken up into four different levels. The first level is the most basic. It is used to teach children the elementary message of the stories. The second level brings in information about other relevant ceremonies. An example of a difference of interpretation can be found in the story of the changing woman. When the first level of knowledge is applied, the woman is found as a baby. When the second, it becomes much deeper, as she is found as a baby. The third level brings in songs and prayers associated with the episodes of the origin story. The fourth level brings in knowledge of the “protection way”, which is knowledge only reserved for a few elders which possess it (Schwarz 35). The spirit world of the Navajo is not something which exists separate from the world around them. Monsters can be found on the earth and holy people, also known as the diyin diné, can visit people. In 1996, Sarah Begay claims she was visited and given a prophetic message which was of great interest to all of the Navajo people. The visitors warned Sarah that the Navajo people were seriously lacking in the main areas of prayers, offerings, language, culture, and nature. Once this message was delivered, the holy people disappeared, leaving only four moccasin prints in the ground (Schwarz
There are over fifty Navajo ceremonies and many of them revolve around lifetime milestones and events. Life events such as the end of a pregnancy, when a child begins to walk, coming of age ceremonies, as well as marriage ceremonies. In addition, the Navajo believe that certain ceremonies have the power to heal illnesses, provide a person with good luck, and even restore balance and harmony. Some of these ceremonies are short, while some of them can last for much longer. They are a great influence on their lives and help keep the people connected both to each other and to their …show more content…
There are twelve different levels but it is easiest broken up into four different levels. The first level is the most basic. It is used to teach children the elementary message of the stories. The second level brings in information about other relevant ceremonies. An example of a difference of interpretation can be found in the story of the changing woman. When the first level of knowledge is applied, the woman is found as a baby. When the second, it becomes much deeper, as she is found as a baby. The third level brings in songs and prayers associated with the episodes of the origin story. The fourth level brings in knowledge of the “protection way”, which is knowledge only reserved for a few elders which possess it (Schwarz 35). The spirit world of the Navajo is not something which exists separate from the world around them. Monsters can be found on the earth and holy people, also known as the diyin diné, can visit people. In 1996, Sarah Begay claims she was visited and given a prophetic message which was of great interest to all of the Navajo people. The visitors warned Sarah that the Navajo people were seriously lacking in the main areas of prayers, offerings, language, culture, and nature. Once this message was delivered, the holy people disappeared, leaving only four moccasin prints in the ground (Schwarz