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 oboys learned how to hunt, trap and perform in ceremonies ogirls 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 oBut did usually choose to live near family members oThis was so they could work together tending livestock and crops ·Lived in houses called hogans o20-30 feet in diameter oOnly one room shared with large family oTo deal with limited space all household items kept outside in good weather
Marriage and Gender Roles ·Girls married as soon as they hit puberty oGrooms usually older than bride oMarriage was arranged between bride’s family and the groom’s family oA much deliberated family decision ·Newly wed couples would traditionally live near the wife’s mother/family matriarch oThis woman would set conduct rules for people living in her cluster of hogans ·This could cause tension between husband and mother in law oThe 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
Government Structure
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 oNo central government ·After release from Fort Sumner in 1868 Navajo realized need for centralized government oDue 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) oThey were Chief Manuelito, Francisco Capitan, Mariano, and Ganado Mucho oThe 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 oCaused 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 oEach 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: oComposed of 74 delegates who served 6 year terms oAlso included Executive Council of President and Vice President(also 6 year terms) oEveryone elected democratically ·In 1940’s Tribal government made some adjustments: oExecutive Council replaced with Advisory Committee oAn 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: oIts own judicial system olegislative assembly (with representives from over 100 regions) oexecutive council( president and vice president)
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 villageso 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
Marriage and Gender Roles
· 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
Government Structure
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
olegislative assembly (with representives from over 100 regions)
oexecutive council( president and vice president)
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