The Navajo
The Navajo Have Adapted to the 21st Century
Ryan Danekas
ANT 101 Cultural Anthropology
Professor Michelle Dorne
9/10/2012
The Navajo Have Adapted to the 21st Century
There are many cultures still thriving in the world in the twenty first century. There are quite a few cultures here in the United States. One of the oldest and one of the most heard of is the Navajo, also known as the Diné. The Navajo culture dates back to the mid sixteenth century and some archeological evidence might even show from earlier. The Navajo has been able to survive throughout the years by living off the land and staying true to their heritage. 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. The Navajo Indians farmed as their primary mode of subsistence, they had to adapt to the new ways of living as time went on. They were originally hunters and foragers, but adopted agriculture, weaving, and other arts from other tribes in the Southwest. They had a close relationship in which the Navajo traded hides, piñon nuts, and other goods to the other people in substitute for agricultural products, woven goods, and pottery. The Navajo has been continually changing in response to new ways of doing things and challenges since they first came to the Southwest. From 1868 to about 1960, the people depended on a combination of farming, animal’s, and the sale of various products to traders. The farming of corn was one of the best ways for the Navajo to be able to trade for other necessities they needed. Corn was just a small
Ryan Danekas
ANT 101 Cultural Anthropology
Professor Michelle Dorne
9/10/2012
The Navajo Have Adapted to the 21st Century
There are many cultures still thriving in the world in the twenty first century. There are quite a few cultures here in the United States. One of the oldest and one of the most heard of is the Navajo, also known as the Diné. The Navajo culture dates back to the mid sixteenth century and some archeological evidence might even show from earlier. The Navajo has been able to survive throughout the years by living off the land and staying true to their heritage. 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. The Navajo Indians farmed as their primary mode of subsistence, they had to adapt to the new ways of living as time went on. They were originally hunters and foragers, but adopted agriculture, weaving, and other arts from other tribes in the Southwest. They had a close relationship in which the Navajo traded hides, piñon nuts, and other goods to the other people in substitute for agricultural products, woven goods, and pottery. The Navajo has been continually changing in response to new ways of doing things and challenges since they first came to the Southwest. From 1868 to about 1960, the people depended on a combination of farming, animal’s, and the sale of various products to traders. The farming of corn was one of the best ways for the Navajo to be able to trade for other necessities they needed. Corn was just a small
References: Colwell-Chanthaphonh, C. (2006). Self-governance, Self-representation, Self-determination and the Questions of Research Ethics Commentary on "Protecting the Navajo People through tribal regulation of research.". Science & Engineering Ethics, 12(3), 508-510. Dine Development Corporation. (2008). http://www.navajobusinessdevelopment.com/information/din-development-corporation.html Fast, Robin. (2007). The Land is Full of Stories: Navajo Histories in the Work of Luci Tapahonso. Women 's Studies, 36(3), 185-211. doi:10.1080/00497870701255388 The Sense of Collectivism and Individualism among Husbands and Wives in Traditional and Bi-cultural Navajo Families on the Navajo Reservation. (2011). Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 42(4), 543-562. Triefeldt, Laurie (2007) "The Navajo," People & Places Quill Driver Books/Word Dancer Press, Sanger, California, page 62, ISBN 978-1-884956-71-3 Witherspoon, G. (1975). Navajo Kinship and Marriage. University of Chicago Press.