Diné oral history from the Four Worlds.
Shi naash1, shiinaash1, ah lago naash1. "I am walking, I am walking, I am walking in a state of grandeur." This is a song that is about the feeling, the state of being, at the time Diné were freed from Hw44ldi (Fort Sumner) by the United States Government in June 1868. Diné history begins worlds before this world. The Anglo have their version of Diné history. If I were to tell the Anglo version of our history to my elders, they would be affronted. Their reaction would as if someone is telling them they don't know their own history and from whence Diné come or originate.
Telling of the oral history of Diné is defamaliarizing to the listener/learner as the people, historical events, and historical places that are used in conversations, songs, prayers in every day events are in the history being told. For example, the sacred mountains are a part of learning geography of Dine Nation that is familiar and becomes unfamiliar in the history lesson because of is nonexistence in this world until it was created. This creates respect and appreciation of the Mother Earth. Moreover, the historical events of Diné in deep time is what makes knowing Diné history pertinent to self-identity because of what happens, then explaining who we are as Diné.
Diné oral history goes back to the beginning of Ni' hodi[hi[, Black World. In this Black World lived Spirit Beings, Holy Beings, and Insect Beings. First Man, First Woman, and Coyote were inhabitants of the Black World among others. The beings of this world had no definite form. This world did not have sun, moon, or stars but had columns of light from the four directions. At a certain part of the day there would be a white light coming from the east direction. Followed by a blue light coming from the south. Later, a yellow light from the west finally a blackness or darkness from the north.
Still today, Diné use these four colors to determine direction, a state of being, plant life, a way of thinking, sacred stones, cycle of life, sacred mountains, and Holy Beings. For example, the way of Thinking begins with the East that includes thoughts and ideas about the day or an event. The thoughts and ideas turn into Plans signifying the South direction. Once the Plan is implemented it signifies the West where the ideas and planning is implemented into one's Life and carried out. To the North is Reflection of the ideas, planning and experience's of life. Therefore, thinking, planning, life, and reflection are continuously part of one's life. This is part of traditional Diné philosophy that students will need to know.
One day, First Man saw a light in the west so he began to seek out the light. Simultaneously, First Woman saw a light in the east and she too began to seek out the light. First Man and First Woman both tried finding the light they saw. Finally, on the fourth attempt they find one another. First Man asked First Woman to come and be with him. First Woman agreed and became the spouse of First Man. Later, Coyote went to the four directions and changed his colors to match the colors of each direction. He came to be called Child of Dawn, Child of Blue Sky, Child of Yellow Twilight, Child of Darkness.
Insect Beings lived in the First World, Black World, where they worked together in their community. They knew cooperation and worked well together, but they also knew Evil Shooting Way (black magic).
As time continued the people of the First World began to quarrel and fight among one another. This escalated until the Black God set the world on fire to destroy it. The people left First World by lifting up like a cloud into the next world, Blue World.
In deep time, the people in the Black World argued and fought as people do here in the current world we live in. Students will need to discuss this concept of war/fighting. Traditional Diné philosophy of Blessing Way teachings and Protection Way teachings will help students learn about how to carry themselves to develop self-identity.
In the Blue World, Second World, lived blue feathered beings such as Gin7tsoh Doot['izh (Blue Hawk), T11[t[11h Ha'al44h (Blue Heron), D0lii (Blue Jays), and Joo'gii (Blue Bird). There were no sun, moon and stars in the Second World. First Man had brought the pillars of light from the First World by rolling them into balls. Hornworm assisted First Man to unroll them into pillars by blowing smoke on the balls to provide light in the Second World.
Other Beings also living in the Second World were larger insects such as Cicada and Cricket. There were also other animals. The Ma'iitsoh lived to the east. N1shd07[b47 lived to the south. Ma'ii[soo7 lived to the west. N1shd07tsoh live to the north. The Beings living in the four directions were fighting among themselves, and were not content.
First Man explored the Second World and found the Beings fighting and quarreling among themselves and killed some because they were fighting. Coyote also explored the four directions and found that the Beings were suffering and wished to leave Blue World. First Man told the people to prepare to leave the Second World. First Man then prepared zigzag lightening, straight lightening, rainbow, and sunray to use to leave the Second World. This did not work as he had anticipated. First Man then prepared a wand of black jet, turquoise, abalone shell, and white shell and put four footprints on the wand. All the Beings stood on the wand that lifted up with them into the Third World, Yellow World.
