In American Indian thought, places and one’s relationship to them are of central

importance to one’s spiritual way of life. To the Navajo, four sacred mountains mark the

boundary of the Navajo world. They mark the furthest points at which the powers that animate

the Navajo world exert their influence. How that world would be described from without is

difficult to say. When questioned as to the borders of their world, many illustrate by analogy,

pointing to the impossibility of reaching the border of the sky by climbing even the tallest

mountain. Likewise, some say that it is impossible to reach the border of the world. (Harvey et al

1983) To be outside of that influence, to look at the Navajo world from beyond would be to look

at it as no longer a Navajo. In agreement with one general theme in American Indian philosophy,

Navajo thought is driven by considering the world around them and their place in it. One fine

tunes one’s practices and streamlines their beliefs and thoughts with the relevant environment.