On May 17, 2012, my good friend and mentor, Will Tsosie talked to my Native Animal Behavior class on the topic of “Navajo Views on the Animal People.” Will is someone I would call a Navajo “orthodox traditionalist.” He does not belong to the Native American Church, nor does he adhere to the tenets of western Christianity, but rather he follows the ways of his earliest ancestors and the teachings of the Navajo Holy People. Will’s presentation captures perfectfully the traditional Navajo view of the Animal People … one based on the concepts of interspecies kinship and respect.
Will is an archaeologist for the Navajo Nation and has BA degrees in Anthropology and Southwest Studies from Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado.
Thanks to Jake Sullivan for taping and preparing this video, and to Stoo Sepp for getting it up online.
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