N�ch'i is normally translated as wind, although this does not adequately convey the totality of the concept associated with the word for the Navajo. N�ch'i refers to the air, the atmosphere in its entirety, when still, and when in motion. It is conceived of as having a holiness and powers that are not acknowledged by European based cultures. The term could perhaps as well be translated as Holy Spirit. The translation Holy Wind Spirit has been suggested.
Because n�ch'i suffuses all of nature, it is responsible for giving life, thought, speech and the power of motion to all living things. N�ch'i is also the means of communication between all elements of the living world. The n�ch'i enters (and leaves) humans through the whorls on their fingers and toes and the whorl pattern in the hair on the top of their heads. It sits on the tips of their tongues allowing speech, which indeed is carried by air. Small n�ch'i sit at the ears of the Din� advising them on the proper actions. Those who repeatedly ignore this advice are abandoned by their n�ch'i. These n�ch'i also report back to the Holy People [diyin din�] on the behavior of the earth surface people, therefore enforcing morality.
N�ch'i was one of the original Holy People [diyin din�] to emerge into this World with First Man [�ts� hastiin]. N�ch'i lives in the four cardinal directions [da'n�ts'��'g��], as do the light phenomena, Dawn [Hay��k], Midday Sky [Y�k dihi], Twilight [Nahootsoii] and Darkness [Chahahee]. The N�ch'i was instrumental in the creation of the Holy People [diyin din�] and their instruction. N�ch'i entered Changing Woman [Asdz n�dleeh�] to give her life.
For the Navajo [Din�], n�ch'i is believed to enter at the moment of conception. Its movement and growth produces the movement and growth of the fetus. When the baby is born, with its first cry, taking in air by itself, the surrounding N�ch'i is added to the child and it becomes a complete being. The growing child is believed to be under the influence of the N�ch'i all around him. The N�ch'i is breathed in at all times. His growth is governed by the N�ch'i. Speech and the ability to stand upright and to maintain balance are also attributed to the N�ch'i. The N�ch'i enters and departs a person through the lungs and the whorls mentioned before.
The final act in Blessingway [H�zh�j�] is to stand up and breathe in the air at Dawn [Hay��k] to reinfuse the individual with the Holy Wind. This is true of other ceremonials as well.
