The Navajo Creation Myth: One Interpretation

In the late sixties or early seventies, the Navajo chose to revert to the name given to them by their Creator. That name was Ni’hookaa Diyan Dine, which translates to “Holy People.”

The Dine (Navajo) believed that The Glittering World (earth) came about as a result of the emerging of three worlds beneath its crust. They did not; however, believe the first people looked like we do today. Instead, they were animalistic or like demon spirits. Some called them monsters. These creatures came from what the Dine (Navajo) refer to as the Black World.

First Man was made from a combination of black and white clouds. First Woman was made from blue and yellow clouds. Together, they were to rule over The Glittering World.

In thanks for their good fortune, the pair built the very first sweat lodge where they rejoiced over their blessings and thanked the gods for all they had. In return the gods sent them the First House, where they could find shelter from the elements.

Happy with their world, First Man and First Woman set about naming everything. They began with the four mountains, which they considered sacred because it was home to Talking God.

Next they named four stones to represent the boundaries of their land as advised by Talking God. The stones remain there today.

The San Francisco Peaks in California hold the sacred abalone and coral stones. Mount Blanco in Colorado, holds precious white shell. Mount Taylor in New Mexico keeps of the most sacred of all stones – – turquoise. Mount Hesperus in Colorado is home to black jet.

The deities of the Dine (Navajo) helped First Man and First Woman to finish what they had begun. They placed the day light (the sun) and night light (moon) in the sky. But they decided that the blackness of night was too cold so they wanted to add stars.

As they began to hang the stars; however, an argument ensued over how and where to place them. It raged on for a long time until Coyote, tired of the fighting, raised the blanket upon which the stars had been place and flung them into the sky.

More creations were added. These included the clouds and rain; trees and flowers; valleys and peaks. New animals were added us well.

However, the remaining monsters attacked Earth’s First People and threatened to make them extinct. But the birth of Ever Changing Woman balanced the scales in favor of the humans.

Changing Woman, a key part of Dine (Navajo) culture, came from New Mexico where she resided. The eventually married the Sun god and together they had twin sons – – Monster Slayer and Child Born of Water. They grew up to become great heroes of the Dine (Navajo) people by slaying the remaining monsters.

With the monsters gone and her children on their own, Changing Woman decided to move to the west so that she could see her husband every evening. But she was still lonely and decided to create new people to keep her company.

Using flakes of her skin, she created four clans. They were named Bitter Water People, Mud People, Near Water People and Salt Water People.

But the new people heard there were others like them further east and they petitioned Changing Woman to let them go. She finally agreed and continued to live alone but for the time afforded by her husband at dusk till dawn.