How Cool Are We?

Posted on behalf  of Ashlynn Black

Growing up, I had the greatest pride about being Native American. I am a member of one of the smallest groups of people in the world. And, to be raised in an environment that promotes and fosters a positive mindset about being Native is something that I am very grateful for. Raised as a traditional Navajo woman, there were many perspectives, values and beliefs that I was taught. And, without really being told about the differences in mindsets and perspectives that Navajos have compared to other cultures, I went about living life differently from others. What do I mean by this? I will explain in the next few paragraphs.

There is a Native group in New Zealand that looks at the world from an entirely different perspective. They put a large emphasis on directions. Weird, right? By this, I mean that, when telling directions, they do it from a bird’s eye perspective. From their minds, it’s like they see the world from a bird’s eye view. And, like the Native group in New Zealand, I believe that many of the Native Americans who have incredibly beautiful perspectives of their environment and people. I’d like to focus on Navajo people a little bit more.

Navajo people look at health very holistically, where the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual parts of themselves are very connected. Lacking in one category can have a massive effect on the other components. While this is fine and dandy, what makes it even more interesting is when they incorporate the elements into it. They believe that praying to Mother Earth and Father Sky are crucial, because they hold it at the utmost importance.

And, when we look at our ancestors, we see how healthy they were at one point. They traveled miles to meet relatives, and they traveled even more miles to partake in ceremonies, dances and more. In addition to that, they had a strong foundation in their spiritual connection with the Earth. For example, it is something of the utmost importance to run in the morning and pray towards the East. One should take his or her tadidiin (corn pollen) and speak to the Holy People, Mother Earth, and Father Sky to ask for good blessings and for good health. When we look at this highly treasured practice, we see how beautifully connected the people are to the environment and to their health. The practice promotes physical, mental, and spiritual health, while also providing some benefits to emotional health.

Being Dineh is wonderful, because the perspective in life is something that many are not accustomed to. There’s a strong and beautiful tie that one can make between his or herself with the environment. Therefore, his or her health is connected to the environment. His or her soul is one with the environment.

Now, I’d like to end with a poem:

The clicks of the tongue

And the tonal flow of the words

Creates a strong and beautiful connection

With the beautiful Earth.

He who denies this relationship

Is on a long journey to self-empowerment.