American Indian Culture and Research Journal

The temporal markers of the Navajo universe not only divide and organize time but also serve as a guide to human life through their association with specific patterns of behavior and thought. In this paper, which is based on fieldwork and ethnohistoric sources, I will discuss the concept of order in Navajo Creation, identify the sets of markers for the division of time, document their visual depiction in sandpaintings, examine their symbolic representation in the hooghan, and explore how these temporal markers have the capacity to influence human thought and conduct. The Concept of Order in Navajo Creation The concept of dynamic order is of tremendous importance to Navajo philosophy. Creation occurred nizhónígo, or "in an orderly and proper way." The enclitic "-go" at the end of the word nizhónígo means "in that way" and denotes an on-going, continuing process. Thus, rather than being a static quality, orderliness must be continuously recreated through time. Each of the successive lower worlds was more ordered than the world(s) before it. The First World was inhabited by insects and was the most chaotic of all. This red world was characterized by confusion, uncertainty, and error. Each subsequent upward migration toward emergence onto the Earth's surface led to greater stability, order, and knowledge. Thus, we see a progression toward a more orderly way of life.