Navajo Cosmos

The Navajo have a unique beliefs about the world. They believe the world they live in is referred to as the Fourth World, or Glittering World, after passing through the first three worlds. They say that there are two types of people, Holy People and Earth People. Holy People have powers to heal or harm Earth People. The Navajo Earth People are important and responsible for maintaining harmony and balance in nature. Its believed that hundreds of years ago the Holy People taught the Dine how to live the right way. They were taught to live in harmony with Mother Earth, Father Sky, and other elements such as man, animals, insects, and plants. The Holy People are responsible for creating the Navajo land where it is. This being by placing four sacred mountains in different directions, Mt. Blanca to the east, Mt. Taylor to the south, San Francisco Peak to the west, and Mt Hesperus to the north. They are also represented by colors. White Shell is east, Turquoise to the south, Yellow Abalone to the west, and Jet Black to the north. Four is a sacred number to them, it represents the seasons, the directions, the first four clans, the colors, and during rituals, they have four songs. If an illness or injury occurs, they will either go to the hospital in the Navajo Reservation, or seek out a medicine man. They use songs, herbs, prayers, and ceremonies to help cure the patient. The more traditional Navajo people tend to call upon medicine men while some still prefer the hospital.
Navajo Cosmos