Robert Yazzie: Roots of Dine’ Law at Rights of Mother Earth Haskell

By Brenda Norrell

Censored News

HASKELL INDIAN NATIONS UNIVERSITY, Kansas — Dine’ Robert Yazzie of the Dine’ Policy Institute, former Navajo Supreme Court judge, shares a Declaration of the Dine’ elders, the Roots of Dine’ Law. Yazzie shares the power of prayer, and the power of names and language, at the Rights of Mother Earth Gathering in the Dine’ and English languages.

“There are still Holy People around. We still see the Holy People speaking to us through water, and through fire,” Yazzie said at the gathering held April 4-6, 2012.

Yazzie urges those listening to concentrate on the language and use your own indigenous thinking. The Declaration is in Title 1 of Navajo Nation Code adopted on Nov 8, 2002.

The Roots of Dine’ Law describes how the Holy People sang songs and offered prayers and the earth and universe came into being, along with water, sacred mountains, air and plants. Fire, light and sacred stones came into being with resilience.

“This is the foremost, fundamental law set in place for us.”

“At the time of Creation, these things were put into place and this is our make up.”

“We are called the Holy Earth Surface People.”