Essay On Navajo Culture

3rd block

. The life of a Navajo Indian had its ups and downs I realize that it is far more strenuous than the modern life that we live. Unlike most societies throughout history the Navajo culture is centered on the mother, grandmother and occasionally the older sisters, in other words the Navajo Indians have a matrilineal society. (O 'Neil). Men and women had different roles to fulfill within the clan, the men were political leaders, hunters and warriors. Only men were allowed to be chiefs. Women were farmers, tended to the livestock, responsible for childcare and cooking. (Lewis) Along with being in charge of the hunting, politics and fighting men were also the only one s allowed to become chief of the tribe. The Navajo also referred to as the Dine were the largest Native American tribe in the United States, numbering at approximately 150,000. The Navajo were much geared toward family life and events that surround their lifestyle, many games and traditions have
The Mexicans lost no opportunity to retaliate, with the result that scattered throughout their villages in the valley of the Rio Grande there were more captives of Navaho blood than there were Mexican prisoners among the Navajo tribe; but in the matter of sheep, cattle, and horses, the Navaho were far ahead in the game of thievery, and even boasted that they could easily have exterminated the Mexicans had they not needed them as herders of their stolen flocks. The Navajo themselves were commonly attacked by the Ute, Zuni, Hopi, other Indian tribes, Mexicans, and white settlers. It is misleading to think of the Dine’ as a single tribe before the arrival of the Americans and the establishment of the Navajo reservation system. While united loosely by cultural tradition they clearly were not one political body and did not act as a single unit, a battle waged by one group would not necessarily be condoned or even acknowledged by another. An agreement or decision made by one group would not