Traditional Navajo practice is to allow death to occur outdoors, to allow the chindi to disperse. If a person dies in a house or hogan, that building is believed to be inhabited by the chindi and is abandoned.
In traditional Navajo society, death is often allowed to take place outdoors, where the chindi can dissipate naturally. However, if a person dies inside a house or hut, that structure is believed to be haunted by the chindi, leading to its abandonment.