All the animals in each of the worlds are animals today, in this fourth world. The traditional teaching about animals is to respect the animals as animal people. Each animal has a god that looks over them, and one is not to harm animals without purpose such as food.
The Third World had two rivers. The female river flowed north to south. The male river flowed east to west. Again, there were no sun, moon, and stars. In this world there were six mountains. There was an east mountain, a south mountain, a west mountain, a north mountain, and two center mountains. The inhabitants of this world were the four-legged animals. There was the bear, deer, antelope, elk, squirrel, and chipmunk. Spider Man and Spider Woman also lived in the Third World.
The people lived in the Third World for some time. People began to see something shining in the distance. People went to go check to find out it was water. There was a flood. The people went to tell First Man about the coming flood. First Man told the people to prepare and go to the highest area that was Sisnaajin7, the east mountain. People gathered at the east mountain for safety but found it was not high enough. The water kept rising. The people planted four trees for safety. The first tree was a pinon tree. This tree still was not high enough for safety. The people planted a pine tree next. The pine tree did not grow high enough to save the people from the flood. The people planted male reed next. It also did not grow high enough.
The fourth was female reed. The female reed began to grow into the sky. The people then began to climb into the reed and climb upward for safety from the flood. The people all climbed into the reed. Turkey was the last one to climb into the reed just as the water reached the opening of the reed. As the people climbed up the female reed the water followed them. The people kept asking one another what they had done to make the water angry to flood them. No one knew. As they climbed the water was right at the heels of Turkey. Turkey's tail dipped into the water making a white mark from the foam that is still seen today on Turkey's tail.
Turkey was late to get to the gathering on the east mountain because he was gathering the seeds of all the plants and trees in the Third World. He later would share all the seeds of the plants in the Fourth World for people to plant to have food.
The people climbed and climbed until they hit a hard surface. At that time, Badger was asked to dig through the rock. Badger tried and couldn't dig into the hard rock. Cicada was the one who dug through the hard rock all the way out to the other side. The water kept following from behind. All the people were asked and searched to see why the floodwaters kept following them. When people were being searched Coyote stayed so he would not be searched. He resisted, but was finally searched to see what he was hiding. When Coyote was searched he was hiding Water Monster's baby. Coyote was scolded and made to return the baby with offerings of sacred stones in a white shell basket. Once Coyote returned the baby the floodwaters began to recede.
There were two other major events that took place in the Third World that has significance to Diné teachings. First is the affair of First Woman and second is the Separation of Sexes, which is a result of First Woman's affair. First Woman had become ill and so First Man took care of her. First Man did everything for her. First Woman had become very ill that she could not walk and had to be carried. Eventually, First Woman began to recover and get well, which she did not share with First Man. During the time First Woman was ill, First Man would carry First Woman to the river and have First Woman sit by the river for much of the day.
One day as First man was just outside his house he heard noise from inside his house. It sounded like someone was moving around and walking. He ran inside thinking his wife might have fallen to find his wife lying there as he had left her earlier before. First Man told her he heard a noise like footsteps, but First Woman replied irritated, reminding First Man of how ill she was and was unable to move. First Man carried First Woman to the river as he had been doing so she could sit by the river. He noticed that she felt different not so limp as before and commented on it. She told him that it is her body's reflexes. First Man senses something being different and unnatural. He arranged First Woman by the river and left, but hid in a bush where he could see First Woman. A few moments later there is the sound of water splashing and out of the water came T1b22st77n Hastiin, Otter Man. First Woman jumped up without difficulty and ran into the water to meet Otter Man. This made First Man very angry and went home. At the end of the day First Man went and brought his wife back. He pretended not to know about First Woman and Otter Man's affair. First Man was rough with First Woman as he picked her up and carried her home. She commented on his roughness and he apologized. When he got her home he threw First Woman down and began to beat her with firewood.
This was the first act of infidelity committed by a Holy Person (First Woman) and, the first act of spousal abuse by First Man. The Diné teachings on these two issues are that infidelity is not to be committed as shown by the results from First Woman's circumstances in deep time. Traditional Diné philosophy of Blessing Way and Protection Way teachings will teach students about their own behavior in similar circumstances, and because knowledge of the teachings will make wise decisions for him/herself.
