Death Navajo Style

Death Navajo Style

By Joseph Parish

It stands to reason that the majority of cultures around the globe have fostered diverse burial rituals. These conventions and meaningful behaviors may fluctuate somewhat according to the religious followings implicated, but they all have one conclusive objective, to guide the deceased to his or her final journey in the afterlife. These undertakings involve the explicit protocols expounded for cleaning and dressing the dead body, and in preparation of the customary funeral arrangements. Generally, the structure of the religion influences which provisions and obligations are required to fulfill the details of moving the soul from its earthly fringes and on into its eternal resting place.

It is of no concern if the religion of the deceased is Baptist, Buddhist, Catholic, Episcopalian, Hindu, Jewish, Lutheran, Methodist, Mormon, Muslim, or any other conviction of faith in practice today, each has their exclusive traditions to respect. The Methodist belief is that those who trust and believe in God will ultimately spend their everlasting life with Him. Usually upon death, a pastor is contacted to facilitate the arrangement of the funeral service and console the grieving family members. Options for several methods of interment is offered, either by cremation or the more traditional in ground burial. Numerous other Christian focused religions support an analogous pattern as with the Methodists.

Correspondingly, the members of the Catholics faith, believe that death is nothing less than an exploit of the soul transitioning from our physical realm of existence, towards the afterlife, where it will dwell in either Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory. The creed further argues that upon Christ’s return, the dead bodies will be resurrected once again.  A priest is customarily summoned towards the arrival of death, to administer special rites and the Holy Communion, to the dying individual.  Previously, cremation was unacceptable to the Catholic Church, however, in scrutinizing the conventional church practices, it is now acceptable for Catholic’s to be cremated.

Moving forward from the traditional Christian beliefs to the Muslim traditions, we encounter the familiar belief that the good which one accomplishes in this life will afford entry into Paradise when the Day of Judgment is reached. Their conjecture is that until the Last Days are upon us, the dead will remain embedded within their tombs. Heaven and Hell is a typical acceptance for members of the Muslim religion.

Having sketchily embraced the foremost religions of the world, let us now progress to the primary objective of this article – that of the Navajo death practices and beliefs. Notable within the Native American tradition was the perception that there was no need to fear the condition of death itself, but rather the reflection that the departed may return to visit the living. It is thought-provoking to examine how the Navajo beholds the beginning of death. Concurring with the native legend, death began when the early native people positioned an animal skin in the water. It was deemed that if the skin were to float, then death would never exist, unfortunately it sunk to the bottom, and we are now experiencing death.

The Navajo tribe did not keep an eye on the hide following its placement in the water, but instead focused their concentration upon other nearby matters. Unknowing to the Indians, as their back was turned, a deceptive coyote covertly proceeded to hurl a number of heavy rocks onto the hide, causing it to descend deeply into the water. After it was all done and over with, a tribal medicine man approached the coyote and inquired as to why he had performed such a dastardly deed. The coyote’s response was simply that if he had not done so, and no one ever dies, there would come a time when there is no longer any land available where the people could live. Now, we know why death overcomes each and every one of us.

The Navajo people believe that upon the death of a person, the deceased journeys to the underworld. To warrant the safety of the dead person from the sharpness of death during this venture, certain provisions must always be engaged at the time of the deceased member's burial. These measures are pursued to ensure that the dead person's soul does not return to the land of the living. One custom which is sternly followed is that you must never look at the dead body. Only designated people within the tribe are permitted to come in contact with the lifeless body.

As per the Navajo custom, whenever death appears to be imminent, the individual should be transferred to a detached location to await the arrival of death. If the person should die within their home, then it is obligatory to completely demolish the home. At the location chosen for the terminally ill person to await the arrival of death, family members and the tribal medicine man will remain with the person until the end. After death, everyone is commanded to depart the area of the body, except for one or two close relatives. Naturally, these people should be agreeable to assume the risks involved in exposing themselves to evil spirits.

Two men are then entrusted with the preparation of the deceased body, and getting it equipped for burial. No clothing of any sort is worn throughout this procedure, other than a pair of moccasins. Ash is smeared all over the volunteers’ bodies to shield them from the evil spirits which are present. As with most burial practices, prior to the interment, the deceased body is washed and properly groomed.

While all of this is taking place, two additional men begin excavating the grave. The following day the funeral is conducted at the grave, whereby only the four men are in attendance. The dead person's personal belongings are judiciously loaded upon a horse, and forthwith brought to the grave site, led by one of the men, while the body is transported to the location upon the shoulders of another. A fourth man acts as a warning scout, informing others along the way to stay away.

Once the body is entombed in the ground, care must be considered to ensure that all footprints are eradicated from the vicinity of the grave, and the tools which were used during the ceremonies are destroyed. There are no outward expressions of anguish or grief witnessed by members of the Navajo tribe. You will not observe crying taking place when a Navajo dies. Beliefs confirm that the spirit's journey to the next world is unsympathetically interrupted in the event that too much emotions are displayed.

No one can say with any conviction which belief is true or which may be a better representation of death practices, but I deduce that the significance lies within the mind of those who believe. As the Bible testifies in John 14:2,

" In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Although I am a certified minister, I am not the least remotely considered a scholarly expert on the words of God, however, for all we know, perchance this is a prime example of what Jesus was refereeing too as he made this famous statement.

Be sure to visit www.wordwriter.info for more interesting articles.