A Very Brief History: The Navajo's Land

NATIVE AMERICANS OF THE SOUTHWEST:



THE NAVAJOS



BY: SEBASTIAN TOALA
PERIOD SEVEN



 INTRODUCTION: The Navajo’s land was very precious. They lived in a huge expanse of land. They lived in large chunks of Utah and Arizona. They also inhabited small parts of Colorado and New Mexico. They had a similar climate all year around. The climate was arid to semi-arid. They had very hot summers and very cold winters. The annual precipitation for most of their land was less than 10 inches of rain. The average temperature range was 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 55 degrees Fahrenheit. They also had natural resources. They had coal, uranium, oil, natural gas, minerals, petroleum, agriculture, and herbs.

LAKE NAVAJO
 FOOD: The Navajos had various amounts of food.
They grew corn, beans, squash and melons. They hunted and ate Kaibab squirrels, black tailed jack rabbits, small pigs, peccary, horses, buffalo and sheep. They baked kneel down bread, Navajo cake, Navajo pancakes, blue “dumplings”, blue bread, hominy cookies, and squash blossoms stuffed with blue corn mush and pinon leaves. They also steamed and roasted corn. They harvested wild fruits and vegetables such as pinon nuts, corn silk, wild berries, wild onion, Navajo spinach (bee weed and pig weed), wolf “berry”, wax currant, sumac grapes, juniper oranges, yucca bananas, and Navajo tea (telesperma). They also traded for deer, squash seeds, tumble mustard seeds, pinto beans, goat, goat milk, and goat cheese. In special occasions they would have wild edible clay, wild potatoes, mimosa, sagebrush, and juniper
ash.

NAVAJO PANCAKES  SHELTER: The Navajos had different homes than other native tribes.
They lived in small clusters of families spread around. There’re 2 types of hogans (what they lived in), the winter type and the summer type. The winter hogan was more closed and padded for the cold but; the summer hogan was more open and less padded for the heat. They were both miserable and crude structures. The reason for them living in such poorly built homes was because they were nomads (so they could easily leave in a moments notice). They considered the outdoors as home. They used there “house” for storage, warmth and sleep. They said they wouldn’t get attached to their “homes” like white men (Americans). Hogans were round “houses” built with sticks, packed with earth and covered with brush, animal hides and whatever else they could find or was available. The front door always faced east to catch first light. They later built more advanced and bigger hogans made out of logs from pinon trees, and mud.

NAVAJO HOGAN  CLIMATE/ GEOGRAPHY INFLUENCE:
The Navajo’s climate and geography affected them. Geography caused them not to have the same food or clothing in all parts of the Navajo land because some stuff didn’t grow everywhere and, the terrain made them wear different clothing according to altitude weather. Climate caused them not to have the same food, clothing or shelter all year around either. Some stuff could only be found a certain season. In the winter they had to wear more layers but, as for in the
summer they would wear less, and like a said before (read shelter) there was a winter hogan and a summer hogan.

CLASSIC TERRAIN  LOCATION OF HOMES:


NAVAJO’S CURRENT HOME


NAVAJO’S ANCESTRAL HOME

 BIBLIOGRAPHY: Carey, Harold Jr. “Navajo People” Donald Snyder. (July 29, 2011) Outskirts Press. October 28, 2011
Donn, Andale. “Native Americans” Phillip Martin. (2007) October 27, 2011
Eck, Pam. “In Kido Indianans” Diane Dwenger. (April 22, 1998) October 28, 2011
Erdoes, Richard. “The Native Americans: Navajos” Sterling Pub. Co : New York; 1978: 15, 21, 12
James, Cullen. “Veterans Recall” Navajo Times; #24, October 29, 2011. 1,2
Kallen, Stuart A. “ Native Americans of The Southwest” Lucent Books: San Diego; 2000: 12, 1, 11
Knysh, Brian. “Kid Port” Elizabeth Flynn. (1998) October 27, 2011 Lewis, Orrin, “Big Orrin” Laura Redish. (1998) October 27, 2011 Rossi, Ann. “ Native Americans of The Southwest” Benchmark Education: Pelham; 2008: 16, 32, 10
Miller, Gay‘s 5th and 6th grade students. “Navajo.” Miller Gay. (October 23,2011) October 27, 20011 Yurth, Cindy. “Budding Filmmakers Debut” U.S.A Department of Defense; #3 October 29, 2011. 1,2
 FUN FACTS:
They Call them selves the “Dine” (the people)
They drew petroglyphs
Their reservation size is about 13 million acres (the largest in the U.S)
They also have the largest membership size compared to other Native Americans membership’s size. (They allow up to 30 people from their extended family into the reservation.)  EXTRA:

NAVAJO BOW & ARROW

NAVAJO POTTERY

NAVAJO PAINTING

NAVAJO TOMAHAWK