The Navajo People (0)

The word Navajo comes from the phrase Tewa Navahu, meaning highly cultivated lands. The
Navajo Indians largely resides in New Mexico and Arizona. They originally began their
tribes in the 1500's and are considered to be the largest tribe of all Native American Indians.
The Navajo region focuses more on land then on people. According to Navajo beliefs land is
holy and it is the Job of every man to protect and preserve it.
The Navajo religion tells of a time when the Creator developed a sacred land between 4
mountains. It is said that the Creator gave the Navajo people the instructions to never go
past these mountains.
The Navajos have never stopped speaking their native Athabaskan
language, unlike many other native peoples who are trying to revive
their languages. The Navajo language is spoken only on the Navajo
reservation in the southwestern United States, and until recently was
an unwritten language. It is an extremely complex language with no
alphabet or symbols.
The Navajo people have been recognized as extraordinary artists. The Navajo women weave
beautiful blankets expressing warmth, earth colors, and unique designs.
The figures in sand paintings are symbolic representations of a story
in Navajo mythology. They depict objects like the sacred mountains
where the gods live, legendary visions, or they illustrate dances.