The mythical beauty and wisdom of the Navajo people may be seen in their sandpainting. Their desire to be in a state of tranquillity with nature shows through in the harmony of color and design and their practiced patience in the studied care with which they do the sandpaintings.

Originally, sandpainting was done only for ceremonial purposes, and most often for the sacred purpose of healing a sick patient. The painting was done directly on the ground, and was destroyed as soon as the ceremony was over, in compliance with their religion. The purpose of the painting was to oblige the spirits that the sandpainting represented, and who could heal the patient, to attend the ceremony.

The Navajo now also do permanent sandpaintings that can be done for public viewing. In order for an Indian to make a permanent sandpainting of traditional style for display and/or sale, something of its design has to be changed (color, direction, some detail left out). Of course, pictorials and portraits in sand do not have this stipulation, as they were never used for ceremonial purposes, even though they may portray ceremonial figures.

In order to make a permanent sandpainting, the artist carefully trickles a small amount of natural color sand through his fingers onto particle board or pottery that has a bonding agent on it, or make his design. After finishing the sandpainting, many Indians will now sign it on the back and perhaps write a short narrative on the meaning of the sandpainting.

The Apache, Hopi, Navajo, Papago, Zuni and Southern California Indians have all done sandpainting in the past. It is the Navajo, however, who have developed it into an art, and expression of their life and religion. Being inhabitants of the Monument Valley area (where a great variety of colored sands and stones can be found), it has developed into a truly beautiful and colorful expression.