The skin-walker is a shape-shifting witch of the Navajo who exists only to do harm to others. Skin-walkers are understood to have once been shamans – people of significant spiritual power – who chose to use their gifts for evil instead of good. They possess the supernatural ability to transform into any animal they desire such as coyotes, wolves, foxes, deer, eagles, owls, bears, cougars, or crows.

A skin-walker can transform into any animal by first wearing a pelt of the animal in order to properly transform into said animal. Similar lore can be found in cultures throughout the world and is often referred to as shapeshifting by anthropologists. Because it is believed that skin-walkers wear the skins of the animals they transform into, it is considered taboo to wear the pelt of any animal. In fact, the Navajo are only known to wear two hides, sheepskin and buckskin, both of which are only used for ceremonial purposes. It’s also said that skin walkers must first mentally observe the animal’s form in specific detail, a process known as imprinting. Apparently, a skin walker needs to do this only once, and that animal’s form can be assumed at will without the need to repeat the imprinting process.

Here is a video of apparent sightings/encounters with skin-walkers.

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