The
Navajo religion is unique in the aspect of their different beliefs. They
believe in different gods and other supernatural powers, but what seems to be
truly important is the belief of deities. The two that are idolized are the
Changing Woman or Spider Woman, the Sun god along with her twin sons-the
Monster Slayers. The Navajo people believe in nature such as animals and
weather to work in their favor. Ceremonies are performed by masked dancers who
try to awake the important deity the Yei.
Navajo stories and mythology plays a huge part in their religious belief.
Depending on how the supernatural is summoned is how they determine if the
god’s help will be harmful or beneficial.
The story
of the beginning of time is between the Holy People (supernatural) and Earth
Surface People. The
supernaturals had to defeat many challenges through the underworld in order to
reach the present world. When they achieved this they created the first man and
first woman. The man and woman are the ancestors of all human on earth with
this the first humans were taught the ways of survival from the supernaturals.
The
person who is highly respected in the Navajo community is the “singer”. This
person is the one who relates the religious stories and perform the ceremonies.
These priests are educated in the sense they are trained for many years under
the lead of a priest before them. Training is extensive and intense because
there is a particular priest who is called the “curers”. The “curers” have the
ability diagnose and cure the illness the person has. They prescribe a
ceremonial treatment to help the person overcome the illness. One of the
rituals they perform is sand painting; this is a delicate ritual that the
“curer” performs.
Death is a small part of their religion. The Navajo people are afraid of death
to the point where they do not speak of it. No public ritual or ceremony is
performed when one is deceased. The deceased are buried immediately. The Navajo
people do not believe in an afterlife, so there is no concept of a reward or
punishment for the actions of a person in their life.
Reference(s)
Navajo Religion (no
date) Meta-Religion.
Available at:
http://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/North_america/navajo_religion.htm#.VRNVI_nF-6A
(Accessed: 24 March 2015).
Religion
and expressive culture - Navajo, Countries
and Their Cutures. Available at:
http://www.everyculture.com/North-America/Navajo-Religion-and-Expressive-Culture.html
(Accessed: 20 March 2015).
I believe that he Navajo's religion is unique. Religion is an outlet that people use to answer questions when they are uncertain about a particular phenomenon or when they are afraid about something. Idealizing many gods and deities give them the hope and answers that they need in order to live and survive. In my own faith I look toward my higher being for when I am uncertain and in need of guidance. The Navajo people also perform ceremonies that help them communicate with their higher purpose. I feel that the ceremonies are truly important to them and elaborate.
ReplyDeleteThrough their religion the Navajo people have manage to have a creation story of man and woman. I have notice that through all cultures and societies people have managed to develop a story that explains how man and woman came about. I believe that their story is quite creative. Priests are the most respected person in the society because they perform sacred ceremonies that can heal people from sickness. I feel that in the Christian faith people also believe that their priest can pray for them to the higher being and help cure their illness, or make someone become healthy once again. Religion is the gateway for miracles to happen.
In regards to death, the Navajo people fear death. It is something they try to avoid at all cost even by the mere mention of its name. Death is something that some cultures celebrate and others morn. I tend to believe that death is something that should be celebrated. The celebration of life is what my family and I believe, and the afterlife is a huge part of the moving forward. Overall, the Navajo religion is interesting and should be further appreciated because of the unique outlook they have on their lives.