chaos

Encyclopedia Article

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The opposite of harmony, balance, equilibrium, and the Navajo Way, or hózhǫ́. Hózhǫ́ is the state in which all living things are ordered and in balance, walking in beauty. This term encompasses the Navajo world view, one in which all become peaceful and harmonious. The opposite of hózhǫ́ is hóchxǫ́ǫ́, which refers to a disorder and chaos in one’s life. In Hillerman's work, chaos and imbalance manifest as an illness or sickness, an infection obtained from contact with modern, predominantly White culture of the manistream U.S..

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