...Draft on Navajo Culture David Cable ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Prof. Justine Lemos July 19, 2012 I) Introduction: The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American group in America today, and is the biggest Indian reservation in the United States. Situated in the northeastern part of Arizona and in the northwestern part of New Mexico, it is comprised of nearly ten million acres, or roughly fifteen thousand square miles. In this research paper the author will discuss at least three aspects of the Navajo culture that will include the kinship that the Navajo have with each other, the social structure within Navajo society, the economic organization that sustains the culture and their beliefs and values that these people share, including some of their rituals and ceremonies. In addition, the author will conclude with some facts about life on the reservation today and how tourism has become part of the Navajo culture. II) Body: The Navajo (or Dine People) as they prefer to be called, are a pastoral, semi-nomadic people who live in one of the most arid and barren lands of the Great American Deserts in the Southwest. A) Kinship: The Navajo people have a kinship that follows the lineage of women, and unlike most Pastoral societies which are patrilineal / patrilocal, the Navajo are one of a handful of societies that are matrilineal / matrilocal. This is because the central symbol of their social organization is motherhood, in which the Navajo find a...
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...Navajo Culture The Navajos came into the Southwest sometime around the 16th century, they were a small group of hunting and gathering people. We know them as Navajo but they would call themselves Diné, which stood for “The People”. “The Navajo are Athapaskan speakers whose language is similar to that of the Apache” (Arizona Board of Regents). They have a broad culture and were known for the ability to survive and adapt really well, especially to local cultures. There primary mode of subsistence is Pastoralists, they utilize farming as a key mode for living. Looking ahead we will gain in depth more knowledge and understanding about the Navajo culture; what were their beliefs, kinship, social organization and more. The word Navajo comes from the phrase Tewa Navahu, meaning highly cultivated lands (Navajo Indians 2013). In the 1500s they originally started up their tribe and are considered to be one of the largest tribe of all the Native American Indians. There is two areas that are highly populated with the Navajo, New Mexico and Arizona. Navajo are very simple when it comes to their way of living which is much different than other cultures. Their homes are made of sticks, mud and tree bark, it’s much like a shelter rather than a home. These homes were known as hogans, and their doors faced the east to be sure the sun would shine in (Navajo Indians 2013). In order to get things such as meat and different forms of materials for making weapons and tools they would trade...
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...Navajo Indians and Their Culture Kimberly Davis Intro. To Cultural Anthropology Instructor Jason Gonzalez 04/02/2013 Within the Navajo community, there are several dynamics that are used to keep the community together. Their culture, family bonds and work ethics are all factors that play major roles in the raising of their families and also with maintaining their land and properties. By nature, Navajo Indians are born Pastoralists, which means they are natural farmers of land. These ethics and techniques have been passed down from generation to generation from birth. This paper will explore how they communicate with one another and how they function together to maintain their culture and beliefs. I. Pastoralists a. Definition b. How Important Is It To Be A Pastoralists To The Navajo Indians 1. How did it become their primary mode of subsistence 2. Is this different from being just a farmer and in what ways II. What Are Three Aspects of Their Culture A. Beliefs and Values 1. What are they? 2. How are they determined? B. Kinship 1. Who is considered to be the head of the Tribe? 2. How is this determined? C. Sickness and Healing 1. Spiritual Aspect 2. Do they believe in modern medicine? References The Sense of Collectivism and Individualism among Husbands and Wives in Traditional and Bi-Cultural Navajo Families on the Navajo Reservation. Journal of Comparative Family Studies. Sept2011, Vol. 42...
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...Rituals and Expectations The Navajo people have a belief that the spirit of their dead would come back to the living if they were not properly buried. The death rituals and expectations for the Navajo Native Americans is a culture that is very sensitive about their dead. The Native Americans needed their dead to be buried rather quickly to make sure that their dead would not come back. The Navajo Native Americans back in the day would clean the dead body and then cover it with a coverlet. They would then put the dead on a horse and head north as far as they could go. The family would find a burial place for their dead and kill the horse so that the dead would have a new horse in the next life. Burial customs require that everything is in order and that all the rituals are followed. One of the rituals is that is a person dies in their home that their home will have to be burned with the body. The surviving family would have to be there at the burning so that they will also be purified along with the deceased (Navajo Death Rituals, 2016)....
