A week ago, I wrote about how Navajos view every day as sacred.
I just read an essay by an English professor who has lived on the Reservation for the past 10 years, and I think it describes well how Navajos see everything– and not just every day– as sacred and spiritual.
…In Navajo, though, no single [...]

We were in four states over the last three days– New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah.
That meant lots and lots and lots of driving, but we got to visit the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. Breathtaking scenery!

Every day is considered sacred in Navajo culture. Because each day is holy, we ought to carry with us a spirit of reverence and gratitude. There is no compartmentalizing life– all of life is spiritual and sacred.
As a Christian, I’m more aware of how “holy” or “unholy” my actions and intentions are on Sundays. I [...]

“We judge others according to their actions, but we judge ourselves according to our intentions.” – Unknown

We Duke students here in the Navajo Nation know that we’re blessed. We have electricity and running water in our homes (many people here rely on very unreliable solar energy and have to haul water from miles away), and [...]

We’re conducting our college prep summer classes for high school students in Diné College, a two-year community college in Crownpoint, New Mexico.
I recently read about Diné College’s educational philosophy:
Shitsijí hózhoo doo naashá:  With beauty before me, I walk.
Shikéédéé  hózhoo doo naashá: With beauty behind me, I walk.
Shiyaagi hózhoo doo naashá: With beauty below me, I [...]

We spent a whole day at a sheep farm in Crystal, New Mexico. Here’s a picture of the sheep running out of the corral when we opened the gate (we let them out so that they could graze).
The funny– and slightly annoying– thing was that we spent the next two hours looking for them, but [...]

Today, I attended a talk on basket weaving. Baskets are often used for ceremonial purposes, and they are considered sacred objects.
The intricate patterns symbolize significant events and places in Navajo history, and basketry is way of re-telling the story of the Navajo people.
Basketry is hard work– a large one can take up to two months [...]

I just learned that the Navajo have a special ceremony to commemorate the first time a baby laughs. Awesome
According to Navajo (or Diné) tradition, a baby is considered to be of two worlds at birth: that of the holy people and that of the earth people. As weeks pass, adults wait and listen [...]