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Navajo Tribe Research Paper

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The Navajo Native Americans experienced multiple struggles throughout their tribe’s history, mostly surrounding the problems to do with the United States military and the Spaniards pushing them from their territory. Although this was the fate of multiple tribes of Native Americans, the Navajo struggled intensely to leave their homeland. The Navajo were a beautiful tribe with multiple hardships. The Navajo tribe was formed sometime around the 1500s, and developed to become the largest Native American tribe. The word Navajo comes from “Tewa Navahu”, translating to mean “highly cultivated lands” loosely. The Navajo first resided largely in New Mexican areas and Arizona, however due to the violence against them from the Mexicans and Spaniards from the raids on their camps, the Spaniards and United States military to intimidate the tribe. Around two-thirds of the tribe surrendered and moved towards Utah on a trip that was later called …show more content…

The Navajo had many ceremonies, some as long as nine days, which they were famous for. On average though, ceremonies were around three to four days long (“Navajo Culture”). The Navajo were hugely into nature, and used a type of art called ‘Sandpainting’ as a spiritual way to involve nature with the healing of the ill, mentally or physically. Their ceremonies also included dry paintings or altars, and every aspect of every day life is considered ceremonial. “The Navajo culture used Sandpainting as a spiritual way to heal the sick. When they sandpainted, they made the painting in a smooth bed of sand, which was only temporary. Crushed yellow ochre, red sandstone, gypsum, and charcoal were used to create the images during their chants. The chants were for the Earth people and the holy people to come back into harmony, which provides them protection and healing.” (“Navajo Indian Culture and

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