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...Running Head: Nation within a Nation Amy Lamb Ashford University ANT 101 Instructor Rebekah Zinser July 29th 2013 The Navajo, also known as Dine`, are some of the first Indians who set foot in America. The primary mode of subsistence for any culture means a way of supporting life. The Navajo’s primary modes of subsistence are pastoralists. How does a pastoralist society impact beliefs and values, healing and sickness, and kinship of the Navajo culture? These are the three aspects I plan to discuss and prove that the Navajo Nation is a Nation within a Nation. The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous Native American-governed territory covering 27,425 square miles, occupying portions of northeastern Arizona, southeastern Utah, and northwestern New Mexico. (Linford, 2000) The Navajo reservation is the largest Indian tribe in North America. The Navajo’s are a pastoral and agriculture society. They use farming and herding as their primary mode of subsistence. The Navajo culture is of spiritual nature. The Dine` believes in having a spiritual relationship with their land. The Navajo’s are known as people who are in tune with the spiritual world, and they are spiritual beings. The Navajo wish to live their culture and lives without interference of the Western World government. “We do not like relief and want to make our own living and we know we can do so if we are left alone.”(Lee, 2007). According to Clah Cheschillige, in the 19th century and the...
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...Southwestern United States: The Navajo The Navajo are very proud people, with a great deal of history behind them. Existing for thousands of years, the exact time of their arrival to the Southwestern United States is still argued among archaeologists and Navajo historians. All that can be agreed upon is that the Navajo have occupied this region since at least the early 1600s. Having been through a great many intrusions and wars, these great people have remained consistent and thriving, able to constantly provide for themselves and their families. It has been said that the Navajo originally migrated from western Canada, belonging to an American Indian tribe known as the Athabasca. Some settled in northern Arizona, and became part of different Apache tribes. Apache languages are said to sound very similar to the Navajo language (Linford, 2000). Archaeologists have found supporting evidence to suggest that the Navajo have occupied the Southwestern United States since the early 1500s. Carbon dating used in the “Dinetah”, which is the Navajo homeland, led these archaeologists to believe that the Navajo had been around for a lot longer than the original estimation. However, the earliest reports of the Navajo in central Arizona came with the Spanish incursion in the 1770s (Linford, 2000). It appears the Navajo did not spread into southern Utah until the 1850s. They had relocated to this area after fleeing from the United States Army (Linford, 2000). Once in Utah...
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...The Navajo Indians Mind, body and spirit are the foundation of the Navajo community. The Navajo culture is known to be very primitive and reserved. This could cause some complications in the health care field. Their basic lifestyle may lead to several health complications, belief in prayer and evil spirits is prominent, they believe that the role of a physician is to be a partner in their healing, there are several nursing practices that need to be considered when caring for a Navajo patient, and as a nurse it is important to treat these people with respect even if their ways may seems unorthodox. The traditional Navajo Indians have a very primitive lifestyle. This means that they don’t necessarily have the best living conditions and don’t always maintain the best nutritional status. They are known for living off of the land and providing what they can for one another. Poor living conditions and lack of proper nutrition can lead to a multitude of health issues. Traditional Navajo homes are made of timber and mud. They usually heat their homes by fire. During winter or cold weather, the Navajos are at risk for hypothermia. Their diet consists of wild game, goats, wild berries, and other vegetables they grow themselves. So, again, during the wintertime, they may not be able to grow enough food to maintain adequate nutrition. This can result in vitamin, electrolyte, and other deficiencies within their community. One deficiency found in the Navajo culture is that of vitamin D....
