Time of spiritual significance, renewal

By Harold G. Begay

Editor’s note: Harold G. Begay, Ph.D., is from Tónaneesdizí. Dr. Begay is a U.S. Marine veteran. He earned a doctorate in educational administration from the University of Arizona. He is Táchii’nii and born for Tódích’íi’nii.

Dr. Begay also holds a bachelor’s and a master’s from Northern Arizona University. He served as the Department of Diné Education superintendent. He worked with the Gifted Education Graduate Program, the Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation, and Arizona State University. He also collaborated with Stanford University in gifted education and was a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

December 21, 2024, will mark the day when the sun will appear “stationary” for at least three days, a time when this yearly celestial aeon event marks the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere with the shortest days and the longest nights.

Many people do not realize that this extraordinary cosmic change of season is celebrated around the world with sacred observances. In the southern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs in June, which marks the summer solstice in our northern hemispheric calendar. Some e-transnational scholars say, “Solstice is a compound word from Latin meaning ‘Sun stands still.’”. The cosmic solstice cycle is a significant observance for cultures around the world as a time for renewal, to evoke peace, prosperity, goodwill, a new beginning, and a renewal to and for Mother Earth’s sustenance. For some of us, we remember as youngsters, we were told this time is considered very sacred and special for this time marks “the rebirth of the sun,” or “jóhonaa’éí naachííh.” This time has also been called “sháhníyáh,” “the end of sun’s summer journey,” at least in some sectors of our homeland.

During the winter solstice, with the long winter nights, many recall evenings after dinner, on a cloth on the dirt floor in the sacred home, the hogan, were spent on cultural stories of the coyote tales, mą’ii jooldloshí, winter night sky constellation stories, string games, keh ninaaljeh, shoe game, and many other winter stories from grandparents who with their tone of voice, gestures, vocabulary gave real life to the stories “do’s and don’ts” for the grandchildren’s well-being, for their life journey.
The primacy of orality in oral cultures, these winter stories offered life lessons rich in expression, power, strength, grace, beauty, and fluidity, making possible a much broader and deeper spectrum of understanding and appreciation of oral winter stories. The primacy of enriched oral stories is largely remiss today in our emerging chirographic (literary) cultures where many in America’s veneer educational system are still too eager to dismiss Native true knowing stories as primitive, thin, brittle knowledge. While there are conflicts about writing, it is at the risk of literature inviting further fragmentation of orality, fragmentation of the strength, harmony, and richness inherent in Diné orality that we now have to look to humanizing virtual digication of our winter oral stories, driving a deeper wedge into the existing epiphany in our precarious culture divide and abandonment.

With our southern pre-Inca scholar contacts, at least in Tiwanaku, Bolivia, this “return of the sun” winter solstice ceremony is the beginning of a new Dawn, the greeting of the sun rays, the rising sun, a new year, with sacred observances and ceremonies for hope, a long life, tranquility, harmony, a fruitful new beginning for all living things, a renewal for Mother Earth sustenance. These deeply sacred values, among other core fundamental values, appear universal whether it is within the sacred cultural observances of Native Peoples of the Americas, the Greco-Roman winter solstice, the Mongolian “Compassionate Heart of Purification” with a Spiritual journey to the North Star, the Pakistani Kalash People (Chawmos), the Germanic-Scandinavian Yuletide, the list goes on.

The sacred observances and spiritual communion reflect profound values of compassionate acts of kindness, collective efforts for inspiration, a long life, a healthy mind, body, and spirit, a fruitful new beginning for all living things, and renewal for Mother Earth’s sustenance. The spiritual offerings would appear to show the breadth and depth of what defines humanity at its core giving light to the complexity of humankind as “Nihookáá Dine’é,” “Earth-Surface Peoples,” as thoughtful human beings. In these unprecedented, challenging times, there is no more significant time for acts of generosity and spirit of service to others.

In Diné traditional teachings, hardship is there for a purpose. Hardship is a wake-up call, a time to pull off the congested highway in one’s life and pull into a rest stop. Hardship is a time for deep critical reflection with oneself, for soul-searching, to tap into abilities, talents, and strength that we never knew we had, and to bring out the best in us to face adversities and challenges and resolve hardships.

The winter solstice sacred observances and spiritual ceremonies may well be the very special time to bring out within us the profound values of compassionate acts of kindness, inspiration, a fruitful new beginning for all living things, determination, courage, resiliency, self-efficacy, collective efficacy, a renewal for Mother Earth’s sustenance.

This wisdom and teachings are deep in our sacred ceremonies and prayer songs. In our winter stories and ceremonies, we were taught that making positive differences for others begins with creating and cultivating that positive difference within ourselves, within one’s selfhood, and only then can we engage in acts of generosity and spirit of service to others. In these unprecedented times, it becomes particularly crucial to maybe revisit, honor, empower, and give life to the teachings from our traditions that await us during the winter solstice.