Life-changing words
Grandmother's advice guides Diné man's path

Mt. Taylor, near Grants, is one of the sacred mountains of the Diné. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

By Natasha Kaye Johnson
Diné Bureau

Benjamin Clark hopes to become a traditional medicine man and collected dirt from the sacred mountains in July 2006 as part of his quest. Clark was hightly motivated after looking up and seeing the Yeibicheii face in the sky one night. He was told as a child that he had to become something, a command that he feels will be fullfilled as a medicine man. [Photo by Daniel Zollinger/Independent]

SHIPROCK — Benjamin Clark never knew the words his late grandmother Mary Yellowhair spoke to him when he was 9 years old would change his life.

It was a late-summer afternoon in Teec Nos Pos when Yellowhair shared with her grandson the importance of maintaining traditional ways as a Diné person.

"She told me as a traditional Diné Indian, you have to accomplish something," Clark, now 47 years old, remembers her saying. "She told me, 'Yes, you are taking the English courses from the bottom to 12th (grade), but you have to stick with Diné culture."

Clark said his grandmother was a weaver, and knew different traditional songs. Her grandpa was also a medicine man in the 1800s.

"You have to keep that going," he remembers his grandmother telling him in Navajo. "There is really none of us here in our family that are like that. I kind of depend on you."

A year later, Yellowhair passed away, and although she had spoken often and shared stories filled with Navajo teachings and philosophy, that particular conversation remained vivid in Clark's memory.

But it would not be until almost 30 years later that Clark would understand why the words she spoke that day would forever be engrained in his memory.

One ordinary summer night, Clark woke up around midnight from a dream. He walked outside where the saw the face the Yei'bi'chei formed by the clouds. There was no mistaking that it was a face, but because the sighting was out of the unusual, he began rethinking what he saw.

"What did I see up there?" he remembers thinking. "Was that my imagination?"

Clark initially decided to not over think the image and went to sleep. But that night, he dreamt about his grandma.

"She told me to be up and be thinking positive, and to go on and do what I told you before you have to become a medicine man," recalls Clark.

As soon as he awoke, he remembered what she said in his dream, and then immediately remembered the day when she told him that he must accomplish something as a Diné person.

"I had that in my mind (when I woke up)," Clark said, still astonished as to how that dream came to him that night. "I never thought about it (what his grandma said)."

Clark consulted with a medicine man and shared what happened. He was told it was just a dream, but during a Beauty Way ceremony, Clark saw a vision of a medicine bundle and a figure told him that he was to do something in this world. He didn't know what it meant, but he prayed. That was nearly eight years ago.

Eight years of learning, singing, praying
After the ceremony, Clark began consulting with different family medicine men. One medicine man interpreted the dreams and visions to mean that Clark might become a medicine man. But Clark didn't understand how that could be.

"I don't really know those kind of stuff," Clark remembers thinking.

Clark also felt that he did not fit the image of a medicine man. Not only was he young, he didn't possess many of the physical traits medicine men have, like a traditional bun and earrings.

While these were initial thoughts that Clark had, the image of the bundle and the figure remained strong.

"That thought of what I'd seen, it kept coming to me," he said.

Careful not to rush into what the thoughts meant, he took his time asking medicine men questions about medicine bundles. One medicine man shared a story of how generations ago, long before the days of the Long Walk and Fort Sumner, medicine men traveled to the top of the sacred mountains to get mountain dirt.

At first Clark remembered thinking, "I'm not a Holy person. How can I get one of these mountain dirt?"

It wouldn't be long after that Clark would discover what his visions and thoughts meant. He was to climb the four sacred mountains and get mountain dirt for a medicine bundle.

"One day I said, 'I'm going to go do it. I'm going to go hike these sacred mountains,'" he said.

He began preparing mentally, physically, and spiritually from that day. Each morning, he woke before the sun rose, and prayed, and then ran. With the permission of medicine men, he began learning prayers and songs. He even changed his diet to healthier foods, knowing that he had to be in shape to climb the mountains.

Six days, six sacred mountains
Eight years later after dreaming about his grandmother, it was decided that he was ready to climb the mountains.

Traditional Diné teachings hold the sacred mountains in high regard. According to the Diné, the sacred mountains were placed on the earth by the Holy People during the time of the Holy World. Each mountain represents policies and procedures that help to define Navajo beliefs. The Diné people were instructed by the Holy People to stay within the sacred mountains because they would protect them, just as a mother would. The mountains are what allow the people to live in harmony with the earth, the animals, and the holy beings.

It was early morning hours of July last year when Clark prayed before leaving Teec Nos Pos for Tsisnaajini' (Sierra Blanca Peak), the sacred mountain to the East that represents early dawn, white shell, and thinking. He drove to San Luis Valley, Colo., where he got specific directions from locals to the mountain.

He drove as far as he could, and then began hiking to the top. His shirt became soaked with sweat, and his knees were shaking, but he kept going until he reached rocky areas he could not climb.

