The Navajo Tribe- Navaho; in Navajo: Diné, meaning “the people”), or Diné, of the Southwestern United States are the second largest Native American tribe of Northern America. In the 2000 U.S. census, 298,197 people claimed to be fully or partly of Navajo ancestry. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the Four Corners area of the United States. The traditional Navajo language is still largely spoken throughout the region, although most Navajo speak English fluently as well. Dineh carved medicine dancers are an example of Navajo appropriation of Hopi techniques. Housing- The Navajo traditionally live in octagonal houses known as hogans. Hogans are houses of forked poles and brush covered with earth. According to Kehoe, this style of housing is distinctive to the Navajo, even going as far as saying that, “even today, a solidly constructed, log walled Hogan is preferred by many Navajo families.” However, the Navajo have another style of housing. Around the 17th century, the Navajo built rectangular stone homes known as pueblos. These pueblos are believed to have been adopted by the Navajos from Pueblo culture, and resemble small Pueblo houses.Today, however,most Navajo members live in apartments and houses in urban areas. Special ceremonies however, usually take place in large hogans. Subsistence- Until they came into contact with the Spanish and Pueblos, the Navajo were hunters and gatherers. They adopted farming techniques and crops from the Pueblo people, growing mainly corn, beans, and squash. As a result of Spanish influence, they began herding sheep and goats, depending on them for their use in trade and food. They turned harvested wool into blankets and clothing which could be used for trading or personal use. They also depended on their flocks of sheep for meat. Their lives depended on sheep so much that, to the Navajo, sheep were in a sense currency and a mark of social status.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 19:08:02 +0000
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