How do Navajo
express their
beliefs?
MUSIC IS AN
IMPORTANT
PART OF
NAVAJO
BELIEF?
Exclusive
MAPS
TIMELINE
VOCABULARy
NAVAJO
LAPANG SERIES:
Table of Contents
Map of how Navajo Beliefs spread
Page 3
Navajo Timeline
Page 4
Navajo terms and people
Page 5
Major Beliefs of Navajo
Navajo Four Methods of Expressions
Page 6
Page 7-8
Bibliography (Citation)
Page 9
Pictures Reference
Page 10
Navajo Important Terms and People
Page 5
TERMS
DEFINITIONS
Diné
(Navajo People) also referred to as Navajo Indians a name not
used or liked by the Dine People
Wakan-Tanka
Literally “great sacred” or “great mystery’
Navajo/Navaho
A sect of Native Americans
Hogán
A traditional Navajo hut of logs and earth. The Navajos used to
make their houses, called hogans, of wooden poles, tree bark
and mud. The doorway of each hogan opened to the east so
they could get the morning sun as well as good blessings.
Pueblo
Pueblos are modern and ancient communities of Native Americans in
the Southwestern United States of America.
Kinaalda
Celebrating maturity of girls in Navajo community.
Mount Blanca
(Tsisnaasjini' - Dawn or White Shell Mountain)
Sacred Mountain of the East
Mount Taylor
(Tsoodzil - Blue Bead or Turquoise Mountain)
Sacred Mountain of the South
north of Laguna, New Mexico
San Francisco Peaks
(Doko'oosliid - Abalone Shell Mountain)
Sacred Mountain of the West
near Flagstaff, Arizona
Mount Hesperus
Dibé Nitsaa (Big Mountain Sheep) - Obsidian Mountain
Sacred Mountain of the North
La Plata Mountains, Colorado
IMPORTANT PEOPLE
First man
First woman
Fire god
Begochiddy
Coyote
Page 6
NAVAJO MAJOR
BELIEFS
Navajo Major Beliefs
The Navajo believe that before the world existed,
there was only darkness and nothing else existed
other than sex beings including the first man,
first woman, salt woman, fire god, coyote and
Begochiddy, the child of the sun. Begochiddy
created the four scared mountains which are on
the Navajo flag including white in the east, blue
in the south, yellow in the west and black in the
north. Begochiddy soon realized that there was
still no light, so he planted a seen in the middle
of the first world he created which soon grew to
become a tall big reed. The reed grew out of the
“first world” and into the second. When the
beings first arrived at the second world, it was all
blue and found it a nicer place to live but was
already occupied by the cat people. They would
not stop fighting each other so Begochiddy
collected his beings and returned to the reed.
Again, the reed travelled it’s way to the third
world which was all yellow and bright. Everyone
was delighted and Begochiddy created rivers,
lakes, and many animals. The first man and
women liked it there very much. One day coyote
came across a child of the water monster of the
third world and stole it. The water monster was
furious and floofed the third world. Again they
went back to the reed and reached the fourth
world. He created mountains and moons and
soon it became the home of the Navajo’s.
Page 7
FOUR METHODS OF EXPRESSIONS
T
he Navajo are the largest
recognized tribe in the
United States and is
larger than 10 of the fifty states
in America. The Navajo Indian
reservation covers four corners
of the United States marking
the four sacred mountains.
The Navajo national flag is on a
tan background with the treaty
reservation in brown. The
different colored mountains are
the four scared mountains
which are the cardinal points on
the flag. The rainbow covering
the whole flag symbolizes the
power and sovereignty over the
nation. The three animals on the
flag represent the Navajo
livestock economy and the
traditional Hogan home of the
Navajos. Also, the oil symbolizes
the resource potential of the
tribe and the progress and
development of the economy.
Navajo Traditional Sand Painting
nava j o ce re mo ni e s a n d f e s ti v al s
The Navajo’s celebrate more than fifty celebrations, usually performed by the tribal
healers or the medicine people as they are most knowledgeable about the practices and
can tell myths and stories. All ceremonies are accompanied by a song along with a rattle
to go with the singer’s voice. The ceremonies can last for days and nights, or on a special
time of the year. The celebrations that celebrate major events in life and happy occasions
include when a women is pregnant at eight months, a ceremony is performed to insure
safety of the child. Also, when I person outside the family makes their baby laugh, a first
laugh ceremony is performed. When a child first learned to walk, a first foot print
ceremony is performed. When a child becomes the age of twelve or thirteen, a puberty
ceremony is performed. Also, when a couple gets married a wedding ceremony is
performed. Moreover, there are ceremonies celebrating each stage in life including before
birth, first steps, going through puberty, becoming young adults, and getting married.
Page 8
Navajo
Musics
Music is a central and secular
parts of Navajo tradition.
Traditional Navajo music is
always vocal and is sometimes
accompanied by
instruments such as rattles,
flutes, whistles, drums and
other percussion. Usually,
sacred music is performed in
ceremonies and rituals that
are not to be recorded, filmed.
In contrast, not all Navajo
music is sacred.
“Contemporary, or popular
Navajo music contains broad
melodic octave ranges and
bridges genres from punk and
hip- hop to reggae and
country. Bands and artists
such as Blackfire, Downplay,
Tribe II Entertainment and
Lil’Spade and Shade have
made the Navajo music scene
one of the most prolific in
today’s Native music world.” pbs.org. The lyrics in
traditional Navajo music can
surprisingly last for more than
an hour (sung in group).
