Preview

Navajo Nation

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1463 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation

Hope Thatcher

Intro. Cultural Anthropology

Dr. Janis McFaul

February, 6 2012

The Navajo nation is the largest native tribe in the United States. They are a society built on harmony with Mother Earth. They believe that everything has a purpose whether it be good or evil. They rely on the land for nourishment and medicine. They are a proud tribe and have close family unity. The Navajo are a peaceful tribe and strong in values.

Introduction I will discuss a few interesting topics with you in this essay. The Navajo Nation, is in my option, is one of the most beautiful tribes. The name “Navajo” comes from the Pueblo Indian word for planting fields. The name was given to this tribe because they were farmers. The Navajo ways of family structure is strong and proud. Children do not want to disappoint their parents. Harmony is a daily goal. The respect for one another is a beautiful thing. “The basic principle of K”e ', meaning relationships comprised of kindness, love, cooperation, thoughtfulness, friendliness, and peacefulness guides interaction among family members in the extended matrilineal kinship network and among clan members”. (Morgan, F. 2002; Witherspoon 1983) The Navajo nation are proud people who are deserving of great respect. Their harmonious ways could be a template for others to follow.
Horticulturalist
“The Navajo were traditionally cultivators, although many now herd sheep, which they acquired from the Spanish”. (Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia) They have four primary plants that they harvest; beans, corn, squash, and tobacco. Corn being the most important. The Navajo share a spiritual connection with Mother Earth, so knowledge and respect of the plants



References: Denetdale, J. Chairmen, Presidents, and Princesses :The Navajo Nation, Gender, and the Politics of Tradition Wica 20 Sa Review, Vol. 21, no. 1., Spring 2006 p. 13 University of Minnesota Press. DOI: 10. 1353/wic. 2006.0004 Lee, L. The Future of Navajo Nationalism wicazoSa Review, vol.22, no.1., Spring 2006 p.54 University of Minnesota Press DOI: 10.1353/ wic. 2007.0008 Navajo. (2010) The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Retrieved from http://www.credoreference.com/ entry/ heliconhe/navajo Encyclopedia of Medical Anthropology:Health and Illness in the World 's Cultures. Dordrecht: Springer Science & Business Media 2004.s.v. “Navajo” http://www.credoreference.com/entry/sprmedanth/navajo

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    The Navajo tribe was one of the largest Native American tribes in the U.S. coming in second only to the Cherokee nation. They still held the biggest Native American reservation of them all,…

    • 838 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    When Alvord was just sixteen she left the comfort of the “rez” for Dartmouth University. The decision was not easy as she saw what happened to others who had left the reservation. Her greatest fear was that she would lose the Navajo way, but in the end she knew that no matter where she was, “in my heart I was all Navajo.” Once there, she was one of only fifty Native Americans. After graduating from Dartmouth she attended Stanford Medical School with the intent of bringing western medicine to the reservation.…

    • 1345 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    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.…

    • 773 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Long Walk: Tears of the Navajo is a documentary by award-winning producer and director John Howe. This poignant film tells the story of an attempted cultural stripping of the Navajo people, a story that needs to be committed to memory as part of this nation's imperative and important past. The resilient Navajo people are still here today despite their story, and they deserve to be remembered as part of the initial founding fabric of the United States. This movie reveals the movement of the U.S. against the Navajo tribes in the early 1860s, which transformed the Navajo’s life of peace in to one of misery. More than eight thousand Navajos were marched at gunpoint through the scorched desert with nothing but the clothes on their backs to a desolate reservation next to the New Mexico border, Bosque Redondo. Hundreds of Navajo died during the march and also during the four years of forced isolation. This catastrophe is simply recalled as “The Long Walk.""The landscape of the American West is washed by a thousand tears," pronounces John Howe. "The Long Walk of the Navajo is a story that should never be forgotten." He is utterly correct.…

    • 544 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The world on the Navajo Reservation is more corrupt than then past life of early generations. I would like to encourage our language to the youth, in order to save our traditions along with culture. In Navajo, the concept of peace is culture dependent, also situation . Independently to encourage the definition of peace within the Navajo Language that has three elements: Ach'i'hozho (all is well toward oneself), K'e (the establishment of family and clan relationships), Hodeezyeel (serenity or calm). Ach'i'hozho, K'e, Hodeezyeel are what a person is to strive for on a daily basis, where the process involves a balancing of kindness as well as empathy on one hand, including teachings on the other. Ach'i'hozho means a gift from elders; relates…

