The Navajo have been living in the Southwest of the USA for thousands of years. Nowadays, many of them still live in their sacred territory DinĂ© BikĂ©yah, surrounded by six mountains (Sierra Blanca Peak, Mount Taylor, San Francisco Peaks, Mount Hesperus, Huerfano Peak, Gobernador Knob). To modern Navajos, ancient traditions still determine their attitude to life: they follow the “Way of life,” declaring harmony with the natural world.
As Native Americans share common traits with their neighbors, they have peculiar features. Navajos were traders, raiders, and expert horsemen who lived in hogans used a powerful sinew-backed bow, created moccasins, weaved baskets, made clay pots, had domesticated dogs and cattle (Rickard and Bial 12). They call themselves DinĂ© – a “complete human being” (Lee 1), while “Navajo” could be translated as “large planted fields” (Rickard and Bial 10). Nowadays, some of them maintain their customary lifestyle, while others adopted modern technology. Still, the Navajo’s “Way of life” guides every person’s spiritual life with a four-part principle of planning and learning (Lee 2-3). A Navajo has many relatives because every person in their clan is considered a brother, sister, and so on, even if they are not biologically tied (Lee 4). It is forbidden to marry people from the same or related clans (Lee 4). K’é principle teaches them how to treat other beings. For example, they say prayers before picking herbs and never take more than they need (Lee 4). The stated philosophy is usually implemented in overcoming conflicts and life’s contradictions.
Some of the Navajo traditions are a thing of the past, like the naachid – a ceremonial assembly where leaders discussed issues like hunting and war. The language of Navajo, DinĂ© bizaad, these days are rarely spoken by young people. Still, many Navajos live in traditional extended families, and their clan system is strong. Sticking to their traditions, despite colonization and assimilation, the Navajo are struggling to maintain their culture.
References
Lee, Lloyd L. “Traditional Navajo Identity Markers in a 21st Century World.” American Journal of Indigenous Studies, vol. 1, no. 1, 2016, pp. 1-6.
Rickard, Kris, and Raymond Bial. The People and Culture of the Navajo. Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC, 2016.