“Navajo Historian, Wally Brown, teaches about rock piles. If you have ever stumbled across one, now you know what they were for. Maybe you could pick up the tradition and start a rock pile for your family, and make commitments to relatives, both close and distant.“
I love this idea. I come from a family of rock hounds. Sister Laura foremost among us. She inherited Grandma Swanstrom’s piles of rocks, which at this point seem like an important legacy.
I have my own little collection, sitting in a bowl on the balcony, then also a collection of “crystals” in my medicine bag.
As soon as I saw this video from Wally Brown, I was converted. This will be my new habit. Whenever I make an important commitment I will now add a rock to the pile.
- Navajo Traditional Teachings, Native American Traditions, Rock Piles (Oct. 7, 2019), visited Oct. 20, 2019.