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...The Navajo Indian Cultural Anthropology The Navajo Indians of the Southwestern United states have a distinct social organization, kinship, and a both traditional and biomedical way that they approach sickness and healing. Their social organization revolves around their community and the Earth. Kinship for the Navajo is matriarchal and they are a pastoral society. The traditional Navajo have medicine men that the tribe goes to for any sickness and healing that needs to be done. The modern Navajo has established the Indian Health Service as their standard medical facility and agency. I will go into more detail on all three areas of the tribe’s society of the Navajo people throughout this paper. The tribes of the Navajo Indians are located in Southwest region of the United States. They range from Southwestern Colorado, Northwestern New Mexico, and Northeastern Arizona. Most of the Navajo Indians live on reservations in northeastern Arizona and northwestern New Mexico. The Navajo are the second largest of the Native American tribes and have a population of 7.2% of the Native Americans. They are second to Native Alaskans ((U.S. Census Bureau, 2008).. The marriage rate in the Navajo nation is forty five percent. Only seven percent have a college degree. They have the lowest income level out of all of the Native American tribes. They have a large poverty rate at thirty seven percent. The La Plata Mountain of Southwest Colorado are considered a sacred place for the Navajo...
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...The Navajo Navajo’s primary mode of subsistence is pastoralists, who lived an abnormal life compared to today’s culture. They spend much of their time herding and caring for their animals. Their life moves with the four seasons as they travel to each of their Hogan’s in search of grass and water for themselves and the animals to live. They believe they are one with the environment and the earth is their mother. Each family member of the Navajo, from the elders to the kids, all work very hard together to perform the duties necessary for not only their survival also the animal’s survival. There are different aspects of their culture which is affected by pastoralist but I will be discussing three of them, which are kinship, their beliefs and values, and the social organization. 1. Kinship A. Animals B. Environmental Adaptations C. Property 2. Beliefs and Values A. Division of Labor B. Ceremonies and Pollen C. Religion 3. Social organization A. Relationship With Mother Earth B. Bond to family As for the kinship, the Navajos belonged to a matrilineal society, where property, status, etc. are inherited through women. The Navajo people have a kinship system that follows the lineage of women. There is a complementary relationship between the male and female in the Navajo culture and the importance of blood and voice in constructing a person. The Navajo body, of men and women, is viewed as having a female side (the right side)...
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...The Navajo Way Lucious Davis ANT:101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Instructor: Jessie Cohen March 10, 2012 The story of the Navajo is one that is filled with triumph, tragedy, and hope. The Navajo are a pastoral people originating in North America. The culture of the Navajo’s is a one filled with traditions that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Their culture is what defines them and it is a major factor in the way they live their lives- including their social organization, beliefs and the way they heal their sick. Background Few cultures have left their imprint on North America like the Navajo. With over 300,000 members, the Navajo are the largest federally recognized tribe in the Unites States. Originating in northwest Canada and eastern Alaska, the Navajo, along with other groups like the Apache migrated to their more commonly known territory- the southwestern United States. Accounts have dated the occupation of the southwestern United States by the Navajo to stretch as far back as 1400. Throughout history, the Navajo have expanded their territory through raiding and commerce, now are mostly confined to a small area that is called the “Four Corners”. This is the area of the southwest United States that is comprised of: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. The Navajo can best be described as seminomadic- they tend to move according to the seasons. Jett (1978) stated that the actual movement patterns can vary greatly from...
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...Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures Cosmic Creation Myths Across Cultures Every culture has a myth that has been told about the development of that particular culture. For example how beings first got on earth, how they were created, how the earth and sky were created and even how the animals were created. The Navajo culture resides over the areas of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The Egyptian culture resides in Egypt which is located in northeastern Africa. The Navajo and Egyptian creation myths share some similarities and also some differences. Both of these creation myths go into to extensive detail about the cycle of creation. The creator for the Egyptian Atum was neither male nor female. The significance of his gender was that he could join himself to produce his own children. Atum joined with his shadow to give birth to his son Shu whom he had spit up and made the god of air. Atum also gave birth to a daughter Tefnut whom he had vomited up and made god of mist and moisture. While the Egyptian creation myth goes into detail about how the creator Atum created his children the Navajo creation myth does not. It is told that when the Navajos came out of the first world they consisted of six beings. Begochiddy child of the sun was the creator of all things and his beings were first man, first woman, salt woman, fire god, and coyote. The development of these two cultures differs because they Navajo went through many different underworlds before finding stability while...
