Southwest Navajo Daily Life Illustration

Daily Life in Olden Times
for Kids

Southwest Navajo
Daily Life

How did the Navajo live?

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 fields. The men hunted deer and the women took care of the sheep and the crops.

They lived in homes called Hogans. They had winter and summer homes.

Roles of Men and Women

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.

Food and Clothing

Daily Life, Roles of Men and Women

Coming of Age Ceremony

Marriage Ceremony

Hogans

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