The Navajo of North America - Research Paper Example

? The Navajo of North America The Navajo of North America Introduction The Navajo people who are also known as the Naabeeho or Dine are American indigenous population who live in North America in the south west of the USA. The Navajo tribe has a large population of more than three hundred people. The tribe is recognized by the federal government in the USA. Their political system consists of an independent governing body. The language spoken by this population is the Navajo language but some of the tribe members speak in English (Bailey & Bailey, 1986). The Navajo people practiced hunting and gathering as the main economic activity but later they adopted crop growing from the Pueblos and the Spanish who they interacted with. The crops they grew included beans and corn. Animal rearing was also integrated into the Navajo economic activity. The Navajo tribe learned to rear goats and sheep. They traded their animals and crops and also used them as the main source of food. The community was thus agriculturalist who reared animals and later focused of crop growing as a result of the influence of the societies they came in contact with. The mode of subsistence and thus the economic activity of a community impact its social, political and economic organization in addition to the community’s beliefs, culture and values. This paper focuses on the Navajo community in its critical analysis and evaluation of the impact of their agriculturalist mode of subsistence on its economic and social organization, beliefs and values in addition to gender. Economic Organization The Navajo were traditionally semi nomadic. They practices animal rearing from the 16th century to the 20th century. During this period the community was organized into nomadic groups and they traded on livestock and their products such as wool. The economic organization of the Navajo people during their nomadic period was in form of kinships which comprised or organized groups who practiced animal rearing. The organization of the economic groups in the society provided for seasonal settlements. These dwelling were designed to accommodate their economic activities across the seasons of the year (Iverson, 1981). The nomadic lifestyles of these people also accommodated the old gathering practices in addition to the crop growing activities which were later assimilated from the neighbors they came into contact with during their migratory patterns. The traditional economic organization of the Navajo formed groups of men who raided other communities for livestock. The raiding parties were composed of able bodied men whose expeditions led to the expansion of the herds of sheep and goats that were reared within the Navajo area. The community also formed travelling groups during their nomadic life. These groups travelled long distances in search of greener pastures and water for their livestock (Brugge, 1983). This was motivated by ambitions of attaining economic status in the community through the ownership of livestock. Moreover, there was need for commerce where animal products were exchanged for money in addition to the needs of the family for food. The economic organization of the Navajo revolved around the rearing of goats and sheep in addition to the growing of crops. These practices were adopted from the Spanish and the Pueblos whom they came into contact with during the 17th century. The animal products from sheep and goats were important for either personal use or for sale. The animas they reared provided the community with meat and the extra production was traded. The Navajo area expanded with the growth in the agricultural activities of rearing livestock and growing of crops. There was need for more land to accommodate their animals and crops and hence they increased their settlement into a larger portion of land through acquisitions (Carlson, 2006). The agricultural activities of the Navajo people were improved by the innovations in technology and farm equipment which facilitated the need for more settlements. The community was organized into farmlands which comprised of farmers who grew crops and those who reared sheep and goats. There were economic hardships early in the 20th century in the Navajo area which were caused by overgrazing and heightened by drought. The economic crisis led to fluctuations in the prices of wool and livestock. There was a resultant implication of these economic fluctuations on the economic organization of the community. The members of the Navajo society shifted from livestock rearing to the labor market which provided them with wages for their domestic needs. Moreover, some members of the community began to engage in production of silverwork and woven products. These goods were sold into areas outside the reserves in exchange for the local currency (Lyon, 1998). Beliefs and Values The Navajo community valued sheep to an extent that they considered these animals as a form of currency which could be traded for other essential needs such as clothing and food. The Navajo people believed that the members of the community who had large herds of sheep or goats were superior and thus their social status in the society was considered higher. This made such tribesmen influential in social matters (Roessel, 1981). However the stories on their origin played a more important role in the values and beliefs of the Navajo. The society believed strongly in the connection between their origins to their economic and social organization. All aspects of living were considered to be related to the natural order of the community’s origin. The members of the society and the manner in which they were related to each other were based on rules that were defined by the origin of the community’s culture. The rights of the society members for example were determined by beliefs on the prerogatives of origin (Brugge, 1983). In the 1930s, the policies of the federal government led to the reduction of livestock. This caused the acceptance of other beliefs and values by the Navajo people. The community members shifted from the nomadic values to wage labor. Moreover, there was integration of foreign practices and beliefs such as protestant and catholic religious practices. During the Second World War, some members of the Navajo community were recruited into the military. The participation in the American society increased and the Navajo people started to enjoy educational and