Dine bahane The Navajo Creation Story trans. by Paul G. Zolbrod

Because we are learning about the lives of all different indigenous people, "The Navajo Creation Story" has interesting parallels to contemporay life views. I am currently reading "Dine bahane'" in my mythology class. This creation story is in a way similar to Christian views and values depicted in the "Bible." For example, The Creation Story explains how a man and a woman come into existence. The story tells that a white ear of corn is blown into life with the wind into a male and a yellow ear of corn is transformed into a female. The wind created the life of the first male and female and that proof of ancestory is apparent in the lines of our finger tips. From those people ancestors were born. Is this not parallel to the creation story of Adam and Eve, and the procession of ancestors from them? Other religions and creation stories have parallels to the "Dine bahane'" and the "Bible" as well. If this is so, why is it so hard to allow indigenous people today to freely practice their religion and beliefs without being persecuted against. For example, in the movie we viewed,"KANEHSATAKE: 270 Years of Resistance" the rights of the Mohawk tribe were defied because the local community wanted to build a golf course on their sacred burial grounds. Why would such a religious holy site be desicrated in such a way. Should the people of the community who support the golf course as well as the government not feel sympathy for the Mohawk tribe? Would they not feel persecuted if their own cemetaries were boldozed for the construction of an amusment park? Why are people in America not more passionate toward the culture of Native American people when that culture in many ways resembles their own?