Each clan originates from various areas of the Navajo country, making use of their meaning that is own and tale to their rear. (picture: grandriver/Getty pictures)
For the Navajo people, launching yourself is mostly about more than simply telling some body your title, it is about sharing in which you originate from.
You live, but more what defines you where you»come from» isn’t just the location of where. When it comes to Navajo individuals who comes from their clans.
The Navajo individuals life style revolves around kinship or K’e, which comes from familial and clan relationships.
«K’e is really a thought that is unifying among the list of Navajo individuals,» stated Evangeline Parsons Yazzie, composer of «Dine Bizaad Binahoo’aah: Rediscovering The Navajo Language» and Professor Emerita of Navajo from Northern Arizona University.
«It began aided by the individuals. It had been a present in their mind by their deities,» she included.
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Navajo clans
In Navajo culture, Changing Woman, a revered Navajo deity, developed the Navajo individuals. Them with four clans when she was about to leave on her journey back to the West, she gifted.
“The clan is truly essential for all of us to spot ourselves.”
Grace Tracy, social liaison for Tsehootsooi clinic
The four initial clans of this Navajo folks are Kinyaa’aanii (The Towering House clan), Honaghaahnii (One-walks-around clan), Todich’ii’nii (Bitter Water clan) and Hashtl’ishnii (Mud clan).
The clan system was Changing female’s method of telling the Navajo people who this may provide you with who you really are, said Grace Tracy, social liaison for Tsehootsooi infirmary in Fort Defiance, Arizona.
«The clan is truly crucial ourselves,» she added for us to identify.
Today, there are many more than 100 clans among the list of Navajo individuals. Tracy said each clan originates from various areas of the Navajo country, due to their meaning that is own and story in it.
The way the clans are employed
The Navajo individuals are a matrilineal and matrilocal culture, with every individual owned by four various clans. The initial clan is through the mom, second may be the father, third could be the maternal grandfather and also the 4th may be the grandfather that is paternal.
«the way in which this clan system is organized leads to the mother’s clan being carried ahead constantly, whereas the father’s clan rounds out after two generations,» in accordance with NavajoWOTD.com.
The Navajo individuals are frustrated from dating or someone that is marrying matching maternal and paternal clans.
Usually, Yazzie stated, whenever a young child comes into the world and presented to its mom, the caretaker greets the newborn by telling them their maternal clan, followed closely by the paternal clan.
«the caretaker concludes with, ‘In in this manner, you may be my child,'» Yazzie stated. «that is exactly what we are expected to do whenever our infant comes into the world.»
K’e and clanship unify the Navajo individuals, Yazzie stated, providing a feeling of belonging.
whenever a Navajo individual presents by themselves to some other Navajo one who occurs to own more than one regarding the clans that are same do, those two become associated through clan.
«You develop familial relationships,» Yazzie stated.
Those relationships assist the Navajo individuals, specially when these are typically far from the Navajo country.
«You need to establish your feeling of belonging the type of individuals you are launching you to ultimately. Additionally, you may be telling them she said that you are Navajo.
Launching your self in Navajo
whenever a Navajo individual presents by themselves it frequently starts with a greeting.
Ya’at’eeh (Hello).
They transfer to their title.
Shi ei (name) yinishye (i will be called . )
Following title, they introduce their four clans.
Mom’s clan nishli?
Father’s clan bashishchiin
Maternal grandfather’s clan dashicheii
Paternal grandfather’s clan dashinali
An English interpretation could be «we have always been (mom’s clan), created for (daddy’s clan), my maternal grandfather is (maternal grandfather’s clan), my paternal grandfather’s clan is (paternal grandfather’s clan).
If some body additionally originates from another history perhaps not an element of the Navajo clan system, it really is typical practice to substitute out of the clan for a word showing that history, relating to NavajoWOTD.com.
The introduction is normally closed down with Ahehee’, which equals many thanks or i’m grateful.
