Women have always occupied central positions in our literature and tradition. Women own the land, and the herds. The children that are born to a couple are born to the clan of their mother. Since prehistoric times, women have held an equal position with men both in accomplishment and power—earthly and supernatural.

Appropriately, we will begin with First Woman, A'ltse Asdzaa. When the yellow cloud and the blue met on the western side of the First World, First Woman was formed. With her came a perfect ear of yellow corn, white shell and turquoise.

First Woman is the Holy Person who is part of, and responsible for, the first creation. She is the one who brought the western half of the world to meet the eastern half. She literally pulled the world together in the first human agreement to cooperate and couple.

The story tells us: In the First World, First Man, Altse Hastiin, burned a crystal for fire. The crystal belonged to the mind and was of clear seeing. When First Man burned the crystal it was the mind's awakening. First Woman burned turquoise. It was not as strong as the man's fire. In the first discussion and agreement among the Holy People, First Man asked First Woman to come live with him, and she agreed. But all the beings fought among themselves and the entire cloud of beings moved upward into the Blue World.

It was not until the people moved into the Fourth World that they learned to discuss things and cooperate with one another. Dissatisfaction with evil and suffering led the people in our history to seek a means to lift themselves up to a world of better conditions. Evil continues to exist in each successive world. Everything has its opposite. Evil cannot overcome good, but is ever present. The destructive forces that are unleashed following a negative selfish path are restored to harmony when man has the will to walk the path of beauty.

Each move to a new world involves larger groups of beings—both animal and human—and represents more harmony in action among the beings. We can see the people move toward a more perfect situation away from quarreling and toward harmony.

The stories of the Holy People differ from storyteller to storyteller, and from time to time. The stories we printed, for instance, represent the stories that were being told around Rough Rock, Arizona at that time (1970-71).