The Navajo By Helen Birchfield Summary

The Navajo

The Navajo Indians have had a very complicated history, brutal warfare, and interesting rituals and lifestyles. Author, D. L. Birchfield, stated in an article called “Navajo”, “No tribe in North America has been more vigorously studied by anthropologists than the Navajo” (962). According to the book Navajo History and Culture by Helen Dwyer, Navajo history has gone as far back as the land bridge between North America and Asia (4). They have fought battles with the Spanish and the U.S.; however, the U.S. forced the Navajo off of their own land and were put on reservations for many years (Birchfield, “Navajo” 961). Navajo families follow ancient traditions like their type of housing, the jobs within the tribe, clothing, etc (Dwyer

The Navajos struggled against the United States as they were trying to conquer the southwest. “The U.S. government’s inability to understand Navajo social structure exacerbated the problems, and a series of treaties failed because those representing the United States never understood that the Navajos had no chief with the authority to negotiate for the Diné,” (“Navajos”). The United States decided to resort to a scorched-earth policy against the Navajos to try and take their land. After years of fighting, the Navajos finally surrendered to the United States and were forced to march to an internment camp located at Fort Sumter in New Mexico

The Navajos have their own traditional cuisines(Birchfield, “Navajos”). “Traditionally, the Navajos were hunter/gatherers and their diet represented this lifestyle” (“Navajos”). The Navajo farmers were well known for their large herds of sheep, so their main meat was mutton. Navajos have also been well known farmers. Their main crop that is used in most cuisines is corn. They cook corn in many different ways. Squash and beans are also a very important factor in traditional Navajo food. “Today Navajos eat the same types of foods as other Americans. However, there are many restaurants on the Navajo reservation that serve traditional foods such as Navajo tacos, a traditional taco filling served on frybread instead of a tortilla, and mutton stew”