Navajo: Land and Religion
This image displays a Navajo family in the desert-like environment of the Southwest. The Navajos, also known as the Dine, have been living in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest for hundreds of years. They believe that their homeland is geographically and spiritually located in an area that is bound by four major sacred mountains. Navajo land has significant importance to their culture along with the knowledge of story telling. Luci Tapahonso, a Navajo woman and storyteller, says "a person's worth is determined by the stories and songs she or he knows, because it is by this knowledge that an individual is directly linked to the history of the entire group." This connection between the land and the history of the Navajo tribe made them resistant and unified from the European settlers when they intruded the Southwest and their home. The sources chosen were mostly from a book called Native Heritage: Personal Accounts by American Indians 1790 to the Present. These stories of the past recall the thoughts and experiences of Navajo ancestors even before encounters with the Spanish.
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Did the Navajos ever hunt larger game such as buffalo? I would love to know more about their ways of obtaining food and resources.
ReplyDeleteHey Greta,
ReplyDeleteI did the Apache Indians, and found several similarities between our two tribes (like you mentioned). Were the Navajo considered very warlike people as well? You mentioned the skilled raiding from both our tribes, and the Apache were also very skilled fighters, and killers. Fighting was taught to the Apache from a very young age, and those who could fight, kill, and stay alive were the most valued of the Apache...Was this the case with the Navajo as well?
I really enjoyed reading all about the different aspects of the Navajo's lives. Making the conclusion that the thing that bonded them together was their connection between land and history really tied together the project well! Great job!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the Navajo's dodged a bullet when the spanish came and took over the Pueblo tribe but not them. But do you think they would have thrived more or crashed with the entrance of the Spanish?
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ReplyDeleteIt was really interesting to see the differences in the government between our two groups but also the similarities in their religions and story telling.
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