Navajo Skinwalker Narratives

Record summary

Skinwalker narratives are commonly associated in popular culture with Diné concepts of harmful witchcraft, often rendered through the term yee naaldlooshii. The tradition belongs to a broader religious and social framework involving healing, taboo, accusation, and ceremonial knowledge, not simply a monster story. It is relevant to studying how sacred or community-specific traditions are transformed into commercial paranormal folklore. Sources differ in terminology and interpretation, and many popular internet accounts are detached from Diné contexts. The lead should be approached through Indigenous-authored or community-sensitive scholarship.