medical health services which were provided by the federal government (Lyon, 1998). The Navajo people believed that their ancestral land was sacred but later started to accept occupation of other societies and even the monopolization of some settlements. The Navajo believed in creation and as a result considered a special and unique community which was created by in a manner which prepared them to the real physical world and the challenges it posed on the economic and social life. The ethnic identity of the Navajo defined their economic relationship with their neighbors. The social beliefs of this community related the stages of life to the seasons of the year. Spring was considered to be parallel to birth while summer was a representation of an individual’s youth. Adulthood and old age where represented by fall and winter respectively. The seasons of the year were also connected to the economic activities such as seasons of planting and harvesting their crops, a culture which they adopted during their interaction with the Spanish (Thomas, 1997). Gender The gender roles within the Navajo community reflected the economic abilities of the society. Men were considered superior to women and they were supposed to protect the large herds of sheep and goats which were owned by women. The physical characteristics, mode of clothing and the hairstyles were done in distinct manner to distinguish the genders (Carlson, 2006). There were desirable characteristics for men and women and thus the community manipulated the physical features of infants at birth and during puberty. The manipulations are believed to have long term effects on the growing children both in their social life and economic achievement. God posture and a fit body were considered ideal for both female and male members of the society. However the gender roles of the community in growing crops and rearing domestic animals preferred strong features as an ideal physical characteristic for men (Lyon, 1998). The responsibilities and roles of men and women among the Navajo community are defined with the man expected to play a leading role in the protection of the family. On the other hand, women are responsible for taking care of the children. Men are not supposed to overly dominate their wives because they live within the woman’s residence after marriage. In protecting the property of the family, men are expected to be aggressive but women are influential especially in making family decisions related to the property owned by the family unit. Moreover, women decide on meals and the expenditure of the family’s money (Thomas, 1997). Social organization The social organization of the Navajo society was historically matrilineal. Land and livestock were owned by women. After marriage, men moved into the pride’s clan and family (Lyon, 1998). The organization of the society in clans limited marriage among members of the same clan. The inheritance of livestock in the Navajo community went to the female relatives unlike other communities in which men are preferred in the passing of wealth from one generation to another. The settlements of the Navajo people within the farmlands and nomadic groups included extended families. Many people of the same family lineage lived in defined units. However the roles of each of the members of the extended family had specific roles to play. The roles of the social groups revolved around the rearing of crops and the cultivation of crops. The residences in the Navajo settlements were mostly centered. However, the general distribution of the Navajo social settlements is described as evenly dispersed (Carlson, 2006). Foreign ideas have since been integrated to the Navajo social system. This resulted to the trade in livestock with other communities such as the Pueblo. The Navajo also exchanged food and animal products with the Spanish and the interaction during this trade contributed to the absorption of foreign beliefs into the society. These beliefs led to the changes in the marriage structures and issues of inheritance. Furthermore, the changes which came with industrialization and civilization in America significantly affected the Navajo people. The society was involved in education and some members pursued courses in colleges. The educated became part of the working class and moved to the urban centers away from the reserves. However, the Navajo people who lived away from the reserves frequently returned to their homes in the remote parts of America in order to take part in social activities with their families. This demonstrates a strong social organization and bond among the members of the Navajo community (Thomas, 1997). Conclusion The Navajo people who were traditionally hunters and gatherers were influenced by the communities they came in contact with such as the Spanish and the Pueblos to start practicing agriculture in food crops and livestock rearing. The subsistence of the Navajo people has caused their economic organizations in settlements and groups who rear livestock and grow crops. With the advent of industrialization and technological innovation there was need for expansion of the Navajo settlements. The beliefs and values of the Navajo people are also influenced by their economic activities. Sheep were highly valued and were considered as a currency. Additionally, the people who had large herds of livestock were considered superior in the social life. The issues of gender in the Navajo community were highly regarded with the women being the owners of land and livestock while the men played the protector role. References Bailey G. & Bailey R. (1986). A history of the Navajos: The reservation years. New Mexico: School of American Research Press Santa Fe. Brugge, D. (1983). Navajo prehistory and history to 1850. Handbook of North American Indians (Vol. 10): Washington, DC: Southwest Smithsonian Institution Press. Carlson, L. (2006). Working the Navajo way: Labor and culture in the twentieth century. The University Of Kansas Press. Iverson, P. (1981). The Navajo nation. Albuquerque, New Mexico: University of New Mexico Press. Lyon, W. H. (1998). The Navajos in the American historical imagination, 1868-1900. Ethnohistory, 45(2), 237. Roessel, R. (1981). Women in Navajo society. Rough Rock, Ariz:, Navajo Resource Center, Rough Rock Demonstration School. Thomas, W. (1997). Navajo cultural constructions of gender and sexuality. Two-spirit people. University of Illinois Press Urbana. Read More