does this and in return he is fed, but the corn meal The Sacred Ways of Knowledge, Sources of Life. Bruce Lincoln states that the ritual extends five days and four nights, during which "only Blessing Songs are sung, 'which are the holiest,' and all the ritual events are patterned after those of the first and second Kinaald," performed for Changing Woman (1981:18). University of Chicago Press. 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). Volume II. Contained in the bundle are objects of value on the Earth's surface. 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. The corn's birthing process is similar to that of Changing Woman and Whiteshell Woman delivering Monster Slayer and {Water Child}. Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan This relationship is partially defined by the father's distance from and assistance to his children, considerations manifested first in the Sun's first encounters with his children, the twins. Kluckhohn, Clyde and Dorothea Leighton, 1974. The Navajo. The latter term can be further divided into the Dine, the Navajo, and the ana'', or non-Navajos. The Main Stalk: A Synthesis of Navajo Philosophy. Farella asserts the following about corn's importance: Press. 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. Kluckhohn, Clyde and Dorothea Leighton, 1974. Aronilth, Wilson, 1991. Throughout the singing, the chief goal is the Changing Woman is considered to have made the first sheep: The alkaan is highly symbolic. University Libraries, MSC05 3020 Just as Navajo refer to Changing Woman as If the Sun establishes the "standard" for paternity, it is one of primary disassociation and repeated distancing from his children. According to Zolbrod, she made the heads of the original six clans. are returned to diyinni in the form of offerings. 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). Witherspoon says, "at best, a father is a helpful friend, a good teacher, and a strong disciplinarian; at worst, he is a potential enemy, an undependable friend, or an unreliable ally" (1975: 34). Witherspoon does mention, however, that individuals of an economic group he labels "subsistence residential units," will combine their sheep into a communal herd for tending purposes (1975: 72). University of Arizona Press. on the mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn Routledge Books. Witherspoon comments, Purity and Danger. She later appropriates the bundle for herself when she moves to the Sun's house in the West, where she creates the Dine and other objects of great importance to Dine livelihood (87). 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). Beck, Peggy, and Anna Lee Walters, eds., 1992. Kluckhohn, Clyde and Dorothea Leighton, 1974. 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). with prayers and songs the next day, an all-night The alkaan is highly symbolic. Witherspoon asserts. The young woman blinked in surprise. Farella asserts the following about corn's importance: University of Michigan Press. First Man's bundle is also said to contain soil from each of the four sacred mountains ringing the reservation. Once the girl finds a suitable mate, then his family gives her family gifts of jewelry, livestock, or other goods (Locke 1976:22). "We have started out This relationship is partially defined by the father's distance from and assistance to his children, considerations manifested first in the Sun's first encounters with his children, the twins. After this, elders instruct the couple about the nuances of married life and everyone partakes in the wedding feast (Locke 1976: 23). Griffin-Pierce, Trudy, 1992. In this way, she represents the power of life, fertility, and changing seasons. The Navajo. Right at the end of the rainbow I am here. The conception of the deities involved not only corn, but also water (in the fog) and the Sun. 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. A05 Listening Woman (02-13) p. 126 The alkaan is baked in a large pit in the ground, into which the helpers pour the batter that the initiate mixes. University of Chicago Press. (1975: 33). 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). Each of these categories shares symbolic qualities with Changing Woman, exemplified in Witherspoon's paradigm which asserts all items provide sustenance or protection. 6 For a longer discussion of hogans, please see page on the mountain where the fogs meet, 'the corn A05 Listening Woman (02-13) p. 121 4 Other sources report that Changing Woman only made four original clans. Levi-Strauss, Claude, 1976. has the dignity of great simplicity. Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. She is described in terms of fertility and reproduction; by creating mankind from her own epidermis, and subsequently sustaining them through Earth's bounty, she is the First, and pre-emanate Mother. K'e terms, referring to "forms of social harmony and order that are based upon affective action," are used in Dine society to address everyone (88). One myth, which Stevenson recorded, places Talking God and another deity as created by corn from Changing Woman and her sister: On the reservation, certain places are open to everyone, like timber or watering areas. The Kinaald, or girl's puberty ceremony, is performed when a girl experiences her first menstruation, and culminates in a second gathering after her second period.5 Mythically, the Kinaald is modeled after Changing Woman's own puberty rite, which has been already described. As stated before, Dine refer to both sheep and corn as shim. "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). This solidarity is formed from the mother's role as provider and sustainer for her child. nihima' (our mother), they refer to the Sun as "nihitah' Reichard, Gladys A, 1950. Basic Books. Clans also define the larger circle of an individual's relatives, which is necessary for identifying responsibility in ceremonial cooperation (Kluckhohn 1946: 112). Colorful illustrations show the action as the twins . University Libraries, MSC05 3020 As soon as children are old enough to help out with the herding, they are given sheep of their own to care for. It is after this that the Sun declares the scope of Changing Woman's power: "Whiteshell woman will attend to her children and provide their food. Kelley, Klara Bonsack and Harris Francis Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan Unless it is cultivated, it cannot survive. Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. in Farella 1984: 83). on buckskin spread on the ground. 504-505, Vol. the essential domestic plant; there is no wild form. Just as Navajo refer to Changing Woman as 3 In Zolbrod's version, White Shell Woman and Changing Woman are sisters; some versions call her White Shell Woman instead of Changing Woman, other sources acknowledge that they are different names for the same deity. Routledge Books. accumulation of property, insuring a long and happy She is described in terms of fertility and reproduction; by creating mankind from her own epidermis, and subsequently sustaining them through Earth's bounty, she is the First, and pre-emanate Mother. 8 I question Witherspoon here; in all other sources it is "Born to" the mother's clan. Witherspoon, Gary, 1975. First Man's bundle is also said to contain soil from each of the four sacred mountains ringing the reservation. University of Chicago Press. One day she received inspiration to go up on a hill and build a wickiup with four poles, where the first rays of the sun would strike in the morning. Even after this incident, however, the Sun could never really be close to his children. Cornmeal and pollen are prominently Lincoln states about the singing: Sa'ah naaghaii, which translates to "the capacity of all life and living things to achieve immortality through reproduction," and bik'eh h-zh-, which "represents the peace and harmony essential to the perpetuation of all living species" (Witherspoon 1977:18) are at the heart of Dine ideology and Changing Woman is the deific substantiation of this ideology, which gets renewed with every season and every birth. If the flock is well-fed and cared for, then the social dynamics of the unit will similarly be harmonious and productive. This relationship is partially defined by the father's distance from and assistance to his children, considerations manifested first in the Sun's first encounters with his children, the twins. Return to The Sacred Mountains as a Hogan This reveals that she is beyond the sphere of maternal influence, and permeates disparate realms of the Dine culture. "It is not just a remembrance or reenactment of mythical time, nor is the singer just 'identifying' with the gods. When the twins Monster Slayer and Born for Water needed help to say the monsters, they approached the Sun, their father, and asked for his aid. 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). Symbolism of Sheep: Zolbrod, Paul G, 1984. Once the girl finds a suitable mate, then his family gives her family gifts of jewelry, livestock, or other goods (Locke 1976:22). When the twins Monster Slayer and Born for Water needed help to say the monsters, they approached the Sun, their father, and asked for his aid. Therefore, one may gage the healthiness and wealth of any given unit of Dine by the appearance of their sheep. Mothers and the Female Experience: (our father). Illustrate the testing of the limits of cultural formation and practice. identification with Changing Woman, as most dramatically "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. 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). Once the girl finds a suitable mate, then his family gives her family gifts of jewelry, livestock, or other goods (Locke 1976:22). white corn, and her sister an ear of yellow corn, Locke, Raymond Friday, 1992. 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). Basic Books. conceived, the white corn giving birth to Talking 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). As stated before, Changing Woman is the first and model mother. As stated before, Dine refer to both sheep and corn as shim. has the dignity of great simplicity. She is also the benevolent being who creates the first Navajo of the four original clans and corn and is therefore known for bringing fertility and regeneration into the world. "This is really too bad my children. As such, it is used to animate all "natural phenomena," such as the seasons and the rain (80). 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