Sociopolitical+Structure


 * Sociopolitical Structure **



From: Iverson, Peter. //The Navajos//. New York City: Chelsea House Publishers, 1990. Print = Children = ·  from birth child important members of the community ·   babies carried everywhere on cradleboards where they were able to learn about their larger community from an early age ·   Learned skills to help the community at a young age o   boys learned how to hunt, trap and perform in ceremonies o   girls learned to cook, weave, and perform other traditional female duties ·  Navajo children raised by whole extended family ·  children taught to respect and imitate their elders

Housing
·  Navajos did not live in villages o   But did usually choose to live near family members o   This was so they could work together tending livestock and crops ·  Lived in houses called hogans o   20-30 feet in diameter o   Only one room shared with large family o   To deal with limited space all household items kept outside in good weather

·  Girls married as soon as they hit puberty o  Grooms usually older than bride o   Marriage was arranged between bride’s family and the groom’s family o   A much deliberated family decision ·  Newly wed couples would traditionally live near the wife’s mother/family matriarch o  This woman would set conduct rules for people living in her cluster of hogans ·  This could cause tension between husband and mother in law o  The Navajo people dealt with this by having the husband simply never talk or make eye contact with mother in law ·  Men would hunt and herd for the family ·   Women would weave, cook and bring up the children
 * Marriage and Gender Roles **

From: Wilkins, David. //The Navajo Political Experience//. Walnut Creek, CA: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003. Print. (Pgs 73- 92) ·  Navajo originally had small matrilineal groups with individual chiefs o  No central government ·  After release from Fort Sumner in 1868 Navajo realized need for centralized government o   Due to the rising influence of the American Government in the Southwest ·  By early 1880’s there was four Navajo chiefs(each controlled one of the four major Navajo Settlements) o  They were Chief Manuelito, Francisco Capitan, Mariano, and Ganado Mucho o  The American Government was now aware of Navajo government system and knew who to discuss Navajo issues with ·  When Federal policy began to favour assimilation of Native tribes Navajo government became autocratic (single leader) ·  Now 1 head chief and 30 local headsman who reported to head chief ·  Due to increase in population Navajo land divided into 6 different “agencies” in 1901 o  Caused Navajo to have separate identities based on agency ·  John G. Hunter(Superintendent of Leuup Agency) started idea of Local Chapter Government system in 1927 ·  Local government system gained popular and had 100 chapters (similar to regions) by 1933 o  Each chapter had president, vice president and secretary/treasurer ·  Chapters all delegated together as Tribal Council with one leader(chairman) annually ·  The first Navajo chairman was Henry Chee Dodge ·  After Livestock Reductions in early 1930’s the Navajo people blamed the Tribal Council ·  New government system adapted in 1937: o  Composed of 74 delegates who served 6 year terms o  Also included Executive Council of President and Vice President(also 6 year terms) o  Everyone elected democratically ·  In 1940’s Tribal government made some adjustments: o  Executive Council replaced with Advisory Committee o  An attorney joined government to handle legal relations between the Navajo, their neighbouring tribes and the American government ·  In 1980’s the Navajo Nation began (current government system) ·  Navajo Nation system currently includes: o  Its own judicial system o legislative assembly (with representives from over 100 regions) o executive council( president and vice president)
 * Government Structure **

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