The Culture of the Navajo People

The Culture of the Navajo People
Rusty Keller
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August 11, 2013

Authors Note: This majority of the contents within this document was originally prepared for Introduction to Anthropology course that was instructed by Amy VanSurksum.

I. Introduction II. Description of the people III. Social organization a. The Changing Woman/ conceptual social system b. Subsistence residential unit/ concrete social system IV. Kinship system a. Clans b. Primary and secondary relationships/ conjugal and uterine bonds V. Religion a. Mother Earth and Father Sky/ The Changing Woman b. The three predominate religions practiced among the Navajo people VI. Conclusion

The Culture of the Navajo People The Navajos, are an Indian tribe that resides in the southwestern part of the United States. Throughout the twentieth century not only has Navajos health, land, and resources, been under active repression but their language, and traditional religious freedoms have been through it as well, often enforced by active threats and manipulation by the societies that surround them. We are able to see how being dominated and controlled by these societies have affected the Navajo Nation by learning about their social organization, kinship terms, and religious healing practices ( Lewton & Bydon, 2000). The Navajo Indians are the largest Native American tribe in the United States. They live on the largest reservation in North America. Their reservation covers a large part of Arizona, New Mexico, and southeastern Utah. The Navajos came to live on the reservation when they were finally returned to their homeland after four years of living in confinement in Fort Sumner. When they returned to their homeland they rebuilt their homes or hogans, and returned to their self-sufficient lives of farming, sheep hearding, and weaving. They also became