Color Symbolism In Navajo Art And Culture

Color symbolism has always played a big role in how one interprets Native American religion and culture. There are many charts and cosmic maps that illustrate the world as being divided into various categories that correspond to different colors. Even in Navajo mythology, colors are frequently correlated with their cosmos. One color can have different meanings, depending on the context that they are used in. However, there are four specific colors- black, white, yellow and blue- that have special connections to the tribe’s culture and the people’s spiritual beliefs. Today, if you look at native Navajo art or clothes or accessories like wallets with beautiful Navajo designs, you will notice a primary focus on the use of these colors.

So, why are these colors so important?

• The significance of the colors black, white, blue and yellow can be traced back to the Navajo story of emergence. The story begins with a First World of Darkness, which is called Nihodilhil. The Navajo Dine then began the journey from that world to the present. The world had four corners that had four clouds. The black cloud represented the female being or the female spirit of life. Similar to how a child sleeps in its mother’s womb, life was nursed in the darkness of the female being. White represented the male being, who was considered as the primordial dawn. When the black and white cloud came together, the First Man was formed. The First Woman was formed when the blue and yellow cloud came together.
• These four colors also represent the four cardinal directions. The Navajo homeland is traditionally defined as the area between four sacred mountains. On the east was the white mountain, in the south the blue, in the west there was the yellow mountain while the black was in the north. All of these mountains formed what the Navajos call the First World. 
• In the creation story, the First Man took four stones- jet, white shell, turquoise and abalone, which represented the four colors. He then placed them in the four directions and blew on them four times. The stones then grew into a hogan. A hogan, which is a type of house, is much more than just a shelter. It plays a very important role in the Navajo spiritual life. The hogan made by First Man was his world. 

Because of how they are connected to ancient Navajo traditions and beliefs, these four colors have always been a crucial part of how the Navajos pass their culture and spirituality down generations. Art is an important medium of transmitting culture and the four colors are often seen in traditional Navajo art. They are used to connect the tribe’s past with their present and paint a picture of the future. They help weave together spirituality with art and enhance the many meanings of the material culture of the Navajo people. Continuing to use these colors is also a means of preserving their culture. 

Author’s bio: The author is a blogger. This article is about color symbolism in Navajo culture.