Overview
Some Diné have adopted Western medicine and at the same time utilize the Navajo healing and ceremonies, which have improved their quality of life. However, it has been not easy preserving the old ways while adopting the new ones. The new culture's preference of fast food, urbanization, and technology make it difficult for the young generation to learn the traditional ways. Although there are changes and adaptations, the old beliefs, practices and traditional ceremonies endure among the Diné.
I am an example of not learning my culture, language, and traditional beliefs and practices because my life when I was young was merely surviving to find the next meal and another place to sleep for the night. Marrying into a family with very strong traditional practices and beliefs gave me a multitude of experiences of how traditional living should be instead of living the fright and flight survival life. The many nuclear and extended family ceremonies and practices I learned and used for many years, along with various Diné literature and interviews, gave me self-confidence as an educator to teach our children Diné philosophy. I have extended my experience to my students in the educational realm within the many classrooms I have taught throughout my teaching years.
A majority of our Diné students are losing their culture, language, and traditional beliefs. But there are a few who solely believe in and practice our traditions. Others prefer a varied mixture of traditional and western medicine or practice solely western medicine. This school year I had an experience in assisting one of my male students. He had missed two weeks of school and I was worried he was getting behind with his schoolwork. His family informed me he had burned his foot on the heel and ankle. I informed them he is getting behind, so the family and I discussed the traditional procedure for the treatment of his burn. I was therefore able to assist them with their child while he attended school. Traditional healing is a holistic process focusing on the entire individual, combining the educational, religious (spiritual), family, medical, and cultural aspects when healing the sickness. It is called hozho, defined as harmony, order, balance and beauty.
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