The Complexity of the Navajo Culture
 

The Diné Origin in General.

Beyond the physical existence of creation was an empty dark space without forms, Ni’áhádin. In the depth and midst of darkness formed a dense cloud-like mist and waves illuminated by a mixture of gray, red, white, and bright silver colors. In the core of this formation appeared a radiance, which is told, is the beginning of the Matured in Space, Yá'ałníí Neeyání, and the First Existence, Ła'naagháí, known as the Holy Spirit, Niłch'í Diyinii.

From within the Holy Spirit came forth, in form of words, the first set of laws which were k'é and the basic elements of his creations; light, and there was light; water, and there was water; wind, and there was wind; and pollen, and there were pollens (dusts). These became the fundamental elements of creations and the guiding principles all life thereafter.

From within the Holy Spirit came forth the second set of laws that created the life forms of Diyin Dine'é, the Twelve Holy People, and the Twenty-four Holy People, and many more at different levels. They are given the freedom individually to move about, with sensitivities of awareness, language to communicate, certain powers to carry out responsibilities, and to appreciate the Holy Spirit and his creation.

While these Holy People were in the midst of space, Yá'áłníí' Nihoníkáągi, with the basic created elements, they communicated among themselves and came to certain questions. One of the major questions was how they would address the Creator and what they would call him. The Holy Spirit told them they would address him and communicate with him through k'é. K'é is a law and is the foundation of all laws, beenahaz'áanii and atsé siléí. Hence, that became the foundation for the guiding principles established by the Holy People. These tenets were to be instilled in the nature of Mother Earth and Father Universe.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit came forth again with the words as the foundation of life, love, and cultural concept. With these laws Mother Earth, Nihi Má Ni'asdzáán, as the First World (Dark-World) and Father Universe, Nihi Zhé'e Yádiłhił, were created. They became the mother and the father of all life on the earth. The laws Mother Earth and Father Universe embodied are diverse and complex, but the foremost are the acknowledgment of nourishment, shelter, and foundation of life.

As the fourth set of laws, to exercise life and culture, the Earth-Surface-Holy­People, Nohookáá Diyin Dine'é, were created to dwell in the Dark World with the guidance of Holy People. They were allowed to alter or balance the nature of environment or surrounding to meet their way of life with the help from the foremost Holy People.

As the time went on, based on the practices of readjustments and balancing, some went out of control and abused their freedom and powers, which caused the supernatural alterations in the Dark, Blue, and Yellow Worlds. The result of the forbidden wickedness in the Yellow World appeared and developed into the supernatural evils causing supernatural disorders and ordeals in the White World.

The Holy People called for the restoration of the laws and righteousness; hence a female holy child was created, and when she grew up she was called the White Shell Woman, Yoo'łgai 'Asdzáá. The Holy People instilled White Shell Woman with the revelation of the Holy Spirit's creation and his purposes, the White World livelihood circumstances, the future, and the purposes of her appearance. With the spiritual blessing upon her, she delivered her twin sons. (The White Shell Woman is also acknowledged as the Changing Woman, 'Asdzáá Nádłééhi. Every time she meets the old age she does not die, she changes back to her youth.)

When the Twin-Brothers grew up they took a sacred journey to their sacred father, the Sun God. From their father brought forth with them the sacred armors and the sacred weaponry fortified with natural energies. They became the Twin-Warriors, Naayéé' Neizgháí dóó Tó Bájíshchíní, who supernaturally restored the world back to harmony and righteousness. K'é, integrity, and worthiness of respect were also restored. Thus, the Earth-Surface-Holy-People conducted various sacred healing and the blessing ceremonies with the guidance from the Holy People, which lead to the establishments of certain moral guiding principles for the future to be free of the legacy of historical catastrophes.

When all things were back in orders, the Glittering World, Ni'nodisos, was established. Upon the Glittering World, again these tenets were instituted within the Diyin Nohookáá Dine'é. Meaning that Earth-Surface-Holy-People were recreated as the Holy Earth-Surface-People. Figure 1 provides a visual image of the journey of life from the first creation to the Glittering World.

Navajo People, Diné

As the indigenous peoples of this great Nation we have the unique concept of identities, which are our name, clans, language, culture, shadow, and footprints.

Our name, nihízhi, Diné means the people, human, or beings with five fingers, Bíla'ashla'ii Dine'é. We also have a spiritual name, Diyin Nohookáá Dine'é or Holy Earth-Surface-People given by the Holy People. We are the living elements of all creation and the images of our ancestors, including the Earth-Surface-Holy-People, the Holy People, and the Holy Spirit. We are created with living souls.