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...Enhancing the Awareness of Navajo Indians Michele Amoroso, Holly Bulian, and Tara Smallidge Loyola University Enhancing the Awareness of Navajo Indians Native Americans are composed of numerous, distant tribes, bands and ethnic groups, many of which survive as intact, sovereign nations. Once a self-governing, self-sufficient people, America Indians were forced to give up their homes and their land, and to subordinate themselves to an alien culture. From the origin of their tribes in the 1500’s to the early nineteenth century, American Indians have experienced oppression. Today, American Indians are more numerous than they have been for several centuries (Andersen & Collins, 2012). Today, Native Americans have a unique relationship with the United States. Since the late 1960’s, political participation has led to an expansion of efforts to teach and preserve Indigenous languages for younger generations and to establish a greater cultural infrastructure. This paper will discuss the specific tribe of the Navajo Indians to create awareness of their history, oppression, and current state in today’s world. The word Navajo comes from the phrase “Tewa Navahu”, meaning highly cultivated lands. The Indians largely reside in New Mexico and Arizona. The Navajo Indians originally began their tribes in the 1500’s. They traded maize, or corn crops, and woven cotton items such as blankets for things such as bison meat, and various materials, which were made for tools and weapons. Homes...
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...This article was downloaded by: [University of Texas El Paso] On: 09 August 2011, At: 13:50 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Bilingual Research Journal Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/ubrj20 Language Learning in the American Southwestern Borderlands: Navajo Speakers and Their Transition to Academic English Literacy Gloria Dyc a a University of New Mexico-Gallup Available online: 22 Nov 2010 To cite this article: Gloria Dyc (2002): Language Learning in the American Southwestern Borderlands: Navajo Speakers and Their Transition to Academic English Literacy, Bilingual Research Journal, 26:3, 611-630 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15235882.2002.10162581 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.tandfonline.com/page/termsand-conditions This article may be used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, re-distribution, re-selling, loan, sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently...
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...Anthropology: The Navajo Ashley Miller ANT101 Daniel Diaz Reyes June 16, 2013 The Navajo The Navajo, also known as the Diné, are one of the largest Native American Tribes in the world. Their culture is made up of very distinct and unique characteristics that have been passed down from generation to generation. They have been taught to adapt to their surroundings and to the land. Each moral, standard, belief and value are what make the Navajo so unique to the Native Americans. In the following, their primary mode of subsistence, kinship system, beliefs, values, and economic organizations will be briefly examined to gain a better knowledge of the Navajo culture. The Navajo culture were originally foragers, traveling across land in search of unsettled land and resources for their tribes. After migrating south from the pacific northwest over 700 years ago, the Navajo settled in Southwest America. They were then introduced to sheep by the Spaniards and soon after been pastoral and started growing small crops and caring for their animals. According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural American, “A Navajo is “born to” the mother’s clan and “born for” the father’s clan” (Birchfield, 2000). It is said that the Navajo society is matrilineal, meaning that a clan’s identity is derived from the female. In a traditional introduction, the Navajo will first introduce themselves by naming the maternal clan, followed by the paternal clan. Historically, Navajo men were...
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...Navajo Way of Life Kathleen E. St.Cyr ANT101 Jeffrey Ratcliffe July 16, 2012 Every culture has a primary mode of subsistence that makes them unique. Among the Navajo culture their primary mode of subsistence are pastoralists. Pastoralists have an impact on different aspects with in the culture. The aspects that I will be discussing will be the Navajo’s beliefs and values, sickness and healing, kinship, and their social organization. “Pastoralists are those who regularly move in search of naturally occurring grass and water.” (Nowak & Laird, 2010) Navajo’s are an Indian tribe that live on reservations and sometimes reside on public domains outside of the reservations. The Navajo nation is the largest reservation in North America. The Navajo tribe is the natives of what is called the Four Corners region that reside in Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. Navajo’s call themselves Dineh, meaning “the people.” “Up until 1848, the land on which the Navajos lived had belonged to Mexico. The Navajos had to continually fight not only the Spanish, but also other Indian tribes in order to live on this land.” (Oracle ThinkQuest, The Navajo People) They continued this fight up until the 1850’s and 1860’s when Americans built Fort Defiance for the Navajo country, near what is now called Window Rock, Arizona. Only soon to be captured and killed by the Americans. After having to surrender and forced to walk 300 miles to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico and years...
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