Navajo Body Preparation: Yucca Washing, Opposite Moccasins, and Turquoise Smashing

Who Handles the Body

Not just anyone. Traditional Diné practice designates specific family members for body contact — exactly two or four maternal male relatives (uncles or brothers from the deceased's mother's clan) as the body handlers, and maternal women for the intimate preparation tasks. The male handlers accept the spiritual risk of contact with the ch'įįdii (the negative residue of the deceased), and they undergo a four-day isolation protocol afterward to cleanse themselves.

Before touching the body, the handlers smear chíí (red ochre) on their faces, specifically below the eyes. This creates a protective barrier against spiritual contagion and ghost sickness. The preparation begins only after this protection is in place.

The Yucca Wash

The body is thoroughly washed with water and yucca soap (tsá'ászi') — a native plant with deep ritual cleansing significance across the Southwest. This is not a cosmetic procedure. The yucca wash is a spiritual act performed by maternal female relatives, cleaning the body for its transition into the earth.

If the family is using a bordertown mortuary, they can request permission for designated relatives to perform the yucca wash in the facility. This is not a standard mortuary practice, so the request should be made explicitly, in writing, and early enough that the funeral director can accommodate it. Some mortuaries in Gallup, Farmington, and Flagstaff are accustomed to this request from Diné families.

Dressing the Deceased

After washing, the deceased is dressed in their finest traditional garments: buckskins, blankets, and personal jewelry, particularly turquoise and silver pieces. The quality of the clothing matters — this is what the person carries into the afterlife.

Moccasins on Opposite Feet

This is the practice that most surprises people unfamiliar with Diné tradition. Moccasins or shoes must be placed on the wrong feet — right shoe on the left foot, left shoe on the right foot. The physical inversion prevents the spirit from being able to "walk" properly back to the land of the living. It is one of several deliberate modifications designed to sever the spirit's ability to return.

When using a funeral home, instruct the director in writing to place the shoes on opposite feet before closing the casket. Do not assume they will remember a verbal instruction. Mortuaries follow standard anatomical placement unless told otherwise.

Jewelry Smashing and Garment Cutting

Personal turquoise stones and silver jewelry pieces are deliberately cracked or smashed before being placed with the body. This de-values the objects for physical use in the living world while ensuring they remain spiritually complete for the deceased in the afterlife. The smashing is performed at home before delivering the items to the mortuary — do not expect the funeral director to do this.

Footwear, leather garments, and blankets placed in the casket or burial bundle are also purposefully cut, slashed, or slit. The same principle applies: render the objects physically broken so no one in the living world can use them, while preserving their spiritual integrity for the deceased.

What the Mortuary Needs to Know

For families using a bordertown funeral home, provide clear written instructions covering:

1. No embalming. Under Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah state law, embalming is generally not legally required if the body is refrigerated, buried, or cremated within 24–48 hours. The 2024 NNBCR also explicitly prohibits on-reservation cemeteries from requiring embalming or cement burial liners.

2. No heavy cosmetic preparation. Traditional Diné practice views artificial preservation as a disruption of the body's natural return to earth.

3. Shoes on opposite feet. Specify this in writing before the casket is closed.

4. Unembalmed viewing format. Many bordertown mortuaries offer abbreviated 15-minute viewings with the deceased on a simple dressing table covered by a blanket — no casket, no cosmetics, no flowers. This format aligns with traditional practice but should be explained to family members in advance to avoid shock.

5. Family yucca wash access. If the family wants to perform the ritual washing at the facility, request this early.

The FTC Funeral Rule legally requires mortuaries to provide itemized pricing and to allow families to purchase only the specific services they want — no forced bundling of embalming, caskets, or cosmetic preparation. Diné families should invoke this right explicitly.

The Navajo Funeral Guide includes printable mortuary instruction sheets and body preparation checklists that families can hand directly to a funeral director.