Daily Life in Olden Times
Southwest
Navajo
Indians
For Kids & Teachers K-12
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What is a Hogan? When a young couple eats from the same basket, why do all their relatives lecture them? What is a Ketoh? Why did the Navajo make Sand Paintings and then destroy them before dark? What is a Blessingways? Welcome to the Southwest Navajo Indians in Olden Times. Use the Short Cut Menu to find just what you need.
| Southwest Navajo |
| Who were the Navajo? | Hogans | Navajo Religion |
| What did they eat? | Role of Men and Women | Blessingways |
| What did they wear? | Arts and Crafts | Sings |
| How did they live? | Ketohs | Sand Paintings |
The Pueblos were peaceful farmers. When the Navajo arrived, a new band of people, they raided the peaceful tribes for food and other goods. Between the drought and the attacks by the new tribes in the area, the Pueblo decided to move on and leave their lands to the warring Navajo and Apache people. By 1300 CE, the great Pueblos were deserted.
The Navajo were farmers, hunters and gatherers. They hunted on horseback. But they tended sheep and planted corn. The sheep were important. Sheep provided wool and food. Corn was even more important. In olden times, the Navajo held religious ceremonies to honor "The Corn People", the supernatural beings who kept the corn safe. The Navajo also grew beans, squash, melons, pumpkins, and fruit.
When the weather was cold, they wore clothing made from deerskin, sheepskin, and wool. These clothes were very colorful. They loved silver jewelry, decorated with turquoise, and wore a great deal of it. When the weather was hot, they wore very little clothing.
Small Family Groups: In olden times, the Navajo did not live in villages. They lived in small family groups. Each family lived near their corn ields. The men hunted deer and the women took care of the sheep and the crops.
Hogans: A Navajo home was called a hogan. Hogans were made of wooden poles covered with tree bark and mud. They were dark and gloomy. They had no windows, and only a small hole in the ceiling to let out smoke. The door of the hogan faced east to welcome the rising sun. Hogans were usually one room affairs. People sheltered in the hogan at night. The only furniture in a hogan was bedding. Bedding was usually a sheepskin on the floor.
Winter and Summer Homes: Each Navajo family had two hogans - one in the desert and one in the mountains. The area in which they lived was subject to flash floods. Having two homes ready allowed them to move quickly. They moved seasonally. They might also move if they needed fresh grazing land, or if their food and water supply dried up.
Women: Women owned the property. Property was passed down from mother to daughter.
Men: The men spent their lives with a small group of relatives on their mother's side. Whey Navajo men traveled, they looked for members of their mother's clan. He knew these relatives would offer shelter, food, and entertainment. When a Navajo man married, he moved to this wife's home.
Coming of Age Ceremony (Women): A woman's coming of age was the day the tribe officially recognized that she was no longer a girl - she was a woman. As part of the ceremony, the medicine man conducted a "sing". Once the sing was concluded, the girl ran to the east. She was escorted by a group of young men who made a terrible racket to keep evil spirits away. Everyone gathered for a feast presented by her family. The main dish at the feast was a huge corncake.
Coming of Age Ceremony (Men): The authors of this article have no knowledge of this ceremony other than the fact that there was a ceremony. If you know and are willing to share your knowledge, we would love to hear from you.
In olden times, as part of the Navajo wedding ceremony, a bride and groom would eat out of the same basket. While they were eating, all their relatives would get a chance to lecture them about anything at all. A Blessingway was performed to bless the new marriage.
After the ceremony, the groom became a member of his wife's family. When he traveled, he looked for members of his wife's family with whom to stay, not his own family. The expression, "You're not losing a daughter, you're gaining a son," was not a Navajo expression, but it was the Navajo way.
Jewelry: The Navajo are famous for their silverwork, an art they learned from the Spanish. They made belts, necklaces, earrings, and rings from sterling silver.
Ketohs: Ketohs (GAY-toes) are wrist guards worn by Navajo archers. The ketohs protected their arm from the snap of the bowstring, which let them shoot more accurately and for longer periods of time. It was an imporant tool to an archer. Navajo artists used silver to create decorative ketohs which could be worn by anyone.
Wool Blankets: The Navajo did not weave cotton. They traded for it, but they did not make it. Their weavers used wool. Their blankets were even more colorful, and the patterns more difficult, than blankets made by the famous Pueblo weavers.
Holy People: The Navajo believed in good and evil. They believed that everything in the universe had a purpose - be it good or evil. It was important that the universe remained in balance. If not, evil could take over. Their ceremonies were designed to restore harmony. Their "Holy People" were supernatural beings with the power to hurt or help the Navajo people. Some of the Holy People were named Talking God, Changing Woman, Bear, Ant, and Corn People.
A Sing: A "sing" was a ceremony conducted by a medicine man that was designed to restore balance. The dance steps and the song were very old and complicated. A medicine man might perform a "sing" to cure the sick, protect a family, cleanse a home, encourage crop growth, or protect the herds. Each "sing" was a prayer to the Holy People, the supernatural beings that the Navajo believed watched over life.
Blessingways: Blessingways were ceremonies that requested something from the gods. A Blessingway ceremony might be conducted to ask the gods to bless a new marriage or the birth of a baby, or to protect a warrior from his enemies. Some ceremonies lasted several days. If the Holy People were happy with the ceremony, they would restore the balance between good and evil, and grant the request. If the Holy People were not happy with the ceremony, your request might backfire on you - the evil spirits would have a chance to take over and hurt the marriage or the baby or the warrior. It was important to conduct ceremonies in the exact and right manner.
Sand Paintings: Navaho sand paintings were part of a healing ceremony. They were made as part of a "sing" or a "blessingway". Paintings were made on the floor of a hut or on clean sand. Some measured ten feet by twelve feet. The paintings were made with colored sand, sifted carefully between the second and third finger. These special paintings told a story of a magical event. Sand paintings made to heal someone were destroyed before dark.
Funeral Practices: In olden times, when someone died, their body was buried and their hogan burned down. People who attended the funeral took a zigzag route home so that no evil ghost could follow them.
Navajo Creation Stories: Students at the International School in Holland has done a wonderful job presenting and illustrating Navajo Creation Stories.
Links for Kids
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Counter start date January 2006
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