The Navajo Economy
The history of the Navajo economy is that of a relationship among the surrounding communities (Francisconi, 1998). Since the coming of the Spanish in the late 1500’s this relationship has been one of integration into larger world community. The historical study of the Navajo is one of increasing colonial pressure against the Navajo way of life. Also, the Navajo history is one of resilience and adaption in preservation of that cultural way of life by the Navajo.
The key is underdevelopment, which is the product of centuries of contact with a worldwide market economy and of the contradictions created by this economy. These contradictions are the expropriation of economic surplus from all over the world, including the land of the Navajo, and …show more content…
Historically this has been very important, and remains so today. At the same time the Navajo economy is also embedded in Navajo tradition (Francisconi, 1998). The Navajo people have developed their economic use of renewable resources of land, water, livestock, and the products of the land. External capitalism has been mostly interested in the non-renewable resources of the extractive industries. The extraction of non-renewable resources is geared to markets of the dominant society, and therefore unavailable for Navajo capitalist development along industrial lines. The dual economy described above has left the Navajo Nation an economic colony of the United States (Francisconi, …show more content…
Livestock was deemed integral to the social, economic, and religious lives of the People by providing: wealth, social status, transportation, food, and clothing (Acrey, 1979). The personal and family economy as well as informal political power were all affected by the number of livestock owned (McPherson, 2000). Owning livestock ensured survival. According to McPherson (2000), Navajo elders’ state, “Sheep are life,” and elder Oshley would agree: “When I was a child, sheep were the main source of food for survival” (McPherson, 2000). Livestock was so integral to the Navajo, that “sheep” are seen in a portion of their creation
The key is underdevelopment, which is the product of centuries of contact with a worldwide market economy and of the contradictions created by this economy. These contradictions are the expropriation of economic surplus from all over the world, including the land of the Navajo, and …show more content…
Historically this has been very important, and remains so today. At the same time the Navajo economy is also embedded in Navajo tradition (Francisconi, 1998). The Navajo people have developed their economic use of renewable resources of land, water, livestock, and the products of the land. External capitalism has been mostly interested in the non-renewable resources of the extractive industries. The extraction of non-renewable resources is geared to markets of the dominant society, and therefore unavailable for Navajo capitalist development along industrial lines. The dual economy described above has left the Navajo Nation an economic colony of the United States (Francisconi, …show more content…
Livestock was deemed integral to the social, economic, and religious lives of the People by providing: wealth, social status, transportation, food, and clothing (Acrey, 1979). The personal and family economy as well as informal political power were all affected by the number of livestock owned (McPherson, 2000). Owning livestock ensured survival. According to McPherson (2000), Navajo elders’ state, “Sheep are life,” and elder Oshley would agree: “When I was a child, sheep were the main source of food for survival” (McPherson, 2000). Livestock was so integral to the Navajo, that “sheep” are seen in a portion of their creation