Our Diné clan system, dóone'é, as the four basic clans were created by the White­Shell-Woman/Changing Woman which are: (1) Kiiyaa'áanii, the towering house, (2) Todích'íi'nii, the bitter water, (3) Honagháahnii, backside or one who walk around you, and (4) Hashtł'ishnii, the mud people. The clan system is established to enforce k'é, and in return k'é is also the foundation of the clan system. Today there are many clans that have descended from the original four basic clans. Our clan system is the foundation of keeping the healthy bloodline toward well-beings as individuals, families, and a nation.

Our Diné language, nihiinéé', is the foundation of unity, life function, and well­being. Our language is the universal tool as k'é, communication, education, planning, prayers, and songs.

Our Diné culture, nihe'á'ál'í, establishment came from our unique ancestral origin of evolutionary values and way of life from the beginning. Our way of life, Iiná, is based on the holistic practice, belief, and respect. Culture is the root of life that kept us united and closely connected to Mother Earth and Father Universe. We are blessed and instilled with the colorful foundation that keeps us healthy, happy, proud, and strong. We journey continuously in the harmonious beauties before, behind, above, beneath, and all around us, also meaning not to disrupt our natural environment.

Our shadows, nihichaha'oh, remind us that we are not alone. We are all connected with the Mother Earth and Father Universe that they are our shelter, nourishment and comfort. Our shadows remind us that the Holy Spirit has all his Holy People watching over us continuously day and night ready to hear, assist, and protect us spiritually for our physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Basically, we cannot hide physically or mentally.

Our footprints, nihikék'e hashchíín, are our reassurance that each of us is given a chance to walk the footprints of life. We are all created and born into this world to attempt to meet the goal of old age. This road of life is hard, but we are also given chances to learn and follow the fundamental holistic guiding principles set forth by our ancestors. Meeting old ages mean that we have to control our future to make our lives worthwhile. Travel the Tá'didíín bee Kék'e Hashchíín (com pollen footprints) in the image of Sáah Naaghai' Bik'eh Hozhon (Sacred-Family who proceeds and journey eternity with blessing and harmony) is the major and beautiful guiding principle most commonly practiced throughout a lifetime.

We are instilled with knowledge and wisdom of life. Hence, as we were created with the living soul, we remain Diné forever. Today, we are also recognized as Navajos throughout the world.

Land Base, Kéyah Haz 'á

From within the White World, came the establishment of the Glittering World as the foundation of the dwelling of the new life forms, including Diné. Presently, our homeland is approximately twenty-five thousand square miles, is placed within the four sacred mountains of Sisnaajini, Tsoodzil, Dook'o'oosliid, and Dibé Nitsaa in the southwestern region of the United States. There are basically twelve sacred mountains recognized as Dzil Ndaanit'aáíi (the sacred symbolic elements of leadership) and Dzil Bik'eh Dahózhóónii (the foundation of the all goodness of life). The size our land today is much smaller than the time before the year 1868, which did extended beyond the four sacred mountains. However, among the lands of other indigenous peoples in the United States, the Navajo Nation possesses the largest land base, which embodies certain amount of natural resources. Today, the Navajo Nation consists of one hundred ten chapters including three separate islands, Alamo, Ramah, and Tohajiihlii' chapters.

Water- Tó

The water, "Tó," is one of the four basic elements, Adinídíín - Light, Niłch'i ­Wind, and Tá'didíín - Pollen.

The water is diyin, sacred, as well as beehaz'áanii and atsé siléí, laws, and called "Dzil Binaélá Siléí dóó Iiná Betsé Siléí dóó Baa Siléí," the Surroundings of the Mountains and the Foundation of All Life. The water maintains the connection between the Diné and the Holy Spirit, Holy People, Mother Earth, Father Universe, and all walks of life.

When Nihi Má Ni'Asdáán dóó Nihi Zhé'é Yádiłhił, the Mother Earth and Father Universe were created from the four basic elements, upon the Dark World and beneath the Father Universe, the sacred mountains, the atmosphere, the water, and other life forms were put in places. The Earth-Surface-Holy-People were than created to nourish from them. At the same time, the Holy People took small amount of soil from each sacred mountain as the landmarks from all four directions were then placed into the separate Doo K'aa K'ehi "sacred deerskins of no-arrow-marks." They are placed together with a male and a female sacred mirage stones in the center. These are placed within another no-arrow-marked, and again secured with a strip of no-arrow-marked. These became and called the Harmony-way Ceremonial most Sacred Prayer Bundle, Dahłdiilyééh.

When we talk about the Doo K'aa K'ehi, they symbolize the Black Wind and the White. Wind, and the relationship between the Mother Earth and Father Universe. It farther reveals the understandings that in the beginning the sacred White Wind and the sacred Black Wind were spread out like two pieces of real soft cloths, which are a female and a male. White Wind meaning the blanket of atmosphere surrounds the Mother Earth. The atmosphere is the mixture of scents and reflection of love and beauty from the Mother Earth. The Black Wind is also the atmosphere surrounding the Mother Earth and through that the Father Universe reveals his love and blessing. This foundation continually unfolds and maintains the reproduction and growth of all life.

This sacred prayer bundle symbolizes the land and hooghan, as the foundation of life. When it comes to our homeland, the deerskins symbolizes the cycle of clean and healthy environment, which are nights, days, four winds, clouds, rain, and snow over all the land. The deerskin strap symbolizes the water and the rivers as said Dzil Binaa Siléí.

The water flows from mountains on to the land, where rivers are our fathers and the glittering water like lakes, seas, and oceans are our mothers. They are our sacred prayers, songs, and stories; therefore water is the law and foundation of all life.

Life and Culture, Iiná dóó !'ál'i'

All life is in connection with all creation. We are not the only inhabitants of Mother Earth; we share the land with the wildlife and vegetation. Our grandmothers and grandfathers related stories of how their grandparents were so at peace 'and close with the nature, which provided abundantly toward their physical, mental, and spiritual well­being. They nourished from the wildlife and vegetation without hesitation in sense of any dangers, which may disrupt their well being. They knew of medicines that could be made from wildlife and vegetation and of their application. They knew of ways to approach those vegetation and wildlife that have certain significance. They knew how to respect the natural resources by using the land and water for farming, dwelling, and security.

The holistic practices of traditional values are established from the connection with the natural world. On top of that there are the comprehension of the basic cardinal directions, the foundation like the circle of life, four seasons, and the creation stories. Our Diné traditional way of the spiritual awareness, meaning that our belief and worship practices in maintenance of the connection with the Holy Spirit and the Holy People, holistically is the foundation of iiná dóó á'á'i', life and culture.

From the east comes awareness within the white wind, the new dawn, and spring unfolding the new beginning of all through the radiance beam from the sun. These are the Holy Peoples instilling Sisnaajiní, the White-Shell Mountain, with the seeding of the intellectual ability, nitsíhákaas, revealing and evolving new beginning on the footprints of life. Thinking is the foundation of planning. Our traditional consecrated songs and prayers to all establishments of foundations are the keys to proceedings and seeking. In daily life we have hopes and dreams to succeed.

From the south, within the sun radiance through the blue wind, midday, and summer, comes the realization, with integrity and dignity, and development of stable mentality. Again, these are instilled in Tsoodzil, the Turquoise Mountain, evolving the continuation of the road of life by setting our goals. Nahat'á', planning is the foundation of life. We proceed with identification and comprehension of fundamental values and the basic guiding principles.

From the west through the yellow radiance of twilight and autumn within the yellow wind Dook'o' oosłííd, the Abalone Mountain, is instilled with the foundation of originality and the comprehension of the fundamental values and the universal principles of life. Life, iiná, is the foundation of wisdom. We reveal maturity and stable mentality by maintaining our responsibilities with integrity and dignity. We continuously contribute and illustrate the guiding principles and values to practice the moral standard of life and behaviors. In our practices we render welfare and guidance to our children and elders with compassion and affection. We have extensive and complex responsibilities to maintain a healthy nation.

From the north through the blanket of darkness and the whiteness, the black wind and winter, the Holy Peoples instilled Dibé Nitsaa, Jet Mountain, and the fundamental laws. Wisdom, siihasin, is the foundation of the continuous footprints of life. Based on the fourth cardinal directions, we rely on this natural library to gain understandings about the mysteries of life and creation beyond how much we know. Based on the cycle of life, we come to the old age going through difference segment of life. Consequently, we grow old physically, but mentally we advance in wisdom. Based on the circle of four seasons, we come to the time, winter, of holistic researches and sharing our advancements of wisdom. We revitalize our human well-being and our foundations proceeding with our life and culture. Meaning, we re-illustrate our practices with integrity and dignity to maintain our sound spirituality, education, government, livelihood, and natural environment. Winter is the time we review, revise, amend, and make laws.

The aspects of these concepts provided the understandings and teachings maintain the practices of unity and the roles and responsibilities of the Diné, individually and as a nation. This is our sovereignty, naats'íílid, that provides us the freedom to enhance and preserve our language, belief, culture, wisdom, knowledge, governance, and relationship (k'é) domestically and with the outside world. These are the fundamental values and the universal principles of our life way. Our verbal laws are based on our life way, which are upheld by the matters of integrity, dignity, and obedience. Beyond that, just simple belief and trust with k'é among the people is the key to unity.