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| The Navajo were a peaceful nation to the United States from the very beginning. The fist meeting of representatives from the United States government did not go so peacefully, there was a misunderstanding in which seven to nine Navajo were killed, this alone should have warned to Navajo of the danger they faced ahead, yet at their next meeting they agreed to fully cooperate with the United States, perhaps this is why the Navajo were killed in the first meeting, but that is only speculation and may have had nothing to do with the misunderstanding at all. | |
| Like so few Indian nations they lasted throughout the hostile times between Indians and the United States in peace. But they too faced difficult times, they were forced to walk to tread a path similar to the trail of tears, if you are not familiar with that, the Cherokees were forced, in winter, across the country to a new "home" to make room for more citizens to live on toward the west. The rations were so scarce that some Navajo girls became prostitutes for the soldiers to get money for food. Luckily the Navajo are highly adaptive, when their "home", called Basque Redondo in the East was over crowded they were moved back to their traditional homeland. however, they were forced to farm the harsh and sandy New Mexican soil. But, once again they proved their adaptability and prospered, as a gift, for their prosperity they were given two mills to grind corn and wheat to make some of their traditional meals. | |
| Their culture itself was very unique, the Navajo followed the Peyote Way, one major thing with this is smoking peyote and entering a sweat hut to await visions. The Navajo call themselves the Dine', which means " Walk in Beauty". Their traditional homes were dirt domes called Hogan's, every Hogan's door faced toward the East. It is a custom to set a place at the table when a guest walks in the door. Most Navajo foods are either in the form of a type of bread or a soup, the traditional drink for the adults is coffee. The Navajo were, and still are very skilled weavers, from this it is thought that they have adopted various skills and some beliefs from many other Indian cultures. They also herded animals such as sheep and cattle for many uses. | |
| They were very adventurous, they loved to raid other settlements, like some nearby rival Indian camps, and some other settlers camps. However, after Mexico lost the land that is today New Mexico and Utah, the Navajo's raiding was stopped by the order the of the United States. The United States took as much control as possible over the Navajo, they had to renegotiate even so simple a thing as food and water rights. Yet, they did just that and went along under that United State's boot. Reward or not for the things they have done they, like all Indians, were very mistreated. Yet there culture has survived the passing times and still exists today in their traditional homeland in New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona. | |
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| Michael Hovey
8th American History Rossville Jr. High Plains History Project 2004 |
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