He did not eat during the time he climbed the mountain, but allowed himself only one bottle of water for each mountain. As he walked, he saw remnants of white fossil shell, and thought about the Navajo deity White Shell Woman. He blessed himself with the mountain, grateful and humble that he was blessed with being able to step foot on the mountain.

As Clark shared the moment when he reached as far up the mountain as possible, the tone of his voice changed into awe and amazement.

"Oh man, it was just something else," he recalls of the view and feeling of knowing that he was on a sacred mountain. He picked a spot, and began praying and singing. He made an offering and then began making his way down.

His wife, parents, two sons and daughter were supportive of what he was doing, and stayed home and prayed. Each time he went down the mountain, Clark said he called them, and told them he would share what happened on the mountain. He reminded them to keep praying.

That same night, he drove to Gallup and stayed in his truck before making his way to Tsoodzil (Mount Taylor) just north of Laguna, N. M., the next morning.

As he began climbing the South Mountain, representing the sky, turquoise stone, and planning, he saw horses wandering in the deep woods of the mountain, and he heard cattle grazing.

He took a deep breath of fresh air, and once again sang, prayed, and made an offering. He then left for Doko'oosliid (San Francisco Peaks) in Flagstaff, Ariz., that evening, the West Mountain that represents evening dusk, abalone shell, and living.

Just as the two days before, he began climbing before dawn, going through miles of deep forest and clay mud to get as high up as he could. When he reached the top, he was drenched in mud and his body was drained, but he prayed, sang, and offered corn pollen.

The following day around 3 a.m., he drove to Dibe Ni'saa (Mount Hesperus) in La Plata, Colo., the North Mountain that represents the darkness, black jet stone, and respect. It was there that Clark walked through the tall slippery grass that was still wet from the previous night's rain. He prayed, made an offering, and then climbed back down the mountain at sundown.

The fifth mountain he would visit would be Dzil'Na'oodili (Huerfano Peak) 60 miles southeast of Bloomfield. The mountain is one of two inner mountains that are significant in Navajo teachings. Referred to as the Center Mountain, it represents the center of the hogan, and prayers. The mountain is where Talking God performed the first Kinaalda (puberty ceremony) for Changing Woman. It is also where Changing Woman gave birth to the Warrior Twins.

Clark followed a sheep trail up to the very top. Unlike the four previous mountains, he was able to make it clear to the top, where he prayed again.

The next day, he made his way to Ch'oo'ili (Gobernador Knob), southeast of Navajo Dam, representing the door of the hogan and songs. It was at the top of the peak that Changing Woman was found by First Man and First Woman. When Clark reached the top, he found a pion tree surrounded with offerings like silver dollars, dimes, nickels, pennies, diamonds, and stones.

"There was a pile of jet stones," said Clark. "It was like an ant hill. It was amazing." As he took in the amazing view, he couldn't help but imagine how the first sacred corn field looked during the holy days. Humbled and blessed, Clark returned home to his family in Teec Nos Pos that same evening.

After the mountains
A year later, Clark wrote about his experience of climbing the mountains for one of his culture classes at Diné College in Shiprock. His professor Robert Hurley was intrigued by his story, and convinced Clark to share his story.

While Clark shared some details about his experience, he explained that how he could only reveal the most intimate details about what he learned and experienced in a ceremonial setting.

The experience, Clark said, allowed him to understand the importance of who he is as a Diné person. It was a life changing event for him, and his family.

"I never thought of myself climbing on these Holy sacred mountains, with my feet on these holy sacred mountains," Clark said.

When Clark told a medicine man that he climbed the mountains, he was surprised.

"He said only a few traditional men, they do that," Clark said.

The medicine man shared Clark's story with other medicine men, who came together and told him that they're going to recommend him for the Medicine Man Association.

Four months later, in November 2006, Clark prepared a medicine bundle with the mountain dirt and was initiated as a medicine man. He is still completing the paperwork for the Association.

After some young men learned about what Clark did, they began asking him questions.

"They ask, 'How did you get the thought that you wanted to go over there?'"

Clark explained to them how something was telling him that he had to be something else in the world.

Before becoming a medicine man, Clark was a field supervisor. Today, he is a full-time student at Diné College and is working toward getting certification to become a mental health counselor as well. He is Bit'ahnii (Folded Arms People) born for Hashtl'ishnii (Mud People Clan). His maternal grandfathers are of the Tl'asshchi'i (Red Bottom People Clan) and his paternal grandfathers are Ashii'i (Salt Clan).

Clark also explains how his decision to climb the mountains did not come suddenly, and it was not something that he took lightly.

"I thought about it and prayed about it for a long time," he said. "For me, I took about seven years to climb these mountains."

He tells them that unlike a Holy Person, or maybe even a coyote who can climb the mountains when they wish, human beings are different.

"You have to really study yourself," Clark tells them. "You have to have a clear mind to do it."

And even though Clark is aware that he is rather young compared to other medicine men, he is certain that what his grandmother told him led him to be what he is today.

"I was blessed with this," Clark said.