User:Napat.lily/sandbox

Skinwalkers are creatures from Native Americans, especially from the Navajo tribe. They were known as a witch who could turn into animals. This belief comes from old stories passed down through generations. According to the story, someone becomes a skin-walker by doing terrible things, like harming their own family to gain magical powers. Until today, there is still a debate whether skin-walkers are real or just made-up stories. Some people believe it’s real because of stories on the internet and even some scientific studies. But others say there's not enough evidence to prove that they exist. Some people believe in skinwalkers because of what they heard or read, some don’t believe and consider it as folklore. The mystery of skin-walkers and their existence is still unknown.

Historical & Folklore

A shape shifter from Navajo lore

The Navajo people, also called the Diné, have a long history with stories about magic and shape-shifting creatures called skinwalkers. Other Native American tribes like the Hopi and Ute also share similar tales. The word "skinwalker" comes from the Navajo language, meaning someone who can transform into an animal. Navajo beliefs focus on keeping harmony in the universe, which they call "hozho." If someone does something wrong, even accidentally, it can bring sickness or bad luck. They believe that healing is not just the body but also the mind and spirit by connecting with nature or spirits. Skinwalker stories are an important part of Navajo culture, often influenced by witchcraft and dark magic. Where Skinwalker acts as a bad taboo to the tribe. They believe Skinwalkers gain their powers by doing forbidden rituals or breaking cultural laws.

Navajo see Skinwalkers as evil witches or a being who can shapeshift, having special abilities like speed and strength that would be harmful to others. They're feared because they can hurt people and animals. Unlike the werewolves or witches in Western stories, Skinwalkers aren't mindless monsters. They kill for power or revenge, much like humans do. But they're not always out causing harm; they're more like dangerous secrets lurking in the background.

Skinwalker characteristic & transformation

According to Native American stories, Skinwalkers are thought to have the following characteristics and skills such as:

Shapeshifting: Can turn into different animals like wolves, coyotes, foxes, owls, or more, depending on the region where the legend is most common. They wear the skins of animals they want to be like, allowing them to resemble their appearance and abilities.

Supernatural abilities: Skinwalkers have powers more than just shape-shifting. They're faster, stronger, and more agile than normal animals. They also have keen senses and can control thoughts, that can cause harm from a distance.

Evil Nature: Skinwalkers are usually seen as bad creatures who can hurt whole communities, which makes people really scared of them.

Encounters with Skinwalkers are often terrifying, especially in isolated places, mostly at night. People who see them describe weird animal-like figures that have bright red glowing eyes in the dark. Native American cultures respect and fear Skinwalker stories because they're seen as secretive and have frightened them. That's why these stories aren't shared much in public. Some people still believe in Skinwalkers, while others think they're just stories. But Skinwalker folklore continues to capture the imagination of those who love supernatural and mysterious tales.

Skinwalker Cases & Evidence

Skinwalker Ranch

There have been many reports of people witnessing a Skinwalker when entering the place known as “Skinwalker Ranch,” also referred to as Sherman Ranch, located in the southwest of Ballard, Utah, United States. The Navajo Nation covers the land from Utah, and Arizona, all the way to New Mexico. Where the first owner, Terry Sherman, experienced a supernatural event on his new cattle ranch after moving in with his family of four and living there for 18 months. One night, Terry heard a noise outside and saw a wolf in his yard that was much larger than any ordinary wolf. He shoots the wolf several times with a gun but remains unharmed and vanishes into thin air when he tries to chase it. He's not sure whether it was a Skinwalker that scared them that night, but for sure, it haunted and terrified the Shermans during their time there. Throughout their year-long stay on the ranch, they saw various phenomena, including flashing lights, mysterious objects flying in the sky, heard strange voices, discovered strange crop circles in their field, cattle mutilations, and shapeshifting creatures resistant to bullets. These supernatural led the Shermans to decide to move out of the property and sell the ranch in 1996. Just two years after they had bought it, Sherman Ranch has turned into a destination of paranormal activity.

Cow Multilated

Neighbors avoid discussing or mentioning Skinwalkers in the conversation to prevent harm from these creatures. However, people such as YouTubers, journalists, and curious groups of teenagers often sneak in to observe the place to prove their existence. Yet, on social networks, people believe they do it mainly for content to increase their views. This causes each piece of evidence may not be real or solid enough to prove their existence. But in 1955, Robert Bigelow, a Las Vegas real estate magnate and UFO enthusiast, founded the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDSci) to help fund research on UFOs and the paranormal. Later, he bought the ranch from the Terry family for $200,000. The Shermans’ nightmare ranch has since become Bigelow’s new research hub for NIDSci.

