Navajo Religious Beliefs
Many researchers fail to understand the Navajo religion. However, what is known is, as with the rest of the Native Americans’ beliefs, the Navajo religion is closely tied to the natural world. Ceremony plays an essential role, and there is little distinction between myth and ritual. However, there are some things that are specific to the Navajo people’s beliefs.
While basically monotheistic, the Navajo people believe that all things are created equally, everything possesses a spirit, and harmony is a must for all to live. Their relationship to the land, as well as to the universe, incorporates their religious beliefs into a way of life, rather than a formalistic religion centered around specific days that are deemed holy. All of their legends and stories are tied to the Creation story in some manner, which further complicates understanding since they are not “stand alone” stories, as is the case with most other tribes. The Navajo also believe in Yeis, or Holy Ones, who are often pictured in Navajo sandpaintings.
The Navajo story of Creation is that their Creator placed them on the land between the four mountains representing the four cardinal directions (North, South, east, and West, obviously). These mountains represent the major parts of the traditional Navajo beliefs, helping them live in harmony to their Creator, as well as nature. However, Navajo legend says that they had to pass through worlds before emerging in the present world, also called the Fourth World or “Glittering” World. Thus did they come to be where they have been for centuries.
The Four Worlds of the Navajo is a key part of their beliefs of Creation. In the beginning of time, in the First World, there lived many spiritual beings. These spirits were given names describing certain animals and insects. Altse Hastiin and Altse Asdzaa, First Man and First Woman, were created on this world. The beings couldn’t get along, so they decided to leave through an opening in the East to the Second...
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