    • 675 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Choctaw Indians of Alabama are a band of Indians that managed to remain behind in the outer regions of north Mobile and south Washington counties after their tribal lands were given up to the United States in 1830. Beginning in 1830, the most significant period of their removal from their homelands, the majority of the Choctaw tribe was forced along the Trail of Tears settling on reservation lands in Mississippi and Oklahoma. A small group of about 45 families avoided removal by settling and hiding out in the woods surrounding the small communities of Citronelle, Mt. Vernon, and McIntosh. “There were four major families: the Reed, Weaver, Byrd, and Rivers families. The next largest are the Snow, Johnston, Taylor, Orso, Chestang, and Fields families. Other family names that appear often within the group are Evans, Davis, Cole, Frazier, Smith, Lofton, Hopkins, and Sullivan” (Matte, Greenbaum and Brown, Origins of the MOWA Band of Choctaws). Over time, other Indians in the area that were without tribal communities of their own joined the Choctaw Indians of Alabama. Today, the Choctaw Indians of Alabama are known as the MOWA Band of Choctaw Indians. This tribe took on the name of MOWA in the 1970’s when they began to seek government recognition to identify the Indians in Mobile and Washington Counties who are descended from several Indian Tribes: Choctaw, Creek, Cherokee, Mescalero, and Apache. Over time the tribal members have intermarried or partnered with nearly 30 different tribes nationally. The name MOWA is an acronym which combines the first syllables of Mobile and Washington counties; the two counties where the tribal reservation straddles both counties. The name “MOWA” does have a distinctive ring to it; but the name does not have deep roots in Indian linguistics. It was taken on because it was similar to…

    • 2130 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    This memoir, by Chester Nez, captures the tradition of the Navajo people. One of the original 29 Code Talkers, this is not only a historical novel, but it is a thoughtful account of the spirit of his people. The triumphs and tragedies captured are sure to be appreciated by the reader.…

    • 502 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hopi Tribe

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Did you know about the Hopi tribe? Well the Hopi tribe is a pretty good tribe. The Hopi have a lot of traditions. The Hopi did have a good location. The Hopi are people who have a lot of facts.…

    • 257 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Apache Tribes

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Apache is a Native American tribe, They are related to many other Southwestern Tribes. They made many accomplishments and are known for their culture. In this essay I will be talking about their homeland, religion, beliefs, daily-life, languages ,agriculture, and social organization…

    • 328 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Who Are The Navajos

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Who are the Navajos? They are the Native American people of what is now the southwestern United States. They call themselves the Dine, and their land Dinetah. They Navajo live in a log or stone Hogan, and they are a very family oriented people. With currently about 148,500 speakers, the Navajo language is “widely credited as being the strongest of the indigenous languages of the United States” (UCLA).…

    • 1128 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Iroquois Kinship

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Iroquois are a female dominated group. Unlike most societies, the Iroquois trace their ancestry through the women making them a matrilineal society. It is a culture of responsibility and respect, where each person is valued for their contribution to the group. Women are the main producers of food and owners of the land. Men help by clearing and burning forest areas to prepare for farming and hunting small game. The younger adults are expected to do a greater share of the work due to their youth, strength, and stamina” (Laird and Nowak, 2010).…

    • 921 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Navajo

    • 2510 Words
    • 11 Pages

    The Navajo’s beliefs and values have not changed much since the mid sixteenth century. There are quite a few Indians that still practice what their ancestors did a long time ago. The economic organization has changed throughout the years but still has the basic core values. The Navajo’s men and women both have had important roles throughout the years. They are not as they once were but the fundamentals are still in place. Even though times have changed the Navajo has remained strict with their basic ways of living.…

    • 2510 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    native americans

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Native American beliefs are deeply rooted in their culture. They didn’t have one single religion, but they did have many beliefs. They believed in a mysterious force in nature and in spirits that were higher than human beings and influenced their lives. People depended on them when they searched for food or when people were ill. They believed EVERYTHING is sacred from the largest mountain to the smallest plant and animal. A lesson can be found in all things and experiences and everything has its own purpose. Native Spirituality; is about honor, love, and respect. Not only do they love, honor, and respect our Creator and Mother Earth, but also every living thing. They are in touch with themselves and everything around them. It is about knowing and understanding that they were a part of everything, and everything is a part of them. Native Americans valued many things like animals; buffalo, deer, and small rabbits. Meat could be cooked fresh or smoked, and stored for long journeys or winter months. They also ate vegetables and plants; berries, squash and fruits. They valued God because he created everything. Some tribes believed in one or many gods whom more powerful than others.…

    • 318 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    native americans

    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Native Americans are known for many different qualities they had as a part of their lifestyle. Native Americans have been living in the Americas for many years. During their time period, we learned so much from them. Most of the information that was found, was by the movie “The Last of the Mohicans” and the three origin myths. There are many different Native American tribes that factor out cultural differences, in which usually includes nature, hybridity, and a culture clash.…

    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Thesis: Modern Native American traditions reflect the history of struggle, strife and triumph they experienced in history.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays

Related Topics