Beyond Mother Earth and Father Sky: Sex and gender in Ancient Southwestern visual arts and ethnography

Traditional Navajo sandpaintings function in the context of healing ceremonies that focus on bringing the world into harmony. As originally given to the Navajo by the Holy people, sandpaintings should be made for no other purpose. Yet contemporary artists reproduce some sandpaintings in permanent form for sale. One of the most popular images shows Mother Earth and Father Sky (Fig. 10.1), who are benevolent, ‘persuadable’ beings (Parezo 1983: 93). Most sandpainting symbols are considered dangerous outside a ritual setting, but Mother Earth and Father Sky can be painted without causing harm to artists or their families. Buyers like them, too. Visitors to the southwestern United States find Native art and culture captivating for many reasons, among them ‘The Indian’s’ reverence for Mother Earth. As Gaia or the Great Goddess, Mother Earth is also an ancient figure in European religious thought. She enjoys a revival in Europe and in North America in the women’s spirituality movement (e.g. Sjoo 1975). Those who look to ‘pre-patriarchal’ European cultures for spiritual inspiration often say they feel kinship with Native American traditionalists in the causes of ecology, human rights, and non-violence, because members of both groups respect Mother Earth.