Navajo: The Past and Present of the Diné

Navajo: The Past and Present of the Diné book cover — AMERICAN INDIAN LIFE Fact Finders The Navajo The Past and Present of the Diné by Donna Janell Bowman Consultant Brett Barker PhD Associate Professor of History University of Wisconsin Marathon County CAPSTONE PRESS a capstone imprint

Navajo: The Past and Present of the Diné — page 1 — The Healing Way medicine man kneels on the dirt A floor of a hogan He is there to treat a young girl with a fever Her family and friends participate in the traditional Healing Way ceremony too Carefully the man dips his hand into colorful sands Pictures and symbols emerge as he shifts the sand between his fingertips When the picture is finished the young patient sits in the center of it It is believed the sand will absorb negative energy All the while the medicine man sings prays and chants He is calling to the spirits to heal the girl When it is over the young patient leaves She might be feeling better She might see a medical doctor The beautiful sand painting is destroyed Being Navajo means maintaining cultural traditions in a modern world tradition custom idea or belief passed down through time

Navajo: The Past and Present of the Diné — page 2 — 000 W 00 CIDA Sand painting is also known as dry painting Sand painting There are two kinds of Navajo sand paintings One is made by a medicine man known as a singer The sand paintings are important parts of traditional healing and blessing ceremonies They are made and destroyed in a day They are rarely viewed by non Navajos There are also sand paintings made as permanent works of art

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