First Woman told First Man that she did not need him and that she could live without him. She then told all the women to leave their spouses. First Man also told all the men to leave their spouses and used rafts to move across the river. Many people did not want to but were forced to leave their spouses. In the first year of the separation, both the men and women did very well. The men had taken food, clothing, and all the things needed to live comfortably. The men built new dwelling to live in. The women already had food, clothing, and dwellings therefore, they did not need to worry. In the second year, food, clothing, and necessities were still abundant and both the men and women lived well. In the third year of separation, the men and women began to miss one another and tried to cross the river to unite with their spouses and families but were taken under water by the Water Monsters. Food and clothing and necessities also became scarce for both the men and women. The women tried to reason with First Woman to change her mind to let the men come home. First Woman was very stubborn and would not make amends with her husband.
The fourth year was the worse. There was very little food left. The men went to hunt big game such as deer but could not prepare the meat in all the ways the women did. Men did not know how to plant and prepare corn, squash, beans and other foods either. The women did not know how to hunt big game and could only hunt small game such as rabbit, squirrel, and other small animals. There was not enough food for everyone. Women planted and had some food but were unable to do the heavy work such as plowing and harvesting all the food. Both the men and women had sexual relations with other Beings not of their people. After much hardship, First Woman and First Man finally realized that man needed woman, and vice versa. First Man and the rest of the men returned to their wives and families.
The teaching from this event in history is that man needs woman, and woman needs man. The teaching is that all things in the natural world comprise of male and female for balance and harmony, similar to the yin and yang in the Chinese philosophy. So, in life when one gets married one needs to remember this event and take care of one's relationship.
In the fourth world, the people found a world with water everywhere. The Water People lived in this world, Fourth World. When the people came to the surface, one of the Water People came to meet them. The people coming from the Third World asked to enter and were denied by the Water People unless they pass certain tests. One was for one person to sit in one place for four days. Cicada volunteered and sat in one place for the length of time. Although, the Water People did not know Cicada was able to leave its shell and make it look like it was sitting in one place for four days. On the fourth day Cicada came back to its shell and passed the test. Another test was to take an arrow and put it into the mouth and take it out of the anus. This feat was equaled. The people of the Third World were allowed to enter the Fourth World. The people had emerged from the Third World. (Haj77n47, Emergence is a major event in the Diné history. It is also a very special place for Diné. The place of Emergence is located in Dinétah the original home of Diné near Bloomfield, New Mexico.)
The teaching is to be able to retell this oral history of Diné and apply the events
to your own life. The events in deep time are very applicable in today's world. Learn and understand from the mishaps of the Holy People so you do not experience the hardship experienced by the Holy People.
In the Fourth World, the Holy Beings and all the people began to create the world. The Wind People were sent to the four directions to blow the water back away from the land to dry. It is said that the Wind People are holding the waters back to this day, and the Wind People must be given offerings.
Caring and respecting Mother Earth is essential in self-identity because as a human being we are in the image of Mother Earth. There is a traditional song about Mother Earth that identifies the sameness. This identifies how the two-dimensional map of Mother Earth is not as beautiful as the map of desire of Mother Earth where you resemble Mother Earth where one would be like her providing for all her children relentlessly.
During this time of emergence some of the women who had sexual relations with other beings in the Third World began to give birth to babies. When the babies were born, the babies were not in their own image. The babies' features were very odd. The mothers were ashamed and embarrassed of their infidelity committed with other beings, and abandoned their babies in ditches, caves and under bushes to let their babies to die. Ironically, the babies survived, grew up and began to kill the people who had abandoned them. These Beings were called "Enemies" because of how they came back to kill the people.
The teaching is one does not abandon or neglect children. A child may become angry for the mistreatment and inflect pain to those who mistreated him/her. The child grows up, gains strength, and become the "enemy."
First Man had collected and brought mountain dirt from the First World. He created and placed the six mountains Mount Blanca to the east, Mount Taylor to the south, San Francisco to the west, Mount Hesperus to the north, Huerfano Mesa to the center, and Gobernador east of center. Second, fire and sweathouse were created with songs and prayers. Third, female hogan and male hogan were created with direction of First Talking God. Fourth the sun, moon, and stars were created and put in place by First Man, First Woman, Black God, and Coyote. The sun was made of turquoise, and the moon was made of white shell. There was a shoe game to determine day and night. Neither the day or night people won. As a result there is night and day today.
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