Restoring the Self in the Language of Beauty and Balance: Esther Belin’s Of Cartography

Abstract

The article analyzes the collection of poetry, Of Cartography, by Navajo poet and visual artist Esther G. Belin. In the collection, the poet explores the concepts of home and the self, merging her urban experience with traditional Navajo teachings. Written in a mixture of English and Navajo, the collection abounds in experimental poems with structure directly referring to the Navajo view of the cosmic reality. Grounded both in the Navajo philosophy of Beauty and Balance and modern, urban experience, Belin’s story can be interpreted as a healing rite that aims at restoring hózhǫ́: an ideal Navajo way of life which centers on the spiritual, physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of an individual and his/her community.