Understanding Skinwalkers in Navajo Folklore

Understanding Skinwalkers in Navajo Folklore

Assessment

Interactive Video

History, Social Studies, Religious Studies

9th - 12th Grade

Hard

Created by

Ethan Morris

FREE Resource

In May 2021, two female security guards in Saskatchewan, Canada, encountered a mysterious translucent figure while on duty at a Cree First Nation Reserve. This incident is linked to the Native American folklore of skinwalkers, particularly within Navajo traditions. Skinwalkers are believed to be shamanic practitioners of dark magic. The Navajo witch purge of 1878, where 40 suspected witches were killed, is a historical event tied to the fear of skinwalkers. Mentioning skinwalkers is considered bad luck among the Navajo.

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6 questions

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1.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What unusual event did the security guards experience during their night shift?

They saw a UFO.

They encountered a translucent humanoid figure.

They found a hidden treasure.

They witnessed a meteor shower.

2.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What is one theory about the identity of the mysterious figure?

It was an alien.

It was a hologram.

It was a skinwalker.

It was a ghost.

3.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

In which cultural tradition are skinwalkers primarily found?

Celtic

Navajo

Greek

Egyptian

4.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What are skinwalkers believed to be in Navajo folklore?

Spirits of ancestors

Protectors of the tribe

Shamans or practitioners of dark magic

Guardians of the forest

5.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

What significant event occurred in 1878 related to skinwalkers?

The discovery of a skinwalker village

The Navajo witch purge

A treaty with skinwalkers

The first sighting of a skinwalker

6.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

30 sec • 1 pt

Why is it considered bad luck to mention the name 'skinwalker' in Navajo culture?

It attracts skinwalkers.

It brings doom to those who mention it.

It leads to loss of memory.

It causes natural disasters.