The history and culture of the Navajo people, who call themselves Din'e (Meaning "The People" in Navajo) is full of inspiring tales and colorful descriptions of ceremonies, arts, and traditions that enchant and enrapture those who hear them.

The Navajo people make up the largest Native American tribe in the United States. Their beautiful reservation encompasses the Four Corners area, covering parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. Within the Navajo Nation, traditional Navajo is the predominant language, but most Navajos are fluent in English as well.

Within the Navajo Nation are several breathtaking and awe-inspiring sights to see:

Navajo National Monument - This stunning monument is a preservation of three still-intact cliff dwellings of the ancestral Puebloan people. There are three trails, two small campgrounds, a visitor center, a museum, and a picnic area. Guided tours are also available.

Rainbow Bridge - Words simply cannot describe the beauty of this natural bridge, known as the world's largest. It is an inspiring sight to see, with over 300,000 people visiting it each year. It is a sacred and spiritual place to the Native Americans in the surrounding areas.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument - This canyon is home to a community of Navajo people who are connected to their home by the spiritual significance of the architecture, artifacts, and beautiful rock imagery that provide inspiration and the opportunity for deep contemplation.

Arts are very important to the Navajo people, who are well-known for their rugs, their talented silversmithing, and their very recognizable pottery and baskets.

Navajo legend says that Navajo women were taught how to weave by Spider Woman, a woman who made a loom from instructions given by Spider Man. They were both Holy People from the underworld, where weaving was a major part of life.

As for silversmithing, the talent to make beautiful jewelry and other crafts from metals, the legend says that the First Man had turquoise with him from the underworld and instructed the people to use the turquoise to make shovels in order to dig channels. Turquoise is not only beautiful, but it is commonly worn at ceremonies and rituals because of its spiritual significance.

With Navajo basket weaving, each part of the basket has a very distinct meaning. The very center of the basket is said to represent the Holy People's entrance into this world, believed to be the Fourth World or Glittering World. The earth is represented by the part of the basket directly around the core. Some Navajo baskets also have other specific symbols and colors, such as a red design to represent darkness and clouds, and a black triangular layer to represent all of the Holy People. The four Sacred Mountains are represented by a black triangle as well.

Traditional ceremonies also play an important part in Navajo culture. The main objective of the ceremonies is to restore harmony, or what the Navajos call "ho'zho'" According to Navajos, the world is filled with interconnected things that all exist in harmony and balance together. "Ho'zho'" is when the universe is able to exist in a state of wellness, peace, and completeness. It translates "to walk in beauty". When Ho'zho' is disrupted in a person, the Navajo ceremonies restore it.

In some ceremonies, the medicine man instructs others to create a sand painting that represents the allegory that is used in the ceremony. Traditionally as part of the ceremony, the sand painting must be destroyed before dawn, or there will be dire consequences to the medicine man and the patient.

Not all ceremonies are centered around healing, though. The Navajo people have ceremonies for young girls entering womanhood, blessing ceremonies, and a special ceremony for a baby's first laugh.

Within the Navajo Nation lies another nation, known as the Hopi Tribe. According to lore, the Hopi people are a gathering of several separate tribes from faraway areas who now are able to live in harmony as one people. The word "Hopi" is a shortened form of the phrase "Hopituh Shi-nu-mu" which means "The Peaceful People" or "Peaceful Little Ones."

The traditions of the Hopi people are meaningful and mysterious. When children are born, they get a 'perfect' ear of corn and a special blanket. On the 20th day after birth, children are taken to the mesa cliff and held up to face the rising sun. Once the sun hits the baby, it is officially named.

Part of Hopi art includes Kachinas, which are said to be powerful ancestor spirits that the Hopis call on for help. There are over 300 different types of Kachinas.