Joanne,

If you haven't forgotten, my husband and extended family are all Navajo. Comprehending the mysteries that skinwalkers pose is something that many people out here contemplate. You'd be surprised as to which family member gave me the books to read in regards to skinwalkers--the uncle who is the stepson and grandson of medicine men. This is not just my "western thinking project". There is nothing that I have stated in here that has not been shared with family members and Navajo friends. The consensus is that what I have figured is backed almost entirely by what native stories have said about them and fits infinitely better than skinwalkers having their abilities via demonic forces. It is ironic that none of them are offended at all but actually excited about the whole thing, isn't it? Skinwalkers are part of a subculture within the Navajo that have their own rites, practices and, most of all, training, which starts at a very young age just like medicine men. Nothing I have said contradicts this whatsoever.

Now, I'm going to remind you that to discuss these things are taboo within Navajo culture. My husband fully backs me on posting this information. There is nothing here that he didn't read before I hit the "post" button. He feels that this information is important, however. Important enough to risk being witched for the rest of our days and trust me, he believes in getting "witched". I heard flute music the other night (calling card and before these posts) and he's already talking about strings of bad luck that we've been encountering since then. He feels it that important, Joanne.

To me, knowing that their abilities could have a scientific source makes them infinitely more amazing--and frightening. My use of "western science" is not refuting these abilities at all (the shapeshifting one is my opinion based on what I saw)--it's a confirmation of them. I remember telling my mother about skinwalkers after I saw one and even she laughed at me and questioned my sanity. She ended up calling back and apologizing for it afterward. That kind of reaction, however, is the norm if one is to talk about a shapeshifting creature with red glowing eyes that can run 45mph on all fours. People simply don't believe that such a thing could exist...period. I certainly didn't and it could've very well cost me my life.

A blessing way may only temporarily resolve a skinwalker problem. In the case of my husband's family (and a result of our own), the skinwalker problem has been happening for generation after generation. Why our family, we honestly don't know. We've had one murder and multiple physical attacks. I've been out here for almost 4 years and during that time, we have had 3 groupings of visitations. This isn't 3 instances. This is repeat visits over a period of time, seperated by a move to another residence. My husband, two children and I moved to a town about 30 miles away last year and it's been quiet since then. Yet, just last week we were "serenaded" by flute music starting from 2 am and last until nearly 3am. If you go out to the reservation, you will see the same thing over and over again on all the houses there--bars over their windows. The Navajo will not place their beds under a window and even with security bars, are hesitant to sleep with a window open in their room at night.

There is a story of a caucasian minister and his wife that didn't understand some of the problems on the reservation. They placed their bed under a window and left it open one hot night. They woke up to a skinwalker peering through the window at them, uttering things in Navajo. They were incredibly lucky to not get poisoned by corpse powder. They had an exorcism done on their home and a Christian house blessing but it didn't work. They eventually called in a medicine man. They didn't stay out here all that long either...

My point is that this is something that can dramatically effect anyone living on the navajo reservation. Personally, I think that skinwalkers do their most damage through sheer sleep disruption, lol. Think about this, Joanne: How would you feel if you had somebody roaming around your residence in the wee hours, night after night? How would you feel if you knew that this person had weapons that could harm you without even laying a finger on you, can see infinitely better than you and have incredible speed? How would you feel if you knew this person was there out of malice for your person? What is going to help you then? Believing that it is supernatural?

Stephanie

In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson