The Navajo Religion

1
The Navajo Religion

• 'Our way of life is our religion, and our
  teaching. If we are relocated byforce, we will
  die slowly. The people would not be in balance
  with MotherEarth and Sky Father and the
  spiritual people. In every way, here we
  areconnected to the land. We belong here.'Mary
  T Begay, Navajo Elder

2
The Sacred Four

• The Navajo people believe in a supernatural
  spirit of wholeness and balance that is
  revealed by through a combination of the sacred
  four
• 4 Directions East, West, South, and North
• 4 Ceremonial colors white, yellow, blue, and
  black
• 4 seasons Spring, Summer, Winter, and Fall
• 4 Mountains represents the boundaries of the
  Navajo Nation

3
The Navajo Way

• The Hozho
• The Navajo rely on four main concepts to attain
  their harmony of life.
• Beauty, Peace, Happiness, and Righteousness.
• They have a strict code of behavior and customs
  to help maintain their Hozho, these codes and
  customs are known as the Navajo way.
• They believe that if people act carelessly and
  break these codes, that turmoil and possibly
  judgment from the Holy People will occur.

4
The four sacred mountains

• The Navajo believe that their creator placed them
  on the land between 4 sacred mountains. The
  Blanca Peak in Colorado, Mount Taylor in New
  Mexico, the San Francisco Peaks in Arizona, and
  Hesperus Peak in Colorado. They have been
  instructed by their creator to never leave this
  sacred place.
• In our traditional tongue, there is no word for
  relocation. To relocate is to move away and
  disappear. Pauline Whitesinger, Big Mountain
  Elder

5
The Sacred Hogan of the Navajo

• The Navajo know that they will not be able to
  maintain this harmony of life all of the time,
  but they believe that its important to trythey
  use spiritual songs and chants to bring harmony.
• The hogan is known as the spiritual center and
  shelter of the Navajo people. It was a gift from
  the holy people. Its doorway faces the East to
  honor the rising sun. Most of the Navajo rituals
  and ceremonies happen within the hogan. With
  these rituals they believe that they can heal
  their physical problems and gain forgiveness if
  they have violated any Navajo codes.

6
The Sacred God of the Navajos

• The Navajo are one of the few tribes without a
  supreme being.
• The closest thing to a supreme being is Changing
  Woman and her sister White Shell Woman. In
  numerous Navajo legends, they are the same Holy
  Person and were either directly or indirectly
  responsible for the creation of life.
• Recently, it has been discovered that the Navajo
  Shaman actually did have a supreme being, but his
  name was so scared that it was rarely ever
  spoken. To speak his name to any outsider was
  considered taboo. They believe that if they spoke
  his name to anyone else, it could lead to the end
  of the world.
• Today, if any Navajo knows the name of this
  supreme being, they only refer to him as The
  Glorious One Who travels Alone.

7

• Our offerings places are sacred to us, and the
  spiritual beings take care of us. We know the
  land, the spiritual beings know us here. If we
  leave our offering places, we will not be able to
  survive. Jack Hatathlie, Navajo Medicine Man