Hawk Nature-Spirit of Navajo
Among the Navajo (Diné) people of the American Southwest, the Hawk Nature-Spirit is a sacred being associated with the high desert mesas, canyonlands, and the four sacred mountains that define the traditional Navajo homeland. In Diné cosmology, birds of prey are respected for their power and vision, and the hawk is considered a special messenger that can travel between the earth and the holy places of the Diyin Dine'é (Holy People). The Hawk Nature-Spirit appears in Navajo sand paintings and healing ceremonies, where its image is used to restore balance and harmony to those who are ill. Navajo