Navajo Nation

1
Navajo Nation
2
Geography

• 70,000 km² of land
• largest reservation for Native Americans
• stretches across the Colorado Plateau
• covers parts of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico

3
History

• 15th century arrived in the southwest as
  hunters and gatherers
• influenced by the pueblos (agriculture, weaving)
• 17th century
• took sheep and horses from the Spanish

4
The Long Walk

• resisted the Spanish for 300 years
• defeated by the US in 1864
• 8000 Navajos had to walk 500 km to a reservation
• many died of starvation
• after 4 years they were allowed to return to
  their homeland

Chief Manuelito
5
Code talkers

• Navajo soldiers during the WW II
• used the Navajo language as code
• the only code the Japanese could not crack

6
Navajo Beliefs

• this is one of four worlds, the glittering world
• Earth People and Holy People live in harmony with
  Mother Earth and Father Sky
• holy number 4
• 4 first clans
• 4 mountains

7
Today

• population 250.000
• both - traditional and modern way of life
• own government
• coal mining
• tourist attractions
• art and craft

8
Sources

• http//wikipedia.org
• http//www.navajo.org
• Photos
• History, The long Walk
• http//photoswest.org/
• History of the American West, 1860-1920
  Photographs from the Collection of the Denver
  Public Library
• Today
• http//www.wissen.swr.de/sf/begleit/bg0008/us06.ht
  m
• Code talkers
• http//bingaman.senate.gov/code_talkers/men/127-MN
  -69889-B/127-mn-69889-b.html