11/18/2022
Tsílii
Ałtsé Diyin Diné'é Bíléichą́ą́'ah
The First Dog of the Holy People
Was a chihuahua puppy. Long time ago, way back after life had settled here in this world, the Holy People became aware of needing someone or something to protect their homes and warn them of visitors and intruders. They became aware of a small animal, the original tiny creature that had wandered across their path. This small animal was too small to be of any importance and the Holy People did not know what to make of it. Certain events had happened and Guests had shown up unexpectedly and there was no warning.
One day some Holy People came to visit when there was a gathering inside the hogan and they were planning out how life would be lived for humankind in the future. They also did planning in the Tachéé for certain things and thought, prayed and sang things into existence, but this happened in earlier times and in some stories, in the First World, the Black World. When the Holy People came up from Hajínei, the place of Emergence, they had to decide how they were going to live in this new world, the Glittering World. They did this in every World they journeyed from. There is a story of the Cicada, Wonééshchíídii that "won" permission to live here by passing 2 arrows through his body, when the Holy People first came up after the Flood of the previous world. Anyway, the Holy People heard a bark. "What a strange sound" one of them said, a yip, yip and growls. Nothing like it had been heard before. They went outside to look and there was the Chihuahua barking at the arrival of some other Holy People. They greeted each other and then the Holy People began to tolerate this small mysterious animal. Over time the Dog kept barking and barking and this irritated the Holy People. They had decided they were going to kill it, in order to make it shut up and stop barking.
The One day, some Holy People arrived and Dog didn't bark, it made no sound. The Holy People asked, "What's wrong with you? Why didn't you bark and let us know we had company?". The shivering small pup answered, "I did not bark because I heard you say that you were going to kill me and I warn of everything that comes around, the good and the bad, i see things in all directions". The Holy People thought for a moment and spoke among themselves and then declared right then and there that the Dog would be a forever a warning signal, one who cries, barks, at the arrival of anyone coming to the Homes of the Holy People and then later on Humankind. They saw that the Dog could see things and hear things better than they could. That his eyes and ears were more sensitive and could see through clouds, shadows and that the Dog could smell better than they could. The Holy People said, "Let's keep him around as our pet and he's vaulable to us". So this is how First Dog was made a protector of the Home.
Diné People are told and taught that the Dog is a sacred animal, it is protected by the Holy People. It is not good to kill a Dog for just any reason. You have to have a good reason to take a dog's life. Killing and/or harming a Dog is seen as a serious offense to the Holy People. Often People get affected and need a special ceremony where the body of the Dog is remade using balls of cornmeal or clay and health and harmony is restored within the mind and life of the Diné individual, family or community. There used to be many songs and prayers for dogs but those went extinct.
