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Creation In The Navajo Culture

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Navajo Culture
The underlying culture or theme in the Navajo religion has to do with creation. The story talks about the institution and processes that guarantee growth. The key terms in the discourse are numerous, and they include the first man’s medicine. This is described as the ultimate source for everything on the surface of the earth. It is said to provide continuity for the Navajo people and is the source of all humans’ beings created and is the tie that binds everything together. Another key term is the Niiyaii, which is said to be the entities created. These entities are forms that do not take any particular structure in the Navajo culture, but they are present in everything in the world. Creation is a major term in the Navajo culture …show more content…

According to the culture and religion of the people, the existence of everything can be classified as either good or bad. There are the holy people who are supernatural, and the people that reside on the earth’s surface are two different entities. The holy people through circumstances made their entry into the world and thereby came the first man and woman and they are the first ancestors of all men on earth. Thy provided the earth with all that is needed for survival and then moved to exist in a different realm of the earth that is said to be above the earth. It is, however, to be noted that they are interested in the happenings of the world and the people that inhabit the earth’s surface. It is, therefore, imperative for the people to constantly keep in touch with them to keep the peace. This aspect is the most important one in the life of the Navajo …show more content…

In the Genesis story, there is the presence of only one supernatural God that overlooks every aspect of life. Navajo people believe that all that currently exists existed before and just took on a form to exist on earth. The genesis worldview is of the opinion that there was nothing in existence and that a supernatural being, in this case God, created everything from scratch and gave man mandate over it. Navajo people have faith in both the harmony and appeasement of the deities to have a fulfilling life while the Genesis model advocates for the aspect of personal choice which if disobeyed results in dire consequences. It is clearly evident that, though the two stories differ in one way they tend to have a view that is similar. The two views are similar in the belief of a supernatural being that creates and overlooks all aspects of the world. This means that there is recognition of power beyond the human control that directs the present situations on earth. However, powers ascribed to differ as in the Navajo, the belief is in many deities. Both views also look at the appeasement of the supernatural being or beings in order to remedy the situations that prevail on earth. If the supernatural is not pleased with human action, there is bound to be consequences that affect the human life such as

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