Hogan (Navajo Home) on the Floor of Canyon de Chelly, Arizona
"There is good in harmony – the harmony of the Navajo with the universe and all living creatures on earth. When he lives in accordance with the universe, he can expect the wealth of a clean soul that protects the whole being from the evil that preys upon his sacred dwellings.
The Hogan is built in the manner of this harmony. The roof is in the likeness of the sky. The walls are in the likeness of the Navajo's surroundings: the upward position of the mountains, hills, and trees. And the floor is ever in touch with the "earth mother".
The Hogan is comprised of white shell, abalone, turquoise, and obsidian, bringing the home and the sacred mountains into one sacred unit. The home is also adorned with the dawn, the blue sky, the twilight and the night – the sun in the center as the fire.
Consistent with this harmony are prayers, songs, ideas, and plans – a desire for all good things. Fire, water, air, and soil are required for the existence and well-being of every living thing – plants as well as animals; they all become a part of the home and its harmony with the universe.
When the Hogan is finished, a medicine man blesses the home in beauty, with happiness from all directions, from the earth and the sky, with protection from illnesses and all things evil, with the promise of shelter to the family and anyone in need. During the sing or in the process of the dedication, the home is marked from the inside above the walls in four directions (representing the sacred mountains) to remind the family and all others that the home has been dedicated and blessed and thus it is in the grace of the Great Spirit.
The Hogan is a sacred dwelling. It is the shelter of the people, a protection, a home, and a refuge. Because of the harmony in which the Hogan is built, the family can be together to endure hardships and grow as part of the harmony between the sacred mountains, under the care of "Mother Earth" and "Father Sky"."
~Ray Baldwin Lewis~
This photo gives a good sense of the setting at the bottom of Canyon De Chelly. The tour guide said that the large Cottonwood tree just to the left of the Hogan was there as long as he can remember, it just wasn't as large around when he was a boy.
Thanks so much for commenting on my photo of the Navajo hogan in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. We see hogans all throughout our area--many times there will be a modern home with a hogan off to the side.