Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights

August 24, 2021

Dineh Philmer Bluehouse 'The pandemic is a time of paradigm shift, signals need for peace and balance'

Phil Bluehouse passed to the Spirit World

We are very sorry to share with our friends the news that our longtime friend Phil Bluehouse passed to the Spirit World on August 22. During his struggle with COVID in recent weeks, he posted on social media about his stays in the hospital, and his recent return home. Phil said he was vaccinated, and looked forward to getting ready for winter, just days before he passed. Our condolences to his family and friends, and all who learned from him. Phil, who created the Peacemaker Court on the Navajo Nation, and was a Dine' traditional healer, shared his thoughts here on Censored News about the virus and was a guest on Tiokasin Ghosthorse's First Voices Radio during the summer of 2020. We share with you this recent video of the building of a sweatlodge for women, Water Protectors, and universal healing.
-- Brenda, Censored News

Photo: Louise Benally of Big Mountain with Phil Bluehouse. Watch video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4k3GQsc-cMw

May 2021: Sweet Medicine Ta'Chéé Sweat Lodge. "Thank You! Roberto Nutlouis and Dzil Yijiin Crew, Philmer Bluehouse, and Louise Benally. Built for women and Water Protectors to heal. Dedicated to the late Dineh forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Amanda Cook Zivic who spent her life understanding and healing the intergenerational wounds of the mind, body, and spirit." -- Divest, Invest, Protect.


Dineh Philmer Bluehouse 'The pandemic is a time of paradigm shift, signals need for peace and balance'

By Brenda Norrell
Censored News

Dine' Phil Bluehouse says this pandemic is a time of a paradigm shift for society and Dine' have the narratives to bring about peace and balance.

Bluehouse, who developed the Peacemaker Court, speaks of the need for peace, unity and healing. Serving in the healing process, Bluehouse does not refer to himself as a medicine man. He said his role in healing is to lead people to find their own healing and peace.

Speaking of the Hozhooji Nanitiin (Dine’ traditional teachings) Bluehouse said the Dine’ way of good health and well-being is the way of balance and peace.

“We are going through a paradigm shift. Humanity is going to have difficulties from here on out. There is going to be a lot of suffering," Bluehouse said in an interview with Censored News.


Dine’ have been given the narratives, and these are narratives, not stories.

“When we recite the narratives, prayers and songs, it makes it clear what we are trying to say.”

Stories, he said, are for Hollywood.

“We have narratives to recite and understand what we are experiencing in our own way.”

Good comes in the way of two things, peace and healing.

As for the bad, "It is a necessary counterbalance to good, it’s integral, compliments the other to create the true understanding of Healing and Peace."

When we look at the negative side of peace, you find there is a harm in order to find a peace. This harm can also involve a mutation.

In the Holy Creation, in the molecular structure of all molecular creation, in the design, there is an intentional flaw.

When we are impacted by negative things, we lose our center of balance.

Now, there is the influence of the pandemic, which could be man-made, intentional or something that evolved in time out of nature.

“We have to go back to the songs, chants, ceremonies, body language, and eye contact, it will lead us toward understanding.”

“Nature is compelling us to step back and take a look at what is happening."

Phil Bluehouse photo by David Laube

Bluehouse said Dine’ living out in the back rely on fundamental law, and don’t depend on the Navajo Nation code.

“Faith was designed by the Creator, God, Allah, whatever one calls it.”

Bluehouse said today’s youth are examining the solutions for the future, and examining the processes of divide and conquer and control.

Divisiveness was brought about in the boarding schools, which taught children to act as though one person was better than others.

The BIA schools were dehumanizing. They created jealousy and colonial ways.

"The goal was to destroy the culture."

Bluehouse points out that at Carlisle Indian School, Capt. Richard Henry Pratt’s motto was, “Kill the Indian and save the man.” Carlisle became the model for other Indian boarding schools.

With this colonization came the teachings of Christianity and today, some Christians tell traditional Dine’ that their teachings are from the devil.

Bluehouse said in the Dine’ way, clans helped one another. Man and woman complemented one another.

Bluehouse developed the Peacemaker Court in the Navajo Justice Department. The Hozhooji Naat’aanii is the Navajo justice and harmony ceremony. He also worked in the criminal justice system.

Bluehouse said some people say Navajos need a constitution. However, Dine’ already have a constitution.

“The sacred mountain bundle is our constitution.”

He points out that the U.S. Constitution came from the people of the Longhouse, the Haudenosaunee in the northeast, and begins with, “We the people.”

Bluehouse said people must come together now and find common ground to move forward.

The Dine' Beauty Way Prayer

In beauty I walk
With beauty before me I walk
With beauty behind me I walk
With beauty above me I walk
With beauty around me I walk
It has become beauty again
It has become beauty again
It has become beauty again
It has become beauty again

Hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shitsijí’ hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shikéédéé hózhóogo naasháa doo
Shideigi hózhóogo naasháa doo
T’áá altso shinaagóó hózhóogo naasháa doo
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’
Hózhó náhásdlíí’


Listen to Phil Bluehouse on First Voices Radio

Censored News interview copyright Philmer Bluehouse, Censored News. Please request permission before reproducing.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Nizhóní , kóó náás beidiikah.

Lloyd Vivola said...

Thank you, Philmer Bluehouse. And thank you Censored News for this series concerning the deeper meanings of pandemic...

Jim Crittenden said...

Ahehee, the Peace Court saves lives.