THE CEREMONY ALMANDA BROOKS
There are always people who claim to be something they
what others see from the outside. You are a beautiful, smart,
are not. As a child, I believed in everything good in life. Even
intelligent woman. You know so much, but you don’t give
thought at one point I had seen the Holy People we pray to
yourself enough credit. They see you as better than them. That’s
during a ceremony. I’ve been to many ceremonies and felt them
why they want you gone!” She does have a point. I don’t see
bland and fake. I suppose I was expecting the whole “witch doc-
myself as that. To me, I am nobody. I don’t have anything… It’s
tor” thing to help us. You feel this sense of aura from people and
as though she can read my mind, “You know, for a smart person,
immediately you can feel the disturbance within their character.
you can be pretty stupid. Why can’t you stop, think, and be
Finding someone pure in soul is quite impossible. There are so
grateful for everything in front of you? You’re not the only one
many scams going around and people taking advantage of
who is struggling with anxiety and depression.”
people who only want to be helped. For a while, I gave up on it
because I have a difficult time trusting and believing in people.
er. If it weren’t for her guidance, I’d be lost. She tells me of this
medicine man out in Ganado, Arizonal area who has Tin7l44h.
I have been dormant with religion and tradition for
My sister has always been my number one support-
the longest time because of all the disappointments I had
For the sanctity of his practice I will not give his name nor his
endured. Apparently, I believed that God and the Holy People
location. I believe that Diyin Dine'4 always finds a way to bring
we pray to are supposed to take care of us and make us happy.
me back into this religion when I am lost.
Why wasn’t I happy? Why did we need these ceremonies to be
cured of life’s ailments? Aren’t we the cause for who we are as
feeling pretty skeptical, and my mom can see it too. She is a
people? All these questions had made me lose faith immensely.
wise woman who believes heavily in this. She would always tell
me, “This is the way to go. You are Navajo. How else are you
One day, my sister sat me down and told me about
I go out to Ganado the next day to see this guy. I am
everything that I had been feeling. She suggested I start praying
supposed to get better? You may be half white, but the blood of
again and paying the medicine men and women a visit. “You got
my ancestors is within you too,” she says.
to remember there is also a devil, and he is good at stealing
.
people’s faith in our Diyin Dine'4 ,” she said. “The skinwalkers are
out to get you woman.” We refer to our Holy People as “Diyiin Diné.” It is a sacred word to us as Navajos for our stories of our existence are based on these deities.
“I don’t know who to turn to. I just feel like all these
medicine people can’t help.’ ‘It’s as though the power we believed in has left us.” I said. “Why do skinwalkers have beef with me? I have done nothing to them but breathe haha.” I joked.
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She immediately gets defensive, “You should look at
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