Navajo Facts
Navajo facts are important especially if you are interested with this topic. Navajo facts are fun to learn. The Navajo is the biggest Indian tribe in the U.S. They are living on the largest U.S. reservation, which covers 3 states with 17 million acres within the 4 corners of the southwest. The states are Utah, New Mexico and Arizona as well as small portions of Colorado. The population of Navajo is already 160,000 and expected to grow. The growth of commerce is very promising, which also makes the tribe the wealthiest one. According to archaeological evidence, it indicates that Navajos started to migrate about 1025 A.D. and earliest bands of Apache arrived about 825 A.D.
The Founding of the Navajo
Spaniards called them as Apache de Navajo to differentiate from other tribes. The Navajo word or Navaho is pronounced as NAH-yuh-ho. This is not an Athaspascan, but a word from Pueblo Indian that is stretched. They call themselves as the people of the dine and their homeland as Dinetah.
The main shelters of Navajos are called hogans. The hogans have several shapes such as octagon, hexagons and conicals or cone-like shape. They also use poles and logs for the built and framework and for the walls are bricks, stone as well as adobe.
Navajo obtain goats and sheep from Spaniards. As compared to Apache, they don’t eat all their meat resources. Instead they allow their flocks to multiply wherein they use them for milk, meat and wool resources. That is why, sheepherding and other types of animal husbandry is common for many people of Navajo.
Navajo Reputation and History
Navajo were feared by American, Mexican, Spanish and Indian inhabitants of such region. They obtained their nasty reputation from the period they arrived in the Southwest through the launching of attacks in women, slaves, property and food of Pueblo Indians. However, eventually they started to be-friend with other tribes thus adopting the new traits such as farming, sand painting, weaving and others.
Religion and art for most Navajos are very important. Art plays a very imperative way for them to have a bridge between the supernatural and natural worlds, but also the means to connect with the spirit beings. This is also used as mediums for them to contact ancestors or influence the spirits to bring great weather for their agriculture products and cure illness.
Navajo Beliefs and Culture
The Navajo is also known for their interesting myths and legends like the skinwalkers and coyotes. This makes this tribe more interesting as they are also have share of dark secrets that are still unknown to the outside world.
The Navajo nation is situated on Colorado Plateau, which covers more than 25,000 square miles in the northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and Southeastern portion of Utah. Navajo region is bordered by two main rivers the San Juan and Colorado. Other main geographic features through borders are Ship Rock, Carrizo Mountains, Chuska Mountains, Canyon de Chelly, Black Mesa Monument Valley, Rainbow Bridge and Navajo Mountain.
In conclusion, Navajo facts are important details to know especially if you are interested to know about this tribe.
