Indian Reservations

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Arizona

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The Navajo Nation
The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American tribe, with over 250,000 members. The Navajo reservation is also the largest Native American reservation, consisting of over 7,400 square miles of land that stretches from northwestern New Mexico to northeastern Arizona and southeastern Utah. The Navajo land is filled with beautiful mountains, deserts, and lakes, as well as numerous minerals and resources. There are many trading posts and tribally owned arts and crafts stores that sell Navajo jewelry, rugs, sand paintings, and other traditional crafts.

Over 140,000 Navajo people, who call themselves Dineh (“the people”) live on the Navajo reservation. Many live in traditional clay and wood houses called hogans and practice their tribal religion. Most people on the reservation are farmers or sheep ranchers. Others are teachers, engineers, miners, and technicians. The Navajo Community College in Tsaile, Arizona, was the first Native American owned and operated college, and is a model for other tribes.

The Navajo came to northern Arizona around 1500 and learned sheep herding from the already established Pueblo Indians of the Southwest. In the 1600s, white pioneers began to build ranches on the Navajo land. Fighting between the Navajo Indians and the pioneers over the ownership of the land continued for hundreds of years and devastated the Navajo population.

In 1863, the U.S. Army destroyed the homes and farms of the Navajo and one year later, forced the remaining 8,000 people to march over 300 miles to imprisonment at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, an event referred to as the “Long Walk”. Thousands of people died during the march and in prison. In 1868, the Navajo unwillingly agreed to settle on a reservation.

Death and Burial
The Navajo have very specific views on death and burial ceremonies. They fear the spirits of dead people and quickly bury the deceased. Early Navajo would often destroy the home of the dead person, burn the body, and then stand in smoke to purify themselves. The Navajo of today, however, have simple burials that honor the deceased as well as their families.

The body is sacred to the Navajo. When a person dies, the body is left pure and free from embalming fluids. Because no chemicals are used to preserve the body, funerals and burials are performed quickly and with little ceremony. Family members avoid contact with the body and in most cases Navajo prefer to die in a hospital or away from their homes. Families make the funeral decisions together and the burials are brief and simple, usually at tribal burial grounds. The Navajo medicine men aid in the grieving process and perform specific ceremonies for healing of mourners, with a focus on the strength of the mind over the body.

Weaving
Navajo women hold an extremely important place in their culture. They often own large herds of sheep and/or take part in the timeless tradition of weaving. Weaving is sacred to the Navajo. Many people take part in the process, including those who collect the dyes and design and build the looms. First, the sheep are sheered and the wool is collected. Then the wool is spun and turned into yarn. Later, the yarn is dyed. And finally, the colored yarn is woven into rugs or blankets on a large loom.

The colors and patterns of Navajo fabrics have changed over time. They used to contain fewer colors or colors found in nature. Today, Navajo textiles use a variety of natural dyes as well as commercial vegetable dyes. Some textures and patterns are created by unraveling the yarns in commercial fabrics and incorporating them into the Navajo designs. The designs are as diverse as the weavers themselves. The real importance of the tradition lies in the process of working together to create a beautiful piece of functional art.

Arizona		New Mexico