Star Lore Art Navajo Skies Nancy C. Maryboy, Melvin Bainbridge 2000

Navajo Skies is a guide to Navajo Astronomy, written by Nancy C. Maryboy, Ph.D. of the Indigenous Education Institue. In 2000, the Indigenous Education Institute commissioned Navajo artist Melvin Bainbridge to create original artwork depicting Navajo Astronomy for use in their Planetarium Show. All of his paintings are available at Sharing the Skies. In her introduction, Nancy C. Maryboy writes, Navajo star knowledge is based on a world view and cosmology significantly different from western academic astronomy. On this site, all the names of the Navajo constellation are directly linked to a description on our Navajo Star Lore site. The Navajo constellations are not a perfect match to the Greek constellations. Sometimes, they consist of only on star; in other cases, they cover an area relating to several Greek constellations or parts thereof. Click on the pictures for larger images.

Haashch’éshzhiní - Black Star

Náhookòs Bikò‘ Central Fire Polaris

Náhookòs Bi’kà’ Male Revolving One Big Dipper

Náhookòs Bi’áád Female Revolving One Cassiopeia

Átsé Ets’óz First Slender One Orion

Dilyéhé Pinlike Sparkles Pleiades

Béésh Ashiké Hard Flint Boys Pleiades

Yikáísdáhá Awaits the Dawn Milky Way

Hastiin Sik’aí’ií Squatting Man Corvus, Hydra, Virgo

Átsé Etsoh First Big One Scorpius, Sagittarius, Libra

Gah Hahat’ee Rabbit Tracks Scorpion

Ma’ii Bizò Coyote Star Canopus

Shash Bear Sagittarius

Tsetah Dibé Mountain Sheep Beehive Cluster

Tãish Tsoh Big Snake Puppis, Canis Major

Naayéé’ Neizghání dóó Tóbájíshchíní Hero Twins Hyades Cluster

Ii’ni Thunder Leo, Pegasus

Jo’hannaa’éí Sun

Tã’éhonaa’éí Moon

Dahsani Porcupine Northeastern Sky

Tiníléí Gila Monster Andromeda

Kaalogi Butterfly Scorpius

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