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The Diné

The Diné. 1. Navajo Religion: A Way of Life ~ Created by Dawn E. Owen. No Navajo word for “religion”. Way of life is their religion. Traditional rituals and ceremonies are integral part of daily life. Follow teachings that ancestors have passed down.

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The Diné

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  1. The Diné 1 Navajo Religion: A Way of Life ~ Created by Dawn E. Owen

  2. No Navajo word for “religion”. Way of life is their religion. Traditional rituals and ceremonies are integral part of daily life. Follow teachings that ancestors have passed down. Teachings, ceremonials, and their way of life is what the Navajo consider to be “religion”. Navajo Religion

  3. Traditional Navajo Viewpoints • The earth and all that exists in the natural word is sacred. • All things in life are connected. • All things interact according to a natural order. • Disruption in the natural order will endanger the environment, the Navajo, and the world. • If traditional teachings and the traditional way of life are abandoned, the world is in danger of destruction by fire. • Life is a cycle of birth, growth, death, and new life. All things begin and end at the same point.

  4. Spiritual Symmetry four directions four winds four seasons four basic colors Hozho beauty peace happiness righteousness All the mountains have their prayers and chants . . . as have the stars and markings in the sky and on the earth. It is their custom to keep the sky and the earth and the day and the night beautiful. The belief is that if this is done, living among the people of the earth will be good. ~Sandoval, Navajo Perfect Balance and Harmony

  5. Preserving Hozho • Strict codes of behavior and customs laid out by the Holy People • Use of songs and chants • related to tribal legends • during everyday tasks • during rituals for specific purposes • The Blessingway • Use of holy articles • medicine bundle • sand paintings • colored sand • corn pollen • crushed flowers This covers it all, the Earth and the Most High Power whose ways are beautiful. All is beautiful before me, All is beautiful behind me, All is beautiful above me, All is beautiful around me. ~Navajo Song

  6. The Navajo and the Land • Certain geographical places (Navajo territory) are focal points of religious activity; therefore, moving to another location is more difficult for the Navajo. • The Navajo Nation is bound by four sacred mountains and four rivers. Everything within the boundaries is sacred. • The creator intended that the Navajo only live on this land. • The earth is the mother of all people and a living being. 2

  7. Sacred Family Homes • Family’s home and areas around it are sacred. • Where the beginning of the family took place. • Traditional homes are hogans. 3

  8. Hogans • Built to reflect the natural order of the universe. • Four main posts of the structure represent the four sacred mountains. • Door faces east, where all things begin. • Fireplace is in the center, where all life emerges. • Somewhere a medicine bundle is hidden which contains soil and sacred minerals from the four mountains. 4

  9. Sheep • Sheep are an important part of traditional Navajo life. • They are gifts from the Holy People. • As part of their education, children receive a lamb to raise. • Wool is carded, dyed, and woven into blankets. • Weaving is one of the highest expressions of Navajo artistry. 5

  10. Sources Bitsuie, Roman. “Holy Wind and Natural Law.” [Online] Available http://www.indians.org/welker/dineway.htm. March 30, 2000. Through Indian Eyes. James J. Cassidy, Jr. Ed. USA: Reader’s Digest Association, Inc., 1995. Graphics 1. Navajo Yebijhi Dance. [Online Image] Available http://nmaa-ryder.si.edu/. March 30, 2000. 2. Silversmith, Mark. “Guardian of Spider Rock.” [Online Image] Available http://www.ausbcomp.com/redman/Mark_Silversmith_Gallery2.htm. March 30, 2000. 3. Navajo Weaver 1860’s. [Online Image] Available http://www.huntel.com/~artpike/oldtime6.htm. April 1, 2000. 4. Hogan. [Online Image] Available http://indy4.fdl.cc.mn.us/~isk/maps/houses/hogan.html. April 1, 2000. 5. Sheep. [Online Image] Available http://education.nebrwesleyan.edu/eisenhower/ partsites/northeastpage/safarik.html. April 1, 2000.

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