Well today I thought I would talk a little bit
about my culture, and as a Native American I am proud to say that my tribe is Navajo
(Dine). In my culture we have 4 clans, and within those 4 clans I can tell who
is related to me and who is not. Having four clans allows me to find out who is
related to me (it is like finding your extended family, that you didn’t know
you have), and by just those 4 individual clans I can tell who is related to me.
**Note that the people that are related to me are not blood line related. In my
four clans I can identify my family members and calling them mom, dad, sister,
brother, daughter, son, aunty, uncle, grandma, and grandpa. (It gets a little confusing
if I explain that part but I am welling to explain it later, but for now I’ll
leave it as simple as I can explain it). But for those who are not related to
me by my clan group, it allows me to date or marry someone who is not related
to me by clan. This is because in my culture it is wrong to marry someone
within my clan group, it is like dating someone who is my family. I well give
an example of my clan and my clan groups. AND to see other clan groups here is
a website link that I use Navajo Clan System
My clan groups for each of my four clans (The one
that has ** are my clans):
CLAN RELATIONSHIP GROUP 2
Honaghaahnii One-walks-around
clan
(Original Clan)
(Original Clan)
To'ahani
Near the water clan
Ta'neeszahnii
Tangle clan
Hashk'aa
hadzohi Yucca
Fruit-Strung-Out-In-A-Line clan
**Nihoobaanii
Gray Streaked-Ends clan
Ts'ah
yisk'idnii Sage
Brush Hill clan
**Dzi l t
l'ahnii Mountain cove clan
Dzi l na'oodi
l nii The turning mountain
people clan
CLAN RELATIONSHIP GROUP 8
To'aheedliinii
The Water Flow Together clan
Naakai dine'e
The Mexican clan
Nooda'i dine'e
The Ute clan
(Adopted clan)
(Adopted clan)
**Keha'atiinii The Foot
Trains People clan
(Adopted clan)
(Adopted clan)
CLAN RELATIONSHIP GROUP 9
Tsi'naajinii
Black Streak Wood People clan
Deeshchii'nii
Start of the Red Streak People clan
Kin l ichii'nii
Red House clan
Tl'izi lani
Many Goats
Tl'aashchi'I
The Red Bottom People clan
**Tsenabahitnii Sleep Rock
People clan
Shash dine'e/ Nashashi
The Bear People clan
( Adopted clan )
( Adopted clan )
T'iisch'ebaanii
Gray Cottenwood Extending out clan
With
the example that I have provided it explains who are related to me by groups.
For instance: For my first clan which is The Foot Trains People Clan I would be
related to The Water Flow Togther Clan, The Mexican Clan, and The Ute Clan. (So
he/she would be my mom, dad, sister, brother, uncle, aunty, grandma, grandpa, daughter,
and son. Depending on the order of introduction) AND I know that my
clans are related to each other and I told you that it was wrong. But long
story short my parents have asked their parents but they said no. (Messed up
right, but it is all good at least I know now and I can prevent myself from
doing that and I can carry on my tradition to my future kids.
The way I got my 4 clans are from my parents and my
grandpas (one from my mom and one from my dad side). So, if I was to introduce
my clan to someone I would say my mother clan, my father clan, my maternal
clan, my paternal clan, and then after that I would say where I am from. But
just to give an example I well use mine.
First clan (Mother Clan): Keha'atiinii (The
Foot Trains People clan)
Second clan
(Father Clan): Dzi l t l'ahnii (Mountain
cove clan)
Third clan
(Maternal Clan): Nihoobaanii (Gray
Streaked-Ends clan)
Fourth clan
(Paternal Clan): Tsenabahitnii (Sleep
Rock People clan).
And this is
the way I would introduce myself to someone and being able to find out who is
related me.
If you have
any questions/comments or you want me to go into more detail about my topic “clans”
please let me know and I will be glad to explain and go into more detail. J thanks for reading and I hope you
all have a wonderful and blessed day.
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