Bigelow and NIDSci have discovered evidence of UFOs or alien life that align closely with the phenomena mentioned by the Shermans. They witness cattle mutilations during both nighttime and daytime, with no blood spilled around the cows, completely cut open with no internal organs left inside. On the night of March 12, 1997, after the ranch had been sold, a biochemist named Colm Kelleher, who was working with Bigelow, saw a large, human-like creature spying on the research team from the trees. Kelleher described it as follows: “The large creature lay motionless, almost casually, in the tree. The only indication of the beast’s presence was the penetrating yellow light of its unblinking eyes as they stared fixedly back into the light.” Kelleher grabbed a rifle and shot at the creature. He then noticed an unusual oval track about six inches in diameter embedded deeply in the snow. He remarked, “It looked unusual: a single large print in the snow with two sharp claws protruding from the rear of the mark, going a couple of inches deeper. It almost looked like a bird of prey, maybe a raptor print, but huge and, from the depth of the print, from a very heavy creature.”

Since the Sherman Ranch was 400 miles north of the Navajo Nation, it was also next to Ute territory. When Utes and Navajos crossed paths, it was a contentious relationship, as mentioned by historian Sondra Jones, the author of "Being and Becoming Ute." Jones stated, “It was not friendly; the Navajos were more aggressive people. They took slaves, they had Ute slaves. And there were direct conflicts when the Navajos attempted to move up into Ute territory.”

However, NIDSci's stories only added to the mystery of Skinwalker Ranch, leaving the social internet waiting for answers. Despite years of research and millions in funding, people expected more. The lack of solid evidence persisted, as expensive audio and visual equipment failed to capture what some eyewitnesses had seen, from large, mysterious animals to flying orbs in the sky. Consequently, NIDSci was disbanded in 2004 but maintained property ownership until 2016. In that year, Robert Bigelow sold the ranch to a mystery buyer, later revealed to be Brandon Fugal, a Utah real estate mogul, who announced his ownership in 2020.

Fugal revealed a collaboration with the History Channel, hosting a series called “The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch,” This series aimed to investigate the ranch, with Fugal and his team, led by principal investigator Erik Bard and astrophysicist Dr. Travis Taylor, aiming to uncover the truth behind the 512-acre property. However, like many investigators before them, the current researchers of Skinwalker Ranch have encountered more questions than answers. Such as the electronic equipment failed to function on the ranch, the numerous research teams reported unexpected illnesses, and the strangeness sense on the ranch followed them home. Therefore, the search for answers continues.

Media and Cultural Appropriation Toward Navajo

Other anthropologists have studied Skinwalkers, including Margaret K.'s work "Some Kind of Power" from 1984, which explores the social importance of Skinwalker narratives among Navajo children acts as childhood ghost stories that show contemporary Navajo cultural concerns. The media has shown big interest in Skinwalkers since their discovery in the 1970s. That includes making up additional tales, graphics, and even evidence to convince the media of their existence, to gain popularity. But as a result, the media has started to pressure the Navajo people to reveal the truth about Skinwalkers, accusing them of being a cowards for not speaking up about the creature, suggesting that their silence indicates the truth may not be as they claim.

Eventually, some brave individuals from the Navajo tribe have explained that their hesitation to discuss Skinwalkers is because it’s a bad taboo for the tribe that could harm them and their loved ones. Even with the explanations, the media continues to dismiss their cultural beliefs, refer to them as excuses and people start disrespecting them. In a 2007 journal article titled "Watching Navajos Watch Themselves" anthropologist Sam Pack, analyzed a flaw in the media’s topic of Navajo culture, showing how it clashes with the truth of Navajo culture. Additionally, the 2002 film "Skinwalker" gained positive feedback from Navajo viewers, despite cultural inaccuracies. This suggests that Navajo people prefer to remain silent about Skinwalkers, and the media should respect their choice, not force them to speak out the truth that may put them at risk of harm. However, whether Navajo people choose silence to conceal the truth for self-protection, or if it's all a made-up story to uphold the mystery, therefore the truth remains unknown.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Native American culture, the Navajo tribe, is deeply connected to the mystery of Skinwalkers. However, they prefer to remain silent because of their cultural beliefs and the potential dangers. Even though people from the outside might be curious or skeptical, respecting the Navajo's wishes and traditional beliefs is essential. Pushing them to share these stories or questioning their beliefs can hurt their sense of control and dignity. It might also keep us from learning the truth, whatever that may be because it's wrapped up in the sacred traditions of the Navajo people. So, it's important to honor their culture and let them decide what to share and keep within their community.