The Dineh (Navajo): The Dineh (Navajo): Creation Myths and the Creation Myths and the Spiritual Meaning of the Spiritual Meaning of the LandLand

Monday, November 13, 2000Monday, November 13, 2000

Business to attend to...Business to attend to... Papers due today: hand in Papers due today: hand in

to your TA at the end of to your TA at the end of classclass

Fourth paper topics Fourth paper topics distributed this Wednesday, distributed this Wednesday, November 15thNovember 15th

Prof. Maureen Schwarz, Prof. Maureen Schwarz, Navajo specialist, will Navajo specialist, will lecture on Wednesdaylecture on Wednesday

Next Monday: film, “Broken Next Monday: film, “Broken Rainbow”Rainbow”

E-mail or meet with your E-mail or meet with your TAs about “Deepen Topic TAs about “Deepen Topic Papers”Papers”

The DinehThe Dineh

Dineh: “the People”Dineh: “the People” ““Navahu”: term Navahu”: term

from neighboring from neighboring Tewa peopleTewa people

200,000 now in the 200,000 now in the US (1999)US (1999)

Young and fast-Young and fast-growing: 75% of growing: 75% of Dine are under 28 Dine are under 28 years oldyears old

Where are they?Where are they?

27,000 sq. mile 27,000 sq. mile reservationreservation

Scattered Scattered throughout New throughout New Mexico, Arizona, SE Mexico, Arizona, SE UtahUtah

Roughly, still the Roughly, still the area between the 4 area between the 4 sacred mountainssacred mountains

Map Showing Hopi-Navajo Map Showing Hopi-Navajo Joint-Land Use AreaJoint-Land Use Area

Dine Pre-Columbian Dine Pre-Columbian HistoryHistory

From Siberia to From Siberia to AlaskaAlaska

Lived 1000s of years Lived 1000s of years in NW Canadain NW Canada

900-1200 AD: 900-1200 AD: migration to migration to American SWAmerican SW

Division into Division into “Navajo” and Apache“Navajo” and Apache

Influence of PuebloInfluence of Pueblo

Post-Columbian Dineh Post-Columbian Dineh HistoryHistory Contact with Spanish, Contact with Spanish,

1620s1620s WeavingWeaving The start of destruction: The start of destruction:

18481848 1863-1864: Kit Carson1863-1864: Kit Carson

slaughter of nearly slaughter of nearly 500,000 sheep500,000 sheep

1864-1868: The Long 1864-1868: The Long MarchMarch incarceration of 8000 incarceration of 8000

NavajoNavajo

Dine Story of Creation (1)Dine Story of Creation (1)

In the beginning, In the beginning, the First World: a the First World: a floating island in an floating island in an endless black seaendless black sea

Four sacred Four sacred directions, four directions, four mountains, hold the mountains, hold the sky in place like the sky in place like the roof of a hoganroof of a hogan

Dineh Creation Story (2)Dineh Creation Story (2) Holy PeopleHoly People

Talking God, Wind, Dawn, Talking God, Wind, Dawn, Twilight, Day, Night, Twilight, Day, Night, Lightning, Thunder, many Lightning, Thunder, many othersothers

Insect People (mean, Insect People (mean, aggressive): Spider ants, Wasp aggressive): Spider ants, Wasp people, Ant people, Beetlespeople, Ant people, Beetles

First Man and WomanFirst Man and Woman Black (North) and white Black (North) and white

(East) mists joined to make (East) mists joined to make First Man and white cornFirst Man and white corn

Blue (South) and yellow Blue (South) and yellow (West) mists joined to make (West) mists joined to make First Woman and yellow cornFirst Woman and yellow corn

Creation Story (3)Creation Story (3) Man, Woman escape with Man, Woman escape with

Insects to Second WorldInsects to Second World Second World filled with blue Second World filled with blue

birds; Insects try to steal birds; Insects try to steal birds’ chief daughter; birds’ chief daughter; Man/Woman escape to Third Man/Woman escape to Third World with Coyote and InsectsWorld with Coyote and Insects

Coyote enrages water Coyote enrages water monster, who brings flood; monster, who brings flood; man, woman, and Coyote man, woman, and Coyote escape by planting a reed on escape by planting a reed on top of one of mountainstop of one of mountains

Man gathers earth from 4 Man gathers earth from 4 mountains, brings into mountains, brings into Glittering White Fourth WorldGlittering White Fourth World

The Formation of Fourth World The Formation of Fourth World (Dinetah)(Dinetah) First Man and First First Man and First

Woman instructed by Woman instructed by Talking God to create Talking God to create Dinetah and never to Dinetah and never to leave itleave it

Began by creating the Began by creating the mountain of the east mountain of the east (now Mt Blanca in (now Mt Blanca in Colorado), and saw Holy Colorado), and saw Holy Wind misted into it, Wind misted into it, which is still there, which is still there, giving it lifegiving it life

Formation of DinetahFormation of Dinetah

First man and First man and Woman formed Woman formed Mountain to the Mountain to the West, saw Holy West, saw Holy Wind misted into Wind misted into it (now San it (now San Francisco Peaks, Francisco Peaks, in Arizona)in Arizona)

Formation of DinetahFormation of Dinetah

formed mountain formed mountain to the south, saw to the south, saw Holy Wind misted Holy Wind misted into it (now Mt. into it (now Mt. Taylor in New Taylor in New Mexico)Mexico)

Formation of DinetahFormation of Dinetah

Formed mountain Formed mountain of North; saw Holy of North; saw Holy Wind misted into Wind misted into it (now Hesperus it (now Hesperus Peak, Colorado)Peak, Colorado)

Also formed sun, Also formed sun, moon, stars, moon, stars, placed them in placed them in the skythe sky

The sacredness of The sacredness of mountainsmountains Soil and plants of Soil and plants of

these mountains are these mountains are sacred and powerfulsacred and powerful

To collect them these To collect them these one must be purifiedone must be purified

and make offering of and make offering of corn pollen and corn pollen and precious stonesprecious stones

Powers of mountains Powers of mountains invoked in all invoked in all ceremoniesceremonies

Changing WomanChanging Woman First man and Woman First man and Woman

found baby in cloud found baby in cloud above Gobernador above Gobernador Knob: “Changing Knob: “Changing Woman”Woman”

Later: she wandered Later: she wandered away, fell asleep, away, fell asleep, impregnated by a ray impregnated by a ray of the Sun; gave birth of the Sun; gave birth to twins (Monster to twins (Monster Slayer and Born of Slayer and Born of Water)Water)

Spider RockSpider Rock Spider Woman and the Spider Woman and the

TwinsTwins revealed who their revealed who their

father wasfather was gave them protective gave them protective

prayers so they could prayers so they could reach their father, and reach their father, and get his power to kill get his power to kill monsters monsters

taught women to weavetaught women to weave Rewarded by great Rewarded by great

home of Spider Rockhome of Spider Rock

Monster Slayer and Navajo MountainMonster Slayer and Navajo Mountain Monster Slayer and his Monster Slayer and his

twin were born at summit twin were born at summit of Navajo Mountainof Navajo Mountain

Monster Slayer returned Monster Slayer returned and killed Monster-Who-and killed Monster-Who-Kicks-People-OffKicks-People-Off

MS decided to live within MS decided to live within mountain, turned spruce mountain, turned spruce and juniper arrows fired and juniper arrows fired by enemies into treesby enemies into trees

Mountain now protects Mountain now protects Dine from enemiesDine from enemies