Tag Archives: reservation

Cursed Objects on an Arizona Reservation

Text:

Interviewee: “When I was on the reservation, one of the days instead of helping out on the farm and like with the water and everything, they took us to this canyon that was like two hours away.

That’s where we saw those drawings on the mountainsides from the Hopi and earlier groups, and there were also a bunch of houses that were like hundreds of years old.

They also had this thing where a lot of the objects there were kind of like cursed, but only if certain conditions were met. Like, we found some arrowheads in the ground, and we were allowed to pick them up and look at them. But they said if you took them out of the canyon or away from where they were found, you’d basically be cursed and could even die.

It reminded me of how in Hawaii they say if you take rocks from volcanoes you get bad luck. It was kind of like that, on the reservation they said if you tried to take anything off of the reservation, you’d be cursed.

They also had a lot of rules that mainly applied depending on whether you were Native or not. Like, they said there were certain things you can’t do if you’re not Native. There was one example where some of the objects we could hold as non-Native people, but they wouldn’t touch them because they said they would get extremely bad luck. Like one of the arrowheads, none of the Native people were allowed to touch it because it had some kind of history with them, but since we had no relation to it, we were fine.

But then there were other things where we weren’t allowed to touch them or take them home at all, because we as non-Natives don’t really understand the significance.”

Context:

The interviewee was on a service trip to Arizona with school peers. He is a white man aged 18.

During this service trip, he went on a visit to a reservation where the interviewee was spending time with a local community in Arizona and learning about the land, its history, and its cultural practices. The canyon visit included exposure to ancient sites connected to groups like the Hopi, as well as interaction with physical artifacts such as arrowheads. The beliefs about curses and rules around touching objects were explained directly by community members, especially in relation to whether someone was Native or not.

Analysis:

This is an example of material folklore. The idea that objects become dangerous or “cursed” only when removed reflects a magic superstition, where specific actions (like taking an object off the land) trigger consequences. These beliefs discourage people from removing artifacts and help protect culturally and historically significant sites.

The distinction between what Native and non-Native people can or cannot touch shows that meaning and rules depend on identity, relationship to the object, and cultural knowledge. The belief that some objects carry history that affects certain groups differently highlights how folklore is tied to ancestry and cultural connection. Folklore in this story regulates behavior, preserves respect for the land, and reinforces boundaries around cultural understanding and ownership.

Navajo folklore

Text:

Interviewee: “The family I was with (on a service trip to Arizona) owned around 8,000 acres of land. They told me that about 200 years ago, their ancestor, who was Navajo, helped the U.S. government locate other tribes. In return, the government gave their family that land, and they’ve been living on it ever since.

When I was on the mountain with them, they told me about this snake god that protects the land. The mountain we were on in Arizona had many small gemstones on it. They said that if you try to take anything from the mountain, you’ll be cursed for generations.

They also talked about Wendigos in the wooded areas of their property. From what I understood, they described them as people who were cursed or did something terrible, and after death, they transform into these beings that hunt or harm others.

They also explained that the land had been occupied by different tribes over time, including the Anasazi and the Hopi, before their Navajo lineage. There were stories about caves in the mountains that had been used by earlier groups.

On the reservation, there was also a lot of talk about aliens. We visited a national park with ancient drawings on the walls, which were said to represent a creation myth from the Anasazi, but many people today interpret those images as aliens.”

Context:

The interviewee is a white male aged 18. He was on a school service trip to Arizona, where he spent time with families residing in the area.

This narrative comes from an experience of visiting a reservation. The interviewee is recounting stories, beliefs, and historical explanations shared directly by the people living on the land. These include spiritual beliefs (snake god, Wendigos), historical memory (land ownership and tribal succession), and interpretations of ancient sites (cave dwellings and rock art).

Analysis:

The snake god and curse function as a protective legend tied to the land, discouraging people from taking from it. The Wendigo represents a moral warning figure, reflecting fears of greed, violence, and transformation, which reinforces social norms.

The references to different tribes, such as the Hopi, as well as stories about caves and past inhabitants, show how folklore is tied to the historical landscape. The interpretation of ancient rock art as aliens reflects a modern reinterpretation of traditional symbols.