The document provides an overview of Navajo origins and beliefs. It describes how the Navajo emerged into the present world according to their stories of creation. It outlines the formation of the first clans and people, and their beliefs around harmony, healing ceremonies, death, and the purpose of life being to walk in harmony. It also shares a prayer and letters discussing Navajo mission work.

1. The Hogan is a model of the world. And its center.

3. The Tewa Indians were the first to call them "Navahú", which means "the large area of cultivated land" because of their dominance over the Tewa domain. The Mexicans knew them as "Apaches Du Nabahú" (Apaches of the Cultivated Fields), where the word "Apache", meaning "Enemy", was picked up from the Zuni Indian language. The "Apaches Du Nabahú" were known as a special group somewhat distinct from the rest of the Apaches because of their beautiful and unique rugs and jewelry. Fray (Spaniard Priest or Monk of the 17th Century) Alonso de Benavides changed the name to "Navaho" in a book written in 1630.

4. Ni’hookaa Diyan Diné emerged from three previous underworlds into this, the Fourth, or "Glittering World", through a magic reed. The first people from the other three worlds were not like the people of today. They were animals, insects or masked spirits as depicted in Navajo ceremonies. First Man ('Altsé Hastiin), and First Woman ('Altsé 'Asdzáá), were two of the beings from the First or Black World. First Man was made in the East from the meeting of the White and Black Clouds. First Woman was made in the West from the joining of the Yellow and Blue Clouds. Spider Woman (Na ashje’ii 'Asdzáá), who taught Navajo women how to weave, was also from the First World. Once in the Glittering World, the first thing the people did was build a sweat house and sing the Blessing Song. Then they met in the first house ("hogan" in English, "hooghan" in Diné) made exactly as Talking God (Haashch’eelti’i) had prescribed. In this hooghan, the people began to arrange their world, naming the four sacred mountains surrounding the land and designating the four sacred stones that would become the boundaries of their homeland.

5. After setting the mountains down where they should go, the Navajo deities, or "Holy People", put the sun and the moon into the sky and were in the process of carefully placing the stars in an orderly way. But the Coyote, known as the trickster, grew impatient from the long deliberations being held, and seized the corner of the blanket where it lay and flung the remaining stars into the sky. The Holy People continued to make the necessities of life, like clouds, trees and rain. Everything was as it should be when the evil monsters appeared and began to kill the new Earth People. But a miracle happened to save them by the birth of Ever Changing Woman (Asdzaa Nadleehe) at Gobernador Knob (Ch’óol’í’í) , New Mexico. Changing Woman married the Sun and bore two son, twins, and heroes to the Navajo people. They were known as "Monster Slayer" and "Child-Born-of-Water". The twins traveled to their father the Sun who gave them weapons of lighting bolts to fight the dreaded monsters. Every place the Hero Twins killed a monster it turned to stone. An example of this is the lave flows near Mt. Taylor in New Mexico, believed to be the blood from the death of Ye’iitsoh, or the "Monster who Sucked in People". All of the angular rock formations on the reservation, such as the immense Black Mesa (Dzil Yíjiin) are seen as the turned-to-stone bodies of the monsters.

6. With all of the monsters dead, the Navajo deities or "Holy People", turned their attention to the making of the four original clans. Kiiyaa aanii or Tall House People, was the first clan. They were made of yellow and white corn. Eventually other clans traveled to the area round the San Juan River, bring their important contributions to the tribe. Some were Paiutes who brought their beautiful baskets. Others were Pueblos who shared their farming and weaving skills. Still others were Utes and Apaches. For her husband, the "Sun", to visit her every evening, Changing Woman went to live in the western sea on an island made of rock crystal. Her home was made of the four sacred stones: Abalone, White Shell, Turquoise, and Black Jet. During the day she became lonely and decided to make her own people. She made four clans from the flakes of her skin. These were known as the Near Water People, Mud People, Salt Water People, and Bitter Water People. When these newly formed clans heard that there were humans to the east who shared their heritage, they wanted to go meet them. Changing Woman gave her permission for them to travel from the western sea to the San Francisco Peaks. They then traveled through the Hopi mesas where they left porcupine, still commonly found there today. Then they traveled toward the Chuska Mountains and on to Mt. Taylor. Finally, the people arrived at Dinetah, the Diné traditional homeland, and joined the other clans already living there.

7. The Dine believe that the purpose of human life is to walk in Hozho; An untranslatable word meaning “ beauty” “ harmony” “ balance” “ reasonableness” “ responsibility” and Peace.

8. “ Hozho ” is disturbed by things we do, and things that happen to us It is restored by a hitali , who sings a ceremony, accompanied by a sand painter . The sing may include the burning of herbs, taking medicine, “confession” And many other aspects. A sing involves the entire clan, on both sides. It is expensive. It may take much of a week Hitali’s specialize, because it takes many years master a particular sing . There are, or were, over sixty sings

9. Death is the ultimate upset When a person dies within a Hogan, the body is removed by tearing down the northern wall The Hogan will never be used again Think what this attitude means for a churchyard cemetery. Or a Hospital

10. A person who dies leaves behind equal parts of good and bad. The “good’ travels on to the next world But the bad, the chindi, may stay behind The most evil people learn to manipulate the power of chindits Any person who is wealthy, and selfish, must be such a person

11. Each year the bible school is different, based on the requests of our partners. One year it was Hebrew Scripture stories; One year it was Jesus stories. One year we were asked to find stories that related to the Navajo Creation stories. One year we were asked to tell stories about women so we shared stories of women from the Old and New Testaments and the story of Kateri Tekakwetha, the first Native American to be beatified by the Roman Catholic Church. This year we were asked to base our stories upon the Sacred Circle. We told the story of Elijah, Noah, The Growing Seed, and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

12. “ Creator, we give you thanks for all you are and all you bring to us for our visit within you place the Gospel in the Center of this Sacred Circle through which all of creation is related. You show us the way to live a generous and compassionate life. Give us your strength to live together with respect and commitment as we grow in your spirit, for you are God, now and forever. ” Amen.

13. Dear Mother Gill, Thank you for our card the Navajoland Mission Partners’ Guide. I keep the first card you gave me in a frame on my desk—I find the picture of the Navajo shepherd woman deeply moving Thank you once again! I am deeply grateful for your mission partnership, and the way in which it has grown over the years. I was at Good Shepherd, Fort Defiance, in June for the Navajoland Convocation, and saw firsthand some of the challenges and blessings of that community of Episcopalians. I give thanks for your ministry, and pray that it may continue to grow and flourish, and bless many, nearby and far away. I remain Your servant in Christ, Katharine Jefferts Schori .

14. The Beauty Way Prayer All day long may I walk. Through the returning seasons may I walk. On the trail marked with pollen may I walk. With grasshoppers about my feet may I walk. With dew about my feet may I walk. With Beauty may I walk. With Beauty before me, may I walk. With Beauty behind me may I walk. With Beauty below me may I walk. With Beauty all round me, may I walk. In old age wandering on a trail of beauty, lively, may I walk. In old age wandering on a trail of Beauty, living again, may I walk. It is finished in Beauty. It is finished in Beauty. It is finished in Beauty. It is finished in Beauty .