Navajo Nation

Ya' a' te' eh!





This means 'hello' in the Navajo language. My name is John Lowe and I am a member of the Great Navajo Nation of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. My clan is Red House Clan (Kin' lichii' nii) born for the Salt Clan (Ashii' hi) and I was born at Fort Defiance, Arizona (Fort Defiance in the Navajo language is: Tse' hootsooi [Meadow in Between the Rocks]). We call ourselves Dine', it means: The People. This is my homepage and I want to share with you my culture and heritage for I am VERY proud of it. I am proud of my people and my elders for passing on the Dineh culture for many centuries...



Navajo legends tells that the Dineh had to pass through four different worlds before entering into the present world - The Fifth World. Since the beginning, Navajos believed there are two classes of beings: The Earth People and The Holy People. The Earth People are ordinary human beings, while the Holy People are higher beings that cannot be seen.



THE FIRST WORLD was red in color and this world was an island, surround be oceans. On this world, lived the Insect People: Dragon Flies, Red Ants, Black Ants, Red Beetles, Black Beetles, White Faced Beetles, Yellow Beetles, Hard Beetles, Dung Beetles, Bats and Locusts and White Locusts. The Insect People sinned in the First World and were cast out by the Four Gods of the Insect People. They refused to leave so the Gods caused a huge flood. With no other choice, the Insect People took flight and flew in circles.



A creature called out to them and told them to enter through a slit in the eastern sky. They entered THE SECOND WORLD, which was blue in color. The creature belonged to the Swallow People (cliff swallow). The Swallow People and the Insect People lived in harmony for 24 days until one of the Insect People sinned with one of the Swallow People. The Chief of the Swallow People discovered the wrong. He commanded the Insect People to leave their world. So they took flight in the sky. Wind (Nilch'i') told them to enter a slit in the southern sky.



The Insect People emerged into THE THIRD WORLD, which was yellow in color. There lived the Grasshopper People. They lived in harmony with the Insect People for 24 days until one of the Insect People sinned with one of the Grasshopper People. After the discovery was made, the Chief of the Grasshopper People demanded the strangers to leave. Four of the Grasshopper People left with them and again, they flew in the sky. Red Wind told them to enter a slit in the western skies



They entered THE FOURTH WORLD, which was mixed with black and white. They discovered the Kisani (Pueblo) living in this world. In the Fourth World, the Gods turned the Insect People into humans. First Man (Atse Hastiin) and First Woman (Atse Asdiin) was created. First Man and First Woman lived as husband and wife. Animals were created in this world. The Kisani and The People lived as neighbors. First Man and First Woman had an argument, as a result, First Man took the men with him and built a boat and crossed a river, leaving the women behind. For some time, the men and women lived without each other. After discovering they couldn't live without each other, a mother and two daughters jumped into the river and tried to swim across. The mother succeded in swimming across but the daughters were taken by Tieholtsodi, the water monster, and dragged them under the water.

Two Navajo Gods came and asked a man and a woman to follow them into the river,







Coyote followed. The Gods made an open in the river and it gave entrance to a large house of four rooms. The man and woman and Coyote entered this house beneath the waters, they found Tieholtsodi and two of his own children and the two girls he had stolen. The man and woman took the girls with them and walked away. Without them knowing, Coyote took the two children of Tieholtsodi and hid them under his robe and followed the man and woman and children out of the house and out of the river.

The next day, The People began seeing many, many animals come to the camp of The







People for refuge. The game of animals continued to seek shelter at the camp for







three days. On the fourth day, the answer to why the animals were taking shelter was revealed. Water was seen coming high as mountains, flooding the Fourth World.

A great reed was built by one of The People. It grew high into the sky. He told The People to enter a hole in the eastern side of the reed. The People, the Kisani and all the animals entered this huge reed and began climbing up the reed. When they reached the very top, water has also entered through the hole in the reed and was coming up fast. Locust dug at the very top of the reed and broke through entering THE FIFTH WORLD.

The People, the Kisani, and the animals entered the Fifth World. The water continued to rise. A council was held as to why the water rises. First Man pointed his finger at Coyote and asked why he never takes off his robe. He and others tore at his robe. The two children of Tieholtsodi were discovered. Quickly, they threw them into the hole. The water subsided and rushed back into the lower worlds. No more did the water rise again. After, the Kisani had moved away, First Man and First Woman and two Navajo Gods set out to build the boundaries of Navajoland. They set the boundaries by making four sacred mountains.

On the fifth day after The People had entered the Fifth World, the Sun rose in the sky and stopped. The day grew hot and the people longed for the night to come. But the Sun did not move. Coyote said the Sun has stopped because He has not been paid for His work, He demands a human life for everyday that He labors, He will not move until somone dies.

Soon, a woman died and The People mourned and the Sun began to move across the







sky and passed behind the western mountains. The Moon rose that night and also demanded payment. It soon became very cold and The People longed for the warmth of the sun. When a man had died, the Moon journeyed across the sky and the Sun rose. It is why someone must die each day and night or the Sun and Moon will not move across the sky. And this is how the cycle of life began and the Navajo Story Of Creation.



(The story above is a short version - The number of worlds vary from 4 to 5 but the base of the story remains the same.)