#sinawava

[namuaura]

[scriptmyth]

i'm trying to research on my own as well, but i was hoping you could help me out! i'm writing something that includes a sentient genius-loci-type manifestation of the mojave desert. do you know of any mythologies/stories that specifically feature or describe the mojave desert? thank you!!

Hello!

Your best bet is the Kachina of the Hopi people. Almost anything can have its own spirit, and that spirit can be prayed to. There aren’t any true genius-type manifestations, and in many Native American cultures the Western perspective of “good” and “evil” don’t exist - spirits and gods are morally grey, and they may bless or curse you in turns. In this regard, one may pray to a Kachina for something specific to happen (in your case, protection against something), but this may typically involve a ritualistic sacrifice in order to appease the Kachina and convince them your wishes are worth fulfilling.

You can read more about them here, here, and here. One cultural note I would like to make is that because Kachina are considered spirits/gods, their physical likenesses - masks, dolls, etc - may not be looked upon casually.

Another Hopi myth would be that of Pahana, who you can read about here and here.  The Hopi share the Spider Grandmother myth with the neighboring Navajo; she is known in Hopi as Kokyangwuti, and in Navajo as Na'ashjé'íí Asdzáá (Spider Woman).

The Navajo do not seem to have any particular genius-type spirit or god, and the closest I could find was the Holy People, known in Navajo as Diyin Dineʼé. They’re a type of Yéi, and one of the most popular is the rainbow yéi, although I was unable to find anything specifically mentioning them.

The Chemehuevi have the Coyote, named Sinawava, who was a trickster god - as seen in other tribes’ mythologies - but for them also a benefactor and teacher of the people. You can read more about him here.Carobeth Laird helped write down the majority of Chemehuevi myths, which you can read here.

And, finally, here are some of the general things we found:

Surviving Through the Days: Translations of Native California Stories and Songs, A California Indian Reader (JSTORand Project Muse)

Myths and Legends of California and the Old Southwest (Here)

Indian Myths of South Central California by A.L. Kroeber (Here)

Western Shoshone myths (Here)

Mojave Desert (Here)

-the Chorus