Publisher’s note: This commentary was written before Peregrine-Vulcan mission was launched on Monday, 8 January 2024. But the issues are worth discussing, in our opinion here at TPOL. Please provide feedback

The first US-based mission to the moon in 50 years may be delayed or even canceled, according to a recent story. The Navajo Nation government has appealed to the FedGov to stop the unmanned mission to Luna. Why? Because it will carry DNA and ashes of a 96 dead people whose families or supporters have paid the private company (also a FedGov contractor) to take and leave on the lunar surface as part of a multi-customer delivery.

The mission itself is a historic event, with the US following Indian and Chinese (and a failed Russian) lunar landing project (all unmanned). The Peregrine will carry multiple packages from various sources and countries. NASA claims it is a key in preparing for the manned Artemis missions to Luna in a few years. It is also the first operational flight of the Vulcan, in essence NASA competition with SpaceX and Blue Origin, among others, for heavy-duty surface-to-orbit (and higher) cargo hauls and passenger runs.

But the Navajo – and other cultures – claim that the mission (by carrying cremains and DNA samples) is desecrating a sacred object and terrain. They view the only natural satellite as sacred. Luna, in Dineh, is Haashchʼéékʼah or tł’éé’honaa’éí. It is a sacred object intimately connected to feminine power and energy, governs women’s reproductive cycles. Luna plays a very important role in the many Navajo healing ceremonies. It is very important, overall.

So taking human remains to the moon is, in so many ways, a right mess.

We suspect that it is much more the human ashes (which include those of several science-fiction celebrities) than the DNA samples that upset traditional Navajo believers. Who of course have significant power and influence in the government of Dinetah – the Navajo Nation.

Navajo (Dineh) traditional beliefs include a belief in witches, including skinwalkers, who commit evil acts against people. (There are no good witches, according to Dineh.) One of the weapons or tools of skinwalkers and other witches is corpse dust, which includes the ashes of human cremation and dried or desiccated parts of dead humans.

It is commonly believed that when people die, their soul descends to the underworld. But the evil aspects of their lives remain on earth in a spirit form called a chindi which inhabits both the place of their death and the corpse. (This is a reason that traditional Navajo abandon and shun a building where someone has died, and traditionally, a person tries to die outdoors, where much of the chindi is dispersed.)

Putting corpse dust, directly or indirectly, on people causes various sicknesses, including many fatal. Spreading the corpse dust on land damages and desecrates the land. Even if not done by a witch with evil intent.

Many Dineh who are christian still believe in these traditions and ideas.

There is a longtime and on-going conflict in Dinetah (land of the Navajo) because of the growing American cultural practice of spreading the ashes of the dead on mountains or other special locations. In the American Southwest, these include the Four Sacred Mountains which define the boundaries of Dinetah: Blanca Peak (CO), Hesperus Mountain (CO), the San Francisco Peaks (AZ), and Mount Taylor (NM), seen on the map below of the Four Corners.

Because spreading human ashes (even if not done by a skinwalker) desecrates (makes unclean) the mountains, the Dineh must constantly have singing ceremonies (including the Blessing Way and the Enemy Way) done by traditional Singers on the mountains to purify and restore the balance of the land.

This obviously is not possible, yet, to do on the moon. To many Navajo, this imbalance is a catastrophe that they believe will result in massive negative spiritual and physical harm to their people and the world. Particularly related to reproduction.

All of which brings us to the political aspects. First, the Navajo Constitution, of a sovereign if dependent nation, does not separate religion and government: “church and state.” But the Dineh do recognize the US Constitution and claim that the FedGov must obey the US Constitution. (I know, an even more strange belief, at least to federal officials.)

Recent congressional and court actions (as in the past 50 years) have made it clear that the FedGov and the States cannot restrict the practice of religion by Dineh or other AmerInd people any more than it can do so to Catholics or Jews or Muslims. So Window Rock (the Dinetah capital) argues to DC that contaminating the moon is a violation of First Amendment rights: it is a direct assault on freedom of religion, of worship. It is also, as described above, a situation that cannot be corrected, at least not until Navajo singers can conduct the blessing way and other ceremonies to correct the balance on the lunar surface at the site of contamination.

But of course, there are more variables. It is not the FedGov sending this DNA and ashes to the moon. It is a private company doing it for private companies, organizations, and individuals (families). The FedGov, though, is obviously paying the major cost of launching that Vulcan – which was designed and built using federal (taxpayer) funds! And of course, we have long taken for granted that both the FAA and NASA have to give permission for Americans to launch things into space. (Gee, can you find that power in the Constitution? We can’t here at TPOL.) So under 6FedGov statutes and regulations, this is a “federal action” that requires, among other things, consultation with impacted American Indian nations. Window Rock claims that was not done properly.

At this point, we don’t know what the outcome will be.Whose rights come first? And it is hard to find a suitable compromise or consensus on this action. What are your thoughts?