Navajo Culture Research Paper

Although both North American, Mesoamerican, and South American Indians were similar in that they were polytheistic since they worshipped several Gods and they lived according to their environment. In fact, geography played a critical role in their lifestyle. In some instances, their predecessors shaped their culture such was the case for the Hopi whose ancestors were the Pueblo who built their homes in the southwest region of the U.S.

The Navajo society is a culture rich in tradition. They value the close knit relationship with their family and have a great appreciation for the land. They fought to preserve their way of life, resulting in high values in; kinship, lifestyle, religious beliefs, and their rites of passage.

The Navajos are traditionally a matriarchal society. Descent and Inheritance were determined through the mother. In marital separation, woman kept the property and children. If the mother died, the children were sent to live with their mother’s family. Navajo women were at the core of social and economic control. They were the potters and weavers and owned the land and livestock, which was passed on to their daughters, who were trained to manage them.

According to the history of the Navajo Tribe, the Holy People lived in the underworld and helped by guiding the First Man and First Woman to earth (McCoy 1988). The Holy People are said to be attracted to songs, dances, and chants during the ceremony along with the creation of Sandpainting. The Sandpainting is used in the healing process of the ceremony to draw a picture that tells a story of the Holy People. The Navajo culture have amazed so many people to how beautifully constructed the rituals are performed.

Originally living in a wide area of the Great Basin and Great Plains and sharing similar Shoshone languages, they are closely related to the Comanche, Paiute, and Ute Indians.Some of their traditions included facial tattoos, decoration of clothes with porcupine quills and beads, they commonly painted their faces. During the fall, they hold a pine-nut festival. During that celebration, they climb the mountains and plant a pine-nut seed in the ground. They stay overnight and sing songs around a fire ,dance,and tell stories about their life or family

The lifestyle was fairly lax yet at the same time they knew when they needed to prepare for war or a new move. Some of the customs the Cheyenne had included the smoking of a peace pipe and the prayer made before each smoke. Another tradition was their story telling. Skilled story-telling Indians performed all stories told and these stories were about true-life situations. The Cheyenne tribe actually passed on these stories as well as their customs, religious ceremonies, and traditions orally from generation to generation. This could be the reason on why the Cheyenne were not actually discovered until the 1600s. One of the largest beliefs of the Cheyenne had to do with religion, though. They believed in two deities: the Wise One Above and a God who lived beneath the ground. Also, there were four spirits that lived at the points of the compass that they followed everywhere (Lewis). Because the culture of many Indian tribes differed greatly from the United States, there were conflicts between whites and Indians.

There are three key patterns seen in most Native American religions they are the human relationship with nature, framing of time and space and respect for gods/ancestors. The human relationship with nature known as animism, everything is seen as part of the same reality and every object has a spirt, is a practice where there is little distinction between humans and animals. Time and space is sacred, cyclical,

There is great respect through the Navajo Culture with regards to their kinship system. They are very traditional towards they religion and

Every culture has their own way of life, their own religious beliefs, their own marriage beliefs, their own values and feelings on life and the options it has to offer. Each culture has their own way to run things within their own government, and own way to keep their economy up to their standards. Also each culture and society have their own primary mode of subsistence that makes them unique. Among the Navajo culture their primary mode of subsistence are pastoralists.   Pastoralists have an impact on different aspects with in the culture.   The aspects that I will be discussing will be the Navajo’s beliefs and values, economic organization, gender relations and sickness and healing.

The Navajo, also known as the Diné, are one of the largest Native American Tribes in the world. Their culture is made up of very distinct and unique characteristics that have been passed down from generation to generation. They have been taught to adapt to their surroundings and to the land. Each moral, standard, belief and value are what make the Navajo so unique to the Native Americans. In the following, their primary mode of subsistence, kinship system, beliefs, values, and economic organizations will be briefly examined to gain a better knowledge of the Navajo culture.

The BlackFoot Indians make traditional costumes to trade for other goods and services. Mostly woman make them because the boys mostly hunt and the girls make clothes or decorate clothes. Another type of culture is the blackfoot tribe is made up of three sub tribes. These tribes are Siksika, Kainah, and Piegan. Their last culture is believing in mother nature. This isn’t a sunday thing they pray almost everyday. One thing they pray for is the “Sun

For example, the traditions of different ceremonies between the two tribes are exceedingly valued by the members of the tribes. The ceremonies of the Oneida Indian Nation and the Forest County Potawatomi tribe correspond with the cycle of the seasons and/or the cycle of life and nature. (Studios, W. B.; Native Wisconsin) Another example would be that both tribes have a deep relationship with the environment they are submerged in. The Oneida Indian Nation used natural materials, such as deer and other hides, for their clothing. (Studios, W. B) The Forest County Potawatomi tribe has a spiritual connection with the environment and land they live on. (Potawatomi Hotel & Casino) Lastly, a custom that is important to the Oneida Indian Nation is the tradition of oral language storytelling. The storytelling reflected etiquettes of behavior, tribal history, and events. (Studios, W. B) On the other hand, a tradition and way of life for the Forest County Potawatomi tribe is casinos. The casinos built by the tribe have greatly impacted the life of tribe along with the people, families, and businesses. (Native Wisconsin) In conclusion, the culture and tradition of the Oneida Indian Nation and the Forest County Potawatomi truly reflect the sense of character and moralities of the members of each

way of life revolves around agriculture, especially their native corn. The Hopi learned the stories of

The world view of the Navajo who had lived for many centuries on the high Colorado Plateau was one of living in balance with all of nature, as the stewards of their vast homeland which covered parts of four modern states. They had no concept of religion as being something separate from living day to day and prayed to many spirits. It was also a matriarchal society and had no single powerful leader as their pastoral lifestyle living in scattered independent family groups require no such entity. This brought them repeatedly into conflict with Spanish, Mexicans and increasingly by the mid-nineteenth century, Americans as these practices were contrary to their male dominated religiously monolithic societal values. The long standing history

The Hopi culture is described as being similar to the Oglala Indians, but, are considered differently in the works of rituals and income. The Hopi Indians in their time spend roughly one-thirds to one-half of the working in rituals and tending to farming. They once combined farming and hunting when their crops fail. But when hunting declined, the Hopi continued to grow crops of corn, beans, and squash. To the Hopi Indians, the main driving force of their religious rites were the Kachinas; Spiritual beings honored as spirits of the dead.