The Navajo Native Americans were once a hunter-gatherer society who adopted agriculture after the 16th century. They were forced to surrender their homelands and march to a poorly equipped reservation in New Mexico in the 18th century. After a series of treaties, they had some of their lands returned in 1868. Today, they maintain a rich culture and are known for their craftsmanship. They also maintain semi-autonomous governance over much of their original land.
The Native American Navajos, or Diné, are an ancient North American tribe with ancestral homelands in the American Southwest. This agricultural culture once extensively inhabited the wild landscape of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah. Navajo Native Americans maintain the largest reservation in North America today.
Originally a hunter-gatherer society, the Navajo Native Americans adopted agriculture sometime after the 16th century, likely due to the influence of nearby Spanish settlers. They became great shepherds, herding sheep and goats amidst the rocky and hostile terrain of the area. The Navajos had an ongoing battle of cattle raiding with the Spanish and other nearby Native American tribes, but they also conducted an ongoing trade with the Spanish and Pueblo, Ute, and Comanche tribes.
As the arm of the United States government reached into their territory, the Navajo faced constant challenges to their way of life and their sovereignty. After refusing to accept US rule, many Navajo settlements were subject to raids and attacks throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. After an army destroyed most of the crops and livestock, the Navajos were forced to surrender in 18. Stripped of their homelands, the Navajo Native Americans were forced to march to a reservation 19 days away. This “Long Walk of the Navajo” claimed hundreds of lives as men, women and children were driven from their homelands to a poorly equipped reservation in New Mexico.
After a series of treaties, the Navajo Native Americans had some of their lands returned in 1868, largely due to the failure of the government reservation. In their new housing area the population grew, creating a large stable farming community. However, the troubles between the Navajo Native Americans and the United States government were far from over. In the 1930s, U.S. officials destroyed most of the Navajo livestock due to overgrazing problems. However, Navajo Native Americans played an important role in American efforts during World War II, both as soldiers and as famous Navajo code speakers.
Today, Navajo Native Americans maintain a rich culture based on a shared history and dreams for a strong future. Renowned for their craftsmanship, the Navajo are known for their beautiful turquoise and silver jewelry and accessories, as well as sturdy and detailed pottery. Navajo rugs, woven from the wool of their sheep, are highly prized artifacts that form a staple of Southwestern design. The tribe, one of the largest in existence today, maintains semi-autonomous governance over much of its original land.
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