59 "A Navajo Tradition"
Something I believe we should consider.
“A Navajo Tradition”
Something I believe we should consider.
Back in the days of the so-called “wild” Indians, the Navajo had a ritual that they still use today, and I feel this idea should be considered for use today in some cases. Not necessarily the ritual, but the tradition or idea.
My brother-in-law is constantly researching his ancestry in south western Colorado. Also, in his history finding searches, he has done a lot of investigating of the Indian background, especially in that area, mostly the Ute and Navajo tribes of southern Colorado and New Mexico.
Anyway, he brought to my attention a certain ritual that the Navajo went through to deal with their “wrong-doers”. They still perform this ritual to a certain extent.
By Navajo tradition, life is continuity or betrayal. A Hataalii is a Navajo singer who is both, a singer and a councilor. Hozho, to the Navajo, is living in harmony. [Meaning the absence of ambiguity, uncertainty and indecision.]
The Navajo Hataalii ceremony reenacts some historic situation and is viewed both as a means of preserving history and a way to influence ideas of an audience.
The Navajo Hozho is designed to bring a “wrong-doer” back into harmony. By comparison, the Bilagaanii (white man) justice often favors punishment over treatment*. This to some is viewed as revenge. Perhaps the true concept of Hozho, to a Hataalii, allows ceremonial adjustment to achieve human adjustment. As a means of historic preservation the ceremony is more often subject to interpretation than a written history and may evolve quicker into inaccuracies. Thus, like many natural acts, can be correctly judged both good and bad when taken out of context of a specific setting.
*Punishment is a result of a cultural placing of blame, which to Hataalii is best treated by character reinforcement. By traditional Navajo culture negative thoughts or speaking can cause bad things to happen.
Anyway, the article above made me think about how we treat; or should I say punish, our criminals today. Sure there are the ones that need actual punishment, but then there are some that we punish that could be treated. I admit that the courts do look at this at times, but in my eyes, not often enough.
There are young people that are first time offenders that are incarcerated with older, hardened criminals that could be treated. By being placed in the situation they are, probably, off the top of my head, 90% of the time hardened themselves.
Although the Indians in general were considered uneducated, which they were, and sometimes animals, they were very intelligent in their own rights and only uneducated according to our ways, but then so were most of the white men in the wild west. And I feel they were really in touch with the inner self a lot more than the white man, at that time and now. I feel that we could learn a lot from them even today, if we would just listen.
Greg
