Rather than reaching skyward from the plains as most mountains do, the canyon is hidden from the world until one happens upon it. Some of the most important things that have happened for our people has happened within this canyon. On the top of Canyon De Chelly is one of the places the Holy Ones first set their foot. This is a very holy place. It is here within the canyon that the Holy Ones taught us how to live. To this day we hold the Holy Ones in high esteem. We honor them and the teachings they gave us. We honor them by keeping alive the teachings they gave us and by living the important truths found in them.

Our ceremonies are very sacred to us. The Holy Ones watch us and see how we protect them. People come here and try to learn about our ceremonies to write a book, or make a movie. But they are not interested in the power or truths in the ceremony. They are only interested in making money. In some of these books you can find some of our most sacred stories that teach us how to live, some of the greatest lessons of life. These are things that should not be told outside of the ceremony, for they have great power, and used in the wrong way can cause great harm to Mother Earth and all things that live on it. We decry these people who have exploited our culture for their own ends. These people cause great harm to themselves and to others.

Our culture is like a tiny baby. It must be taken care of. We don't hand our tiny baby to just anyone. It must be taken care of, cherished, and looked after. Those who exploit our culture selfishly diminish it. Our culture survives because we treat it like a baby. It will be here for our grandchildren. It will teach them, as it has taught us, to maintain a balance, a beauty with life.

You will not find within these pages any of these sacred things. For they are only to be known, felt and understood within the Ceremonies. This is the only safe place where these things can be learned. We ask all peoples of the world to respect these things. If you do wish to learn the Navajo way, we say to you, Come. Do not make it a passing fad in your life but come and make it a way of life. We will teach you the peaceable way to live and be happy. The Navajo way is not just for the Navajo but was given by the Holy Ones for all peoples. It will bless their lives.

We also have our immediate family. We have a great responsibility to our family, for without the family we as a people would have an end. Within the family everyone has an important part to play. If any members of the family doesn't fulfill his responsibility the whole family suffers.

There is a male and a female side to each of us. The male side is our aggressive side. It is our warring side and the lying, cheating, negative, evil side. Our female side is where we will find love, compassion and nurturing. Both of these sides are in each of us. However, men are men, and women are women. We each have responsibilities in the family. The woman uses her nurturing side to take care of the family and the hogan. The man uses his aggressive side to provide for the physical necessities for his family. Just because the man and the woman have their own roles doesn't mean they can't do the work of the other as each person has both the male and female sides within them. It is not wrong for a man to cook, wash the dishes, change diapers, wash the kids, and so fourth if this is needed of him. The same thing holds true of the woman in doing male roles. But there are certain limits as to what a man can do on the female side and a woman can do on the male side. We will not give a woman a bow and arrow and tell her to go and kill in war, although she could do this if it was the final option to protect her family. Everyone, including children, have a responsibility to keep the home alive, well, clean and safe.

South: This is our planning direction where we plan what we are going to do. The sun sets in the...

West: This is our life, and is where we do our living. Here is where we act out our plan and our thoughts of the east and south directions of our lives. The sun goes down in the...

North: This is the evaluation portion of our lives. This is where we get our satisfaction and we evaluate the outcome of what we first started in the east. Here is where we determine to change things to make it better, or to see we are on the right path and should continue the cycle.

Every day the cycle is repeated. In each cycle there is a lesson to be learned. During the day when we fall, we stand back up and see what we can do differently the next day. Each dawn is a new start. If you are an alcoholic, if you are a drug abuser, if you did something in the past, early dawn is when you can start a new life again. There is a new renewal. This is how much Mother Earth and Father Sky love us. They give us the chance every morning to start our life new. The Creator answers our prayers in the early morning. We ask for their guidance and assistance to help us with whatever we do.