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| The
Navajo (or Diné, as they call themselves) live in the Southwestern
United States, especially in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and
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| Arizona.
This area is very dry and desert-like. Some
260,000 people now live on the Navajo Nation Reservation,
which is located on the four corners of these four states.
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HISTORY
The ancestors of the Navajo migrated across the Baring Strait
during the last ice age when the water between Russia and America
was frozen. About 1000 years ago they started to move south from
Alaska and Western Canada. The move south was a slow process that
probably happened because there was not enough food for their growing
population. Most of the people who traveled south were hunters,
gatherers and fishers. By 1300 they reached the area in which they
now live. The Navajo had conflicts with the people who were already
living here and took many of their belongings. However, they settled
quickly and became farmers, while others hunted for food.
The Navajo lived in peace for the next 200 years. In the late 1500's,
however, the Spanish started to settle in New Mexico and this caused
a conflict. The Spanish tried to rule the Navajo and convert them
to Christianity. The Navajo stuck to their own beliefs and the efforts
of the Spanish failed. After several wars the Spanish succeeded
in dominating the Navajo and the area became part of Spain (and
later part of Mexico). In 1848 the United States fought a war against
Mexico and this area became part of the United States. A short time
later the gold rush brought many white people through Navajo land
and again this led to major problems. The start of the US civil
war in 1860 made things even worse for the Navajo. The United States
government decided to force all of the Navajos to leave their homes
in 1863 and walk some 500 kilometers (called the "Long Walk" by
the Navajo). The US army also destroyed all of their fields, orchards
and villages on the way, and killed their animals (which the Navajo
needed for food). The Navajo remained prisoners for four years.
During this time thousands died of starvation, disease and cold.
The ninth treaty between the Navajo and the US government in 1868
allowed the 7,000 Navajo who survived the Long Walk to return home
and start a new life. The Navajo had little to return to. The treaty
also created the Navajo Nation Reservation, which is where most
Navajo now live. Since this time the relationship between the Navajo
and the United States government has been a tense one. The Navajo
only became US citizens in 1924, and were given the right to vote
in 1948. Many Navajo still feel very strongly that they were robbed
of their land and their culture, and that their ways are not respected
by others. Nowadays, more and more Navajo are starting to rediscover
their culture and feel proud of their past.
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RELIGION
For the more traditional Navajo religion is very important in
their day-to-day lives. Navajo try to be at peace and harmony with
the world (Mother Earth) around them at all times. This is called
"walking in beauty". Navajo are taught to respect the holy ones
(their gods) and everything they have created. There is great respect
for nature: the land, and the plants and animals that one finds
there.
Sand paintings are very common among the Navajo and have a religious
purpose. Many tourists buy them for their beauty, but they are used
by the Navajo themselves in healing ceremonies. In these ceremonies
the Healer uses the sand painting to tell the story of the holy
ones.
The number "4" is traditionally a sacred number among the Navajo.
For instance, there are four sacred mountains, four parts of a person,
four events in a woman's life, etc.
Nowadays, many Navajo have become Christian. The most active religions
on the reservation are now the Mormon Church, the Catholic Church,
the Adventists and the Native American Church.
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SOCIETY,
ECONOMY AND POLITICS
After arriving in the Southwest seven hundred hundred years ago,
most Navajo soon turned to farming and herding to survive. Traditionally,
the Navajo farmed beans, squash and corn. Corn was and still is
the most important of these foods and comes in many colors. The
Navajo also hunted deer, prarie dogs and other animals. Today many
Navajo raise sheep for meat and wool. The most common dishes are
fry bread and mutton stew.
Navajo are also know for their rug weaving. Different areas of the
Navajo Reservation create their own distinct types of rug patterns.
The rugs are made from sheep wool. It is a fairly new trade because
it was the Spanish who brought sheep to the area.
Although the Navajo Reservation is in the United States, they have
a form of self-government. They elect their leaders at both the
local and tribal levels.
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CULTURE
Navajo family life is arranged by a kinship system called clans.
Today there are around 150 clans among the Navajo. Clan membership
passes through the mother. Traditionally, people are not allowed
to marry people who belong to the same clan.
Historically the Navajo language (Dineh) is an oral one. It was
not until 1900 that a Navajo alphabet was created, which is unique
and very different from the Latin alphabet. The language is still
used widely in the community and in the Navajo schools.
Until recently Navajo's tended to live in houses called Hogans.
These tend to look much like the traditional houses of the Anasazi,
who lived in the area before the Navajo settled there. These houses
have a log frame that is covered by smaller logs, willow and clay.
Nowadays, Hogans are made of many different materials. But logs
are still a main building material. If somebody dies in a hogan,
the others living there will leave and go to live elsewhere. The
hogan will be left to decay and no part of it will be re-used.
Gay people are highly respected among the Navajo. They are seen
as having the special gift of being able to see the male and female
side of any matter. They are therefore seen as excellent teachers.
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| "The
Big Myth" © Distant Train 2009 |
