usually set on fire. After that nothing would induce a Navaho to touch a
piece of the wood or even approach the immediate vicinity of the place;
even years afterward such places are recognized and avoided. The place
and all about it are the especial locale of the _tcĭ´ndi_, the shade or
“spirit” of the departed. These shades are not necessarily malevolent,
but they are regarded as inclined to resent any intrusion or the taking
of any liberties with them or their belongings. If one little stick of
wood from a _tcĭ´ndi_ hogán is used about a camp fire, as is sometimes
done by irreverent whites, not an Indian will approach the fire; and not
even under the greatest necessity would they partake of the food
prepared by its aid.

This custom has had much to do with the temporary character of the
Navaho houses, for men are born to die, and they must die somewhere.
There are thousands of these _tcĭ´ndi_ hogáns scattered over the
reservation, not always recognizable as such by whites, but the Navaho
is unerring in identifying them. He was not inclined to build a fine
house when he might have to abandon it at any time, although in the
modern houses alluded to above he has overcome this difficulty in a very
simple and direct way. When a person is about to die in one of the stone
or log houses referred to he is carried outside and allowed to die in
the open air. The house is thus preserved.


LEGENDARY AND ACTUAL WINTER HOGÁNS

The Navaho recognize two distinct classes of hogáns--the _keqaí_ or
winter place, and the _kejĭ´n_, or summer place; in other words, winter
huts and summer shelters. Notwithstanding the primitive appearance of
the winter huts, resembling mere mounds of earth hollowed out, they are