A Navajo once sought ways to teach his children to be strong so that as they walked the trails of life they would not fall under the hard and bitter times that lay ahead.

In his contemplation one early morning, he heard a cry and hurried over the hill to see a mother bear throwing her cub into the cold pond.

For several mornings he witnessed the way of the bear and saw that it was good. He talked to the bear and learned that the survival of the bear depended greatly upon his knowledge of bitter times and how to encounter those times in preparation for the years to come.

He learned that the cub obtained knowledge from his experiences and thus gained control of his weaknesses and developed his character as the ruler of the forest. Although it might be freezing in the winter, the bear learned how to survive. And the Navajo leaned that survival depends not upon strength alone but upon how one meets hardships.

The greatest weapon for survival is a clear mind—knowing when and how to respond to life’s bitter winds. Upon learning these things from the bear and from other creatures of the forest, he went to his home.

The old ones, the wise ones, knew that the Navajo people could not survive if they were weak, if they did not teach their young to gain clear minds. For they said, “If a man has a clear mind, he will think well, and if he thinks well, he will bring into reality much good. For the mind of man is his only defense.”

While I was growing up on the reservation, my grandmother made me run every morning without clothing or shoes. Many times I cried as I ran in the snow or on the frozen trail, but my grandmother knew it was good, and I believed her. I remember standing on a hill watching the sun rise and feeling its radiant beams piercing my soul. I remember pondering the thoughts and teachings of my parents and grandparents on those mornings. And each time I see the sun rise or feel the chill of the wind, I hear their teachings. They are my strength.

In this series of short stories, Louis takes us from the Hogan—a traditional Navajo dwelling—to the importance of family and elders; the role of the woman, wife and mother; responsibilities; survival; the clan system; the land; the medicine man and more. Be sure to read all the stories and to “Discover Navajo”.