Duality
How is Navajo duality different from that in the Westernized world? Wilson Aronilth, Jr. gives the appropriate meaning of duality:
The Dine philosophy is identified as Dine spiritual education about our life. It is the educational study of Iina and livelihood. This is also identified as a male and female discipline of learning with equal values.4
In the Navajo perspective Sa’ah Naaghai Bik’eh Hozhoon is the Navajo foundation of learning and the “Alchi Sila” is the “duality” referring to the male and female aspects of nature and the environmental teachings, universal teachings, and teachings of objects that are utilized in the Navajo culture. Duality is the principle that extends from the Navajo foundation of learning and it contains the harmony and balance that we hear in the Navajo teachings of the male and female concepts. By understanding the duality concept, the Navajo child will internalize the cultural knowledge that has been shared through the oral storytelling of their elders and it is still being shared by some families. I mentioned the words of some families because the families who carry on these teachings come from a more traditional background teaching. Today, there are a variety of background family belief systems. The Navajo language was once an oral language, and the storytelling was the only means of communication in sharing cultural stories and knowledge being instilled in the children by their parents, grandparents and extended family members were being shared by the mother tongue.
If a child is raised with a strong emphasis on cultural values, morals, and teachings, they will understand the concepts of the duality principle. It would take a whole lifetime of learning for a Navajo person to learn the cultural values, morals, and teachings of the universe. The list below is only a few of the examples that will be shared with the students:
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Male |
Female |
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Sun (Johonaa’ei): Every morning we are blessed with the sun rays and offer our blessings to the east. The sun rays open our eyes, heart, and mind to our natural surroundings and to be thankful for all things and people. |
Moon (Tl’eehonaa’ei): She is the one that provides us with the four seasons and twelve months of the year. She helps us to develop and to continue to grow. |
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The Sky is known as Father Sky (Yadilhil): As a Navajo person, we look upwards and acknowledge our purpose in the natural order of life. |
The Earth is known as Mother Earth (Nahasdzaan): She is our mother, and she teaches us to walk in the beauty way path of life. As we walk upon her, she blesses us with the beauty of our natural surroundings. |
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Dawn (Hayoolkaal) which is at the light of the light of the day. Also, referred to as the Early Dawn Spirit and he is our grandfather. When we greet him at dawn, we gain positive thinking and develop ourselves into a mature or wise individual. |
Nihootsoi (Evening) which is when the sunset happens in the sky. Also, referred to as the Evening Twilight and she is our grandmother. Our goal is developed from birth to old age. She provides us with the understanding of clanship and kinship in learning to interact with others and nature. |
The cultural teachings that students will be looking up can be read and shared through the following topic areas: the weather conditions, constellations, plants, hogans (e.g. male and female Navajo house dwellings), kinship and clanship storytelling, cardinal directions teachings, sacred mountain stories, the origin stories, songs, games, cooking, weaving and rug making, and many more areas.
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