Sacred Land, Sacred View: Navajo Perceptions of the Four Corners Region

by Robert S. McPherson

Dramatic geographical formations tower over the Four Corners country in the southwestern United States. The mountains, cliffs, and sandstone spires, familiar landmarks for anglo travelers, orient Navajos both physically and spiritually. In Sacred Land, Sacred View, Robert McPherson describes the mythological significance of these landmarks. Navajos read their environment as a spiritual text: the gods created the physical world to help, teach, and protect people through an integrated system of beliefs represented in nature. The author observes that the Middle East is of "no greater import to Christians than the Dine's holy land is to Navajos." He continues: "Sacred mountains circumscribe the land, containing the junction of the San Juan River and Mancos Creek, where Born for Water invoked supernatural aid to overcome danger and death and where, at the Bear's Ears formation, good triumphed over evil." The more one learns about the Dine, the more one inevitably admires their way of perceiving and interpreting what lies just beyond the focus of human vision. Their renowned respect for nature and way of living in harmony with the environment derive from their religious traditions.

Genres: Native American

152 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

Reviews

[Kirk Astroth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of Navajo beliefs and views. Really explains a lot. Loved the story of how night and day came about with a shoe game and why Navajos don't eat fish.

[J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable book.