Cultural Anthropology: The Navajo Nation

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Navajo Shavonda McClennon Cultural Anthropology Dr. Newton February 6, 2012 The Southwestern United States is famous for it’s fascinating and enchanting land and the people who live there. Many different native people including the Paiute, the Zuni, the Apache, the Havasupai, the Yavapai, the Pima, the Maricopa, the Papago, the Tewa, and the Hopi, live and work in the area. Many of these tribes are known as the Pueblo Indians, a name obtained from their custom of living in apartment-style adobe dwellings. By observing these natives the Navajo people learned valuable ways to survive in the harsh desert. This ability has helped the Navajo to remain a powerful nation that it is today. The Navajo Nation has a total population of over…show more content…
Reichard describes how the trembler works: “The diviner [seer] is seized with shaking, beginning usually with gentle tremors of arms or legs and gradually spreading until the whole body shakes violently. While in a trembling state, the seer enters a trancelike state, concentrating on the cause of the patient’s illness. After a diviner has determined what is wrong with the patient, he or she will prescribe certain ceremonies for certain conditions. For example: If the trouble originated because someone hurt a snake (even unintentionally), a “Holyway” chant might be in order. Snakes are considered a destructive force, and illness or imbalance can result from injuries done to them. A “Lifeway” chant is prescribed for injuries received in an accident, and people having trouble with bears will ask for “Mountainway” chant. When the cause of the problem has been determined, the family will then hire a singer, or hataalii, who has been trained in healing methods passed down over centuries in the Navajo culture. “[The hataalii] is a center that receives power from all proper sources and distributes it to all worthy subscribers [believers],” says Reichard. Where as the diviner is believed to possess supernatural gifts, the hataalii’s influence stems from…show more content…
It has also been effective when a Navajo contracts illness from a non-Navajo person. A highlight of this ceremony is a dance involving young women or marriageable age. This tradition comes from the cultural belief that it was good to introduce young marriageable women to warriors returning from battle. In the past, and sometimes even today on the reservation, this dance is called the Squaw Dance. Since squaw is considered a derogatory term by most Native American women, Girl Dance is now the festivity’s preferred

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