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Navajo Indians

y Location: Northern New Mexico, a portion of southern Utah, and part of northern Arizonay Language: Athapaskany relied on agriculture and livestock; planted fields and huntedy http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/cultural/northamerica/navajo.htmly call themselves Din ("The People")y largest Native American group in North Americay http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/nav/index.htmy Pastoral, seminomadicy http://curtis.library.northwestern.edu/curtis/viewPage.cgi?showp=1&size=2&id=nai.01.book.00

000138&volume=1

y Many games and traditions have emerged from their love of the land and their attachment to ity Rich in ceremonies and ritualsy Navajo Sandpaintings, also called dry paintings, are called "places where the gods come and go"

in the Navajo language. They are used in curing ceremonies in which the gods' help is requested

for harvests and healing.

o The figures in sand paintings are symbolic representations of a story in Navajomythology. They depict objects like the sacred mountains where the gods live, or

legendary visions, or they illustrate dances or chants performed in rituals.

y Hogan, sacred home for the Din (Navajo) people who practice traditional religion. Every family-- even if they live most of the time in a newer home -- must have the traditional hogan for

ceremonies, and to keep themselves in balance

o made of of wooden poles, tree bark and mudy The principal food is mutton, boiled, and corn prepared in many ways. Considerable flour

obtained from traders is consumed; this is leavened slightly and made into small cakes, which

are cooked over the embers like Mexican tortillas.

y http://navajopeople.org/navajo-history.htmy Navajo silversmiths were creating handmade jewelry including bracelets, tobacco flasks,

necklaces and bow guards. Later, they added beautiful silver earrings, buckles, bolos, hair

ornaments, pins and squash blossom necklaces for tribal use, and to sell to tourists as a way to

supplement their sheep herding income.

o squash blossom y Navajo came to the southwest with their own weaving traditions; however, they learned to

weave cotton on upright looms from Pueblo peoples

o Using an upright loom the Navajos made extremely fine utilitarian blankets that werecollected by Ute and Plains Indians

y http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navajo_people#SilverworkDelaware Indian

y Also called Lenape Indians

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y gentle people who lived in harmony with nature and each othery nonaggressive and were not interested in extending either their territories or their political

influence

y Spiritual convictions governed the Lenape way of lifey Women were responsible for planting, harvesting, tanning and sewing hides, carrying supplies

on journeys and performing domestic duties. The men under-took the tasks that required

greater physical strength, like clearing the land and felling trees. They also assumed the

responsibilities of protecting their families and providing them with fish and game.

y Animal pelts, feathers and plant fibers were used to make clothingy Men and women painted their faces in varicus designs for festivals and ceremonial dances. The

men occasionally painted their legs and chests as well. Both men and women practiced

tattooing

y The diet of the Lenape included meat, fish and fowl and, at times, locusts; Fish and shellfishy They depended on bone, wood, shells, clay and stone for domestic artifacts and utensils.

Wheeled vehicles, weapons and cooking utensils made from metal, and draft animals were

unknown to them

y Corn was the principal cropo it was roasted in the coals, crushed and boiled to make a kind of "hominy," ground into

flour to make corn meal, and dried for winter use

y lived in wigwams, windowless huts with round roofsy http://www.newhopepa.com/delawareriver/Lenape2.htm