Foundation of Navajo Culture. her hands and then) on the white shell, the turquoise, Douglas, Mary, 1966. Changing Woman gives birth to the Hero Twins called Monster Slayer and Child of the Waters, who together have many adventures in which they help to rid the world of much evil. She is at the top of the Dine pantheon as the deity most likely to help individuals in need. Dine bahane'. "Mask representing the younger twin, Born of Water, Tobadzschni, as seen in The Night Chant, a Navajo Ceremony, by Washington Matthews, published in 1902 in New York by the Knickerbocker Press. Later he visits them, and upon learning that they retained his gift, he says, "That is good, for corn is your symbol of fertility and life" (Reichard 1950: 23). Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. Sun's presence is implied, since he is believed to The conception of the deities involved not only corn, but also water (in the fog) and the Sun. Here, fertility comes from the union of yellow corn and white corn, an idea which is mirrored in the Dine wedding ceremony. According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). God, the yellow corn giving birth to another deity.' 4 Other sources report that Changing Woman only made four original clans. with it away from themThe water which she sprinkled nihima' (our mother), they refer to the Sun as "nihitah' It too is addressed "shim," and considered to be a protector. One myth, which Stevenson recorded, places Talking God and another deity as created by corn from Changing Woman and her sister: Here, fertility comes from the union of yellow corn and white corn, an idea which is mirrored in the Dine wedding ceremony. "Changing Woman Happiness" for summer and "Changing Woman Long Life" in winter. (Kluckhohn 1946: 212) Mythically, Sun is said to be corn's father and Lightning its mother (Reichard 1950: 27). According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. in Witherspoon 1975: 17).7. Furthermore, her progression from old age to youth is marked by her visit to four different rooms, each located in a cardinal direction. 1995The Night Chant, a Navaho Ceremony. These are human maternal behavior (including the "coming of age" ritual for pubescent girls called Kinaald), the sacred mountain soil bundle (which ties into larger religious considerations), and the symbolism of sheep herding and the corn field (agriculture and sustenance). Dine bahane'. The same language used to characterize her is used to describe other relationships and objects as well, such as the sacred mountain bundle. in Witherspoon 1975: 17).7 Witherspoon says, "the common interest in, and use of, the sheep herd is thus a major factor in uniting and integrating the attitudes and behavior of the individual members of the unit" (1975: 89). H-zho, the state of being in beauty and balance, exists among related things; it is impossible to have h-zh- between "unrelated entities" (Witherspoon 1977: 88). Right at the end of the rainbow I am here. This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. Dine kinship extends far beyond the nuclear family. The making of a hero always begins with a miraculous conception. Princeton UP. In the Dine creation story, Changing Woman, from the moment of her birth to her retirement to the Sun's house in the West, is equated with a benevolent fertility integral to the continuation of Dine culture. Man, of course, Therefore, the Sun originally tried to deny and denounce his children, but after they made him proud by withstanding his inhuman trials, he gave them assistance. One might thus interpret her as an allegory of the seasons, but she is more, being related to the earth and vegetation. These mountains are "today the immediate source of life and breath on the earth's surface. giving birth, which regulated our progress, with this Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1976. Lincoln states about the singing: 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. without the thing which regulated our lives, by means 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. . Sun's presence is implied, since he is believed to (Haile qtd. Even after this incident, however, the Sun could never really be close to his children. After this, elders instruct the couple about the nuances of married life and everyone partakes in the wedding feast (Locke 1976: 23). 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. One myth, which Stevenson recorded, places Talking God and another deity as created by corn from Changing Woman and her sister: The Savage Mind. Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan The Main Stalk: A Synthesis of Navajo Philosophy. What are trickster and Transformer tales? A01 The Blessing Way (01-07) p. 84 Witherspoon quotes Wyman's assessment of the bundle's importance: After this, elders instruct the couple about the nuances of married life and everyone partakes in the wedding feast (Locke 1976: 23). (Reichard 1950:93, 128, 137). 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. Hunahpu is one of the hero twins in the Popol Vuh. Douglas, Mary, 1966. away without the thing, which had made things firm, Navajos do not seek individuality or independence from social ties, but rather "seek to relate themselves to others in their world, and seek to join in the vast system of interdependence that characterizes the social harmony and order of their world" (89). Structural Anthropology. Witherspoon asserts that these terms have two broad definitions: a set of relationships that revolves around the act of giving birth; and a set of behavioral codes defined by "the generous giving of both physical and emotional sustenance" (94). said First Man. Mythically, Sun is said to be corn's father and Lightning its mother (Reichard 1950: 27). Symbolism of Sheep: away without the thing, which had made things firm, The Dine consider the hogan to be "a living entity, with the smokehole as its breathing hole; this is where prayers emerge and raise to the heavens" (Griffin-Pierce 1992: 92). Pragmatic Implications: John Farella asserts that the sacred bundle is more than just a provider of luxuries. One myth, which Stevenson recorded, places Talking God and another deity as created by corn from Changing Woman and her sister: "It is in the corporate enterprise of the sheep herd that the Navajo child learns the meaning, necessity, and nature of group or communal life, and it is this experience, more than any other, that forms his social personality" (1975:73). 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. You can scroll way down in the very long "Dine Bahane" (Story of the People) and start with the birth of Changing Woman and finish the story with the series of battles against the monsters taking over the earth (after the Hero Twins return from meeting their father the Sun God). Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. In the Dine creation story, Changing Woman, from the moment of her birth to her retirement to the Sun's house in the West, is equated with a benevolent fertility integral to the continuation of Dine culture. The Book of the Navajo. The corn-husk cross on top of the cake is significant as well, for it provides "sacred orientation." A. Ortiz, ed. Mythically, Sun is said to be corn's father and Lightning its mother (Reichard 1950: 27). -God creates world from chest sweat; creates human-buzzard, destroys bad world three times; sun and moon make coyote baby. The batter is blessed with cornmeal and covered with husks, "in the center of which the initiand places another corn-husk cross oriented to the cardinal points. How shall it be?" Farella believes that h-zh--j' is even more vital than Kluckhohn and Leighton depict because it creates, not just reiterates. The young boys undertake the dangerous journey to meet their father, Sun Bearer, and prove themselves as his sons. University of Arizona Press. Mankind. Only in Blessing Way is Changing Woman ever represented in visible form in a dry painting. 5 There is no equivalent for males in Navajo culture. Witherspoon, Gary, 1977. Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. with their eyes whenever she moved her hands Therefore, one may gage the healthiness and wealth of any given unit of Dine by the appearance of their sheep. Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. Right on the fabric spread I am here. God, the yellow corn giving birth to another deity.' Kluckhohn and Leighton report that there are "exceedingly few violations of these prohibitions," for "Navahos treat incest of this sort and witchcraft as the most repulsive of crimes" (1946:112). Witherspoon quotes Wyman's assessment of the bundle's importance: Pragmatic Implications: Return Home. Navajo People 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. Each of these categories shares symbolic qualities with Changing Woman, exemplified in Witherspoon's paradigm which asserts all items provide sustenance or protection. Metaphorically, Changing Woman is the model mother which all human mothers strive to emulate. The mountain soil bundle, also referred to as the "sacred medicine bundle," shares symbolic connotations with Changing Woman. For women who already face inequalities within their society, climate change has the potential to reinforce and exacerbate disparities. Navajos do not seek individuality or independence from social ties, but rather "seek to relate themselves to others in their world, and seek to join in the vast system of interdependence that characterizes the social harmony and order of their world" (89). Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. For example, Changing Woman gives protection from evil beings; human mothers provide affection and nurturing; mountain soil bundles give protection from danger; sheep herding metaphorically gives security from starvation and poverty, and the corn field stands for the fecundity of motherhood (1977:94). NCC Press. Witherspoon comments, Later he visits them, and upon learning that they retained his gift, he says, "That is good, for corn is your symbol of fertility and life" (Reichard 1950: 23). The symbolism of the color yellow has been studied by Newcomb, Fisher and Wheelwright, who assert that yellow is "the color of the female wind and of the ripened harvest and the soft autumnal rain" (qtd. Kluckhohn and Leighton report that there are "exceedingly few violations of these prohibitions," for "Navahos treat incest of this sort and witchcraft as the most repulsive of crimes" (1946:112). Purity and Danger. Right on the fabric spread I am here. 2 For a classification of ceremonies, consult Reichard 1950: 314-337. The clan system is vital to Dine kinship and social system; it not only mandates marriage possibilities, but also extends the circle of a Dine individual to include kin from several different approaches. greatly in creation. 7 Please see Witherspoon's chart on color in Appendix A. Structural Anthropology. Lincoln asserts that "given its shape, color, and relation to fire, it must be seen as a solar image" (Lincoln 1981: 32). Works Cited: At the metaphysical level, Changing Woman is the alleged product of the union between Sa'ah Naaghaii (First Boy) who represents thought, and Bik'eh H-zh- (First Girl) who represents speech (Witherspoon 1977: 17). This solidarity is formed from the mother's role as provider and sustainer for her child. Dine children address their father as an in-law, or shaadaani. singing that night. Douglas, Mary, 1966. Harvard UP. They bring good luck because they are like the Hero Twins born to Changing Woman. Woman and her Blessingway gave it to us. According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. Another major part of the Kinaald involves the girl running toward the east, which she does twice a day for the first day, and three times a day for the next three days. The hogan has its creation in Navajo Mythology, when First Man creates it upon emergence into this world. Changing Woman created the original clans by rubbing off pieces of her epidermis in a symbolic manner. Pima Stories of the Beginning of the World. Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. While on one hand it similarly widens the circle of a Dine's obligations, that individual will be able to call upon the same relatives when needed. Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. At the metaphysical level, Changing Woman is the alleged product of the union between Sa'ah Naaghaii (First Boy) who represents thought, and Bik'eh H-zh- (First Girl) who represents speech (Witherspoon 1977: 17). For most of his day, he is coursing in the sky, which is why Changing Woman moves to the West so she can be with him at night. If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. K'e' terms, or the Dine descent system, contains six large categories: the mother's clan, father's clan, born for mother's clan8, born for father's clan, clan for which mother is born, and the clan for which father is born (95). Combining their sheep into one herd is the "most important cooperative enterprise of the unit" (72). Clans regulate marriage; no two individuals who share the same "matrilineal descent identity" should marry. 40 Changing Woman and the Hero Twins after the Emergence of the People (Navajo) 52 The Coming of the Spanish and the Pueblo Revolt (Hopi) 56 Iroquois or Confederacy of the Five Nations (Iroquois) 59 Raven and Marriage (Tlingit) 64 Raven Makes a Girl Sick and Then Cures Her (Tsimshian) 67 The Literature of Discovery and Exploration Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. This she rubbed (on Family and friends and wise mentors must lead any warrior down the good path toward victory. Navajo Kinship and Marriage. Moreover, she is credited with bestowing the Blessingway ceremony, the Kinaald, sheep, and corn upon humanity, thereby protecting not only Dine spiritual health, but basic subsistence as well. (1975: 33). University of Chicago Press. mirage and earth rising haze. (3-9) of the Instructor's Guide. From this the soil soaked spot herbs grew which I am here, I am White Shell Woman, I am here. The Main Stalk: A Synthesis of Navajo Philosophy. One myth of Changing Woman's infancy insists that she was fed corn pollen to have the "power of regeneration" (17). Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. 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