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Shapeshifters. Were-beasts. Both terms describe the malevolent witch of Southwestern Native American lore, the skinwalker.

Little is known about the illusive witches who wear the skins of animals to transform themselves into the creatures they wish to immolate. Though considered legend by most, the naagloshii (he who trots along on all fours), or skinwalker, is a very real part of Navajo religion. It's taboo to speak of skinwalkers to outsiders due to the risk of attracting the black witch's wrath. To be cursed by a skinwalker means bad luck, sickness and even death.

Though scientists don't endorse the myth as fact, they recognize the power of belief among Native Americans can manifest in real ways, both physically and mentally. Anthropologist David Zimmerman of the Navajo Nation Historic Preservation Department explains that Skinwalkers possess knowledge of medicine that is practical (heal the sick) and spiritual (maintain harmony), and they are both wrapped together in ways that are nearly impossible to untangle."

According to Navajo belief, Skinwalkers are self-serving and evil beings whose primary motivation is revenge. They must kill a sibling or other relative to be initiated as a skinwalker, then commit murder, cannibalize their victims, rob graves and practice necrophilia to perform their magic. By Navajo law, a known witch is not considered human and can be killed at will.

Doug Hickman, a New Mexico educator, is quoted in the nonfiction book Hunt for the Skinwalker, by Colm Kelleher and George Knapp, as saying, "The Navajo skinwalkers use mind control to make their victims do things to hurt themselves and even end their lives. A skinwalker reads people's minds to use their fears against them.

How powerful is a skinwalker? Not only do they cast spells, legend has it they can run faster than a car and scale cliffs hundreds of feet high. A common belief is that a skinwalker uses something called corpse powder that when blown in a victim's face will cause convulsions and eventual death.

Not all Native American witches are skinwalkers, but all skinwalkers are witches. A sighting of one is as rare as that of a sasquatch, the loch ness monster, or a chupacabra, however some have claimed to have had an encounter while driving near tribal lands. A skinwalker may appear as half-animal wearing human clothing, and fix you with a red-eyed stare guaranteed to give you nightmares. How can you protect yourself from a skinwalker? Don't make it angry and it may forget you exist.

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