Navajo Beliefs and Doctrines
The Navajo people believe that there are two kinds of
people including earth people and holy people. Navajo’s
believe that holy people have the ability to heal or harm the
people on earth. Since the earth people of Navajo are
essential to the universe, they have to keep the balance on
mother earth. The holy people placed four mountains in
four different directions which are represented by four
colors including white, blue, yellow, and black. The number
four is now a part of Navajo philosophy. In Navajo culture,
there are four seasons, four directions, four clans, and four
colors. Navajo’s believe that the placing of the stars was
done by the first woman who didn’t know where to put her
jewels, so she placed them carefully making a pattern in the
night sky. Soon a coyote came along and asked if he could
help the first woman placing her jewels in the sky. The
coyote started to become impatient and grabbed a whole
lot of stars and flung them in the night , disordering the
Navajo Traditional
Fine Arts and Crafts
In 1872, one of the first
Navajo silversmiths, Atsidid
Chon, came to Zuni to make
silver Jewelry for sale. After
Lanyade taught several other
Zunis to make silver jewelry,
the craft began to spread
through
villages.
Navajo
invented
Basketry,
Navajo
Pottery, Navajo Sandpaintings,
Navajo Silver works & Jewelry,
and Navajo weaving. They
mostly use it for their daily
lives and for ceremonies.
Page 9
Work-Cited
"Navajo Ceremonials." Navajo Ceremonials. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2012. <http://www.hanksville.org/voyage/navajo/
ceremonials.php3>.
Luthur, Billy. "MISS NAVAJO." PBS TV. N.p., 29 Oct. 2007. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. <http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/missnavajo/
music.html>.
"Navajo Art." Navajo Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct. 2012. <http://navajopeople.org/navajo-art.htm>.
"Encounter the People." Navajo Tribe, Native Art, Native American Art, Navajo Rugs, Navajo Jewelry. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Oct.
2012. <http://nanact.org/encounter-the-people/navajo/navajo.html>.
"Traditions Within the Navajo Culture." Navajo Traditions. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/mcbride/
ws200/navtrad.htm>.
"Native American Rituals, Beliefs and Customs." Native American Rituals, Beliefs and Customs. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.
<http://bonniebutterfield.com/indian-culture.htm>.
"Native American or Indian Celebrations or Holidays by Brownielocks." Native American or Indian Celebrations or Holidays by
Brownielocks. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.brownielocks.com/nativeamerican.html>.
"Navajo People." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 Sept. 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Navajo_people>.
"Navajo Ceremonies." Navajo Ceremonies. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.meredith.edu/nativeam/
navajo_ceremonies.htm>.
"Navajo Legends." Navajo Legends. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://navajopeople.org/navajo-legends.htm>.
"People of the Legends." Ceremonies and Festivals|Culture and Customs|Navajo|Indigenous People of North America||Animals
Myths & Legends|Planet
Ozkids. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.planetozkids.com/oban/legends-people/navajo-ceremonies-cultureindigenous-people-of-north-america.htm>.
Whiskeyina. "How the Stars Fell into the Sky." YouTube. YouTube, 21 Jan. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=8_oXosPdxC4>.
Twinrockstrading. "Placing The Stars Navajo Mythology Carving Video." YouTube. YouTube, 03 Jan. 2008. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4IstdKQb8>.
Mattheistt. "Navajo Mythological Cosmology: Chanting the Landscape." YouTube. YouTube, 17 Oct. 2010. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bo0XLcr4Ppg>.
"Navajo Cultural History and Legends." Navajo Cultural History and Legends. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://
www.navajovalues.com/natani/navajovalues.htm>.
"Native Beliefs." Native Beliefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://home.earthlink.net/~tessia/Native.html>.
"The Dictionary of Spiritual Terms Home Page." The Dictionary of Spiritual Terms Home Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.dictionaryofspiritualterms.com/public/home.aspx>.
"Navajo Wars." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 July 2012. Web. 10 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Navajo_Wars>.
Picture Resources
Page 10
"Navajo Boy." Old Picture. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. <http://www.old-picture.com/indians/pictures/Navajo-Boy.jpg>.
"Navajo Woman." Ancestral. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ancestral.com/images/cultures/north_america/navajo/
navajo_woman.jpg
>.
"Navajo Map." Ancestral Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.ancestral.com/images/maps/navajo.gif>.
"Navajo Sand Painting." An History and A Commentary on the Tree of Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://
www.revelation2seven.org/UsedImages/NavajoPainting.gif>.
"Medical Anthropology." Mit Open Course Ware. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/anthropology/
21a-215-medical-anthropology-culture-society-and-ethics-in-disease-and-health-fall-2008/21a-215f08.jpg>.
"Art and Spirit; Navajo Healing Way Crop." Biogenetic Structuralism Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://
www.biogeneticstructuralism.com/art_and_spirit/navajo_healing_way_cropped.jpg>.
"Manuelito, Navajo Chief." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
File:Manuelito.jpg>.
"Navajo Sand Painting." Native American Market. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://www.native-american-market.com/image
files/navajo_sand_painting.jpg>.
"Navajo Men." Tumblr; Blogspot. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-53KcCn75hBY/TirRgofcUTI/
AAAAAAAAAl4/rubH25hBlws/s1600/tumblr_lb9tc7VqmF1qztk1wo1_1280.jpeg>.