Navajo Origin Myths

The Navajo people believe that creation began in another world. Originally the Navajo began as insects on the first world. Due to continuous quarrelling the leaders of the realm force them

Nate Mihnovich Mr. Watson English III Honors 5 October 2015 Mythology of Creation Have you ever wondered how this world began or how everything around you was formed? Mythology is often referred to as false or made up stories. Many creation myths or made up stories begin with the theme of birth because birth represents new life or the beginning of life. Everything around the world has to come from somewhere, but many people do not know how to explain how the universe was formed. Humans began to wonder or question themselves about the creation of the universe and everything that surrounds them; so they went searching for some answers.

Comparing The Earth on Turtle's Back, When Grizzlies Walked Upright, And the Navajo Origin Legend

Myths are of great importance in the Navajo community because it is believed that it was a way to connect to the Holy People. The myth helps recognize symbolized supernatural in chants, translates the meaning of songs, and explains the importance of the ritual objects (Lamphere 1969). For example, there is myth of the two heroes who had gone through some misfortunes but thanks to the supernatural’s aid, the two heroes created a

“The World on the Turtle’s Back” is a myth passed down from one generation of Iroquois to the next. Throughout the passage the author uses specific literary elements and style to explain the creation of the world through the eyes of the Iroquois tribe.

The Navajo Indian is the largest tribe in North America, how did their culture develop over time and where are they today in regards to modern times?

Chester is confused when it comes to religion. After being taught his whole life about Navajo beliefs he is now being introduced to Christianity. This is very confusing for him because as is his begin presented with all this new information, for example the birth of jesus, the trinity, saints, and sacraments. While learning this he beings to question if a navajo belongs at a “white man’s church”. He questions this because of the differences between the two religions; christianity as chester says stands in awe over the creation of the world by god, whereas the navajo focuses on forming a relationship with nature. Because of this when the children are forced to choose between the two religions, they could not. (Nez & Avila, 2011).

Every culture has their own way of life, their own religious beliefs, their own marriage beliefs, their own values and feelings on life and the options it has to offer. Each culture has their own way to run things within their own government, and own way to keep their economy up to their standards. Also each culture and society have their own primary mode of subsistence that makes them unique. Among the Navajo culture their primary mode of subsistence are pastoralists.   Pastoralists have an impact on different aspects with in the culture.   The aspects that I will be discussing will be the Navajo’s beliefs and values, economic organization, gender relations and sickness and healing.

power and authority amongst the groups. Instead, leadership is earned slowly over time by how well he takes care of his sheep. Initially a newly married man will leave his sheep with his parents group, slowly moving his herd to his wife’s family group after children and marital stability have been established. Leadership is usually held by men who own the healthiest and largest herds of sheep, but they don’t have the ability to impose authority or their will over anyone. And in times of action, unanimity is the cultural rule among the Navajo leaders (Nowak, Laird, 2010).

Eternal inflation is an alternative theory of creation that is a modification of the Big Bang Theory. The earliest universe was expanding matter, and particles that were next to each other would routinely be sent whizzing away to the farthest reaches of their cosmological horizons. It is no longer like that, however, as the inflation stopped. The theory of eternal inflation is that the expansion did not stop all at once. Rather, little bubbles of space randomly stopped inflating, or fell onto trajectories that led to the end of their inflation. And, since the expansion is rapid, the inflating space creates more space than the bubbles that stop inflating lose -- so inflation never ends. The result is an ever-expanding multiverse, which means not only is Earth not the center of the universe but our universe isn’t the center of the universe.

As I mentioned above, everything began with Christopher Columbus discovering America in 1492. History is non-fiction, and perhaps the most concrete example of this non-fiction is the story of the beginning of the Indians. Native American mythology contains may different types of character including heroes, tricksters, and more. These characters can have both good and bad qualities, and fall into many categories. For example, creator gods usually restore order, but in some stories can be destructive. Tricksters can even be considered the hero in some stories. (Myths Encyclopedia, 2007). Indian stories are born from experiences and beliefs. Ross also states that “Native American societies are based on the concept of interdependence. Interdependence

The Navajo nation keeps the skin walker myth alive through artistic work, such as Navajo jewelry and art. These Navajo myths always have a connection to the sacred land of the Four Corners region in the American Southwest. Because it is believed that skin walkers wear the skins of the animals they transform into, it is considered taboo to wear the pelt of any animal. In fact, the Navajo are only known to wear two hides, sheepskin and buckskin, both of which are only used for ceremonial purposes. The Navajo people have a very strong emotional bond with the Earth and the plant and animal kingdoms that are so much a part of their everyday lives.[citation needed] Certain animals are more sacred to some individuals, families and tribes. They believe

The Navajo economy depended on two primary sources-agriculture learned from the pueblo peoples and livestock such as sheep, goats, and horses obtained initially form the Spaniards. Because the San Juan River was one of the few reliable sources of water in Navajo territory, during the summer months

After reading The Earth on the Turtle’s Back and When Grizzlies Walked Upright, many key details are displayed about the Onondaga and Modoc cultures, these tribes vary in their beliefs but the morals that are conveyed through their folklore are very similar. In the story, The Earth on the Turtle’s Back, there is a group of mythical people that live in the Skyland. After the chief's wife dreams about the Great Tree being uprooted, the young chief pulled the tree from the soil, exposing a large hole in the ground, his wife leans to look into the hole and falls through to a sea of water, where the animals that inhabit it created Earth on the Turtle's back for her to live on. In When Grizzlies Walked Upright, the Chief Sky Spirit creates a mountain of snow and ice on Earth and

Thus, this cultural investigation regarding corn has helped me to better understand that western narratives about corn focus on the values of individualism, namely independence (i.e. the separateness of different beings) and how natural resources can be beneficial to humans. Whereas the examples of American Indian myths and legends are part of an expansive knowledge keeping system that expresses a relational accountability between humans and all other beings. American Indian stories about corn express themes of interconnectedness and interdependence, where each member of a relationship is reliant upon and thankful to the other members for their own survival. Cultural narratives, then, are fundamental in shaping how people perceive their