Arizona, USA: Introducing Falun Dafa to the Navajo

(Minghui.org) The Navajo (Navajo: Diné or Naabeehó) in the American Southwest are the largest federally recognized American Indian tribe in the United States, with 300,048 enrolled tribal members.

When I was in the U.S. visiting the Hopi Indians in 2002, I happened to meet a Navajo man in Arizona who told me the story of how he learned to practice Falun Dafa, via the Internet.

Over the years we have kept in touch and he has continued to introduce the teachings to his people.

I returned to Arizona in 2010 with another practitioner, and we lived with one of the Navajo families who was learning Falun Dafa from this practitioner. My Navajo friend has traveled all over Arizona teaching Falun Dafa, so when we went back, part of the purpose of our trip was to get together with him and introduce Falun Dafa to more schools and teachers around the Navajo reservation.

 

Practicing the sitting meditation at White Mesa, Arizona

The family made us very welcome, and we soon realized that many people came to visit them, which allowed us to tell more people about Dafa.

One of the activities we did at the schools was inspired by the “Petals of Peace Project.” We told the human rights story of Jane Dai and her daughter Fadu, then taught the participants how to make folded paper lotus flowers. We say that every time we make a flower, we think about the children of persecuted Falun Gong practitioners who are suffering in China. We also say that this can make a difference in helping bring the injustice to an end.

 

 Navajo schoolchildren hold up their lotus flowers

Our Hosts, the Navajo

The Navajo, or Diné as they call themselves, is the largest tribe of North American Indians. Their ancestors lived in Canada and Alaska.

The Navajo knew how to plant corn, beans, squash, and melons. The houses they lived in were made from wooden poles, tree bark, and mud, and were called hogans.

The property where we stayed had three hogans where the family elders had lived, although most Navajo now live in regular houses.

One of the grandmothers showed us how to make blue corn squash and explained how, for the Navajo, there is an art and respect in the making and cooking food.

It was a wonderful experience to be with this family, to experience their warmth, their culture, and their beautiful, relaxed way of life.

Positive Experiences after Learning Falun Gong

Our new friends shared some of what they had experienced since they started practicing Falun Gong.

Elroy described how it helped the balance in his everyday life.

Susie said she had had a lot of pain, but after practicing Falun Dafa she had a lot more energy. She also said she could relate to Dafa's principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance.

Morissa, her daughter, said that after doing the exercises, she felt as if a big weight had been lifted off her, and she had the ability to focus for the rest of the day.