Essay Sample about Navajo Culture

Having the experience and knowledge of my Navajo culture, I was given the opportunity to further my studies about my people. Growing up on the Navajo reservation I had many questions for my grandparents about how they grew up. One of my biggest questions was why I never learned how to speak the Navajo language? As my curiosity grew, I found that many of my peers on the reservation did not speak Navajo either. The teaching of Navajo culture was not familiar to me or many of my friends who I spent a lot of time with.  I found myself wanting to understand the hardships that my family members and ancestors endured. But there are always two sides to the story, and for that reason I wanted to explore this issue more in depth.  I decided to pose my research question, “ What happened to the language and culture of the Navajo?” 

My research started with an article that I found online: “ For more than 100 years, the U.S Forced Navajo Students into Western Schools. The Damage is Still Felt Today” by Luci Tapahonso from the Smithsonian Magazine. Tapahonso is a Navajo poet and lecturer in Native American studies at the University of New Mexico. A couple years after the “Navajo Long walk” also known as “Hweeldi” or “the time of overwhelming grief” a treaty was signed. There now was a designated area for the Dine People also referred to as the Navajo Reservation. Luci Tapahonso then goes on to say that it spans 27,000 square miles which includes land in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. But at what cost? Luci gos on to say that “The treaty brought devastating changes, including compulsory education for children, who were sent to faraway government and missionary schools.” The children were forced to learn English, and were told that if they were to “break the rules'' they would go to hell. Today those students are now parents and grandparents. “Many hold onto a lingering homesickness and sense of alienation. Others are beset by nightmares, paranoia and a deep distrust of authority.”

Tapahonso’s concluding remarks really opened my eyes to why my grandparents were not sharing much information about their past. I can’t imagine what that would be like as a kid being taken away from your family and sent to a school which prohibited all traditions, most importantly their language. The kids that ended up being sent to these schools still tried to preserve some of their Indigenous identity by telling stories and softly singing traditional songs at night while their den mother was asleep. The story was becoming more clear to me about why a lot of my culture was hidden from me. If the language and culture was so important to my people why did the Dine (Navajo) give it all up? It was still unclear to me why the Native people decided to sacrifice so much. Did they make the right decision? 

I wanted to get to know a little more about what the treaty was about, therefore I searched the “Navajo Treaty” and was able to find an article called the” Navajo Treaty of 1868” by the National Museum of the American Indian. This American Indian museum is a research center located in Washington, Dc, and New York, New York. They emphasize in Indigenous groups in the United States. The article goes on to say that “ By signing the treaty, the Navajo Nation agreed to cease war against the United States.” The United states were fighting against the Navajo People, killing many. They came to an agreement stating that If the killing stopped from both sides, the United States would grant them approximately 27,000 square miles of land. The  Navajo Treaty of 1868 also included that there would be no interference with railroads, or travelers passing through the land. Christianity and education was important to those coming to the West and negotiated with the Navajo in part of the treaty that kids and young adults would be sent to school, learning proper English education, along with learning about Christianity. 

There are a lot of emotions that I feel about the untold story about why the Navajo agreed on this treaty. Real estate is what was traded for their language, culture, and family. The thought of having a permanent home, along with peace among foreigners traveling through the land might have been a great deal. If it weren't for that treaty would the Navajo People be here today? Preserving the person and not the culture might have been a goal for the Indigenous people at that time. Now that it's been over 100 years since the treaty has happened, the land that was promised still stands, but what about the language and culture? 

Curiosity led me to an article to answer that very question, according to “ Why the Navajo have succeeded ” by Wynne Parry from Live Science. According to Parry’s article,  the Navajo Nation has done well compared to other tribes.  “Two geographers from the University of California, Los Angeles, offer an explanation for why the Navajos have been able to grow to more than 300,000 members today: a combination of geography and culture.”  The Navajo nation is the biggest Tribe in the United States and has expanded from 3.3 Million Acres to more than 17 million in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. The remoteness of where the Navajo lived paired with the treaty that was signed allowed the Navajo nation to flourish and grow more and faster than any tribe. About half of Navajos speak their language today fluently, but because of the boarding schools and the education implemented most youth today are not as fluent.

As for Navajo Culture the Dine people were able to incorporate new elements such as silver work and weaving. Their language has been preserved by older generations. As time goes on and healing becomes more prominent, the Navajo culture will be more open for discussion for the young people.

“The Navajo Nation has done well compared to other tribes” is a statement that I can see and believe in. Growing up I heard about other native cultures but rarely ran into anybody who was of other Tribes. As someone who is Navajo I can agree that not many youths speak their native language. Growing up I learned commands and how to introduce myself but as far as conversation and getting to know others I am lost. The new elements such as weaving and silver work are a beautiful trade. I have a family who are very active in practicing this trade. The trade is  very special to me because it has been inherited through generations. 

Throughout my research about “What happened to the language and culture of the Navajo?” I was able to find out more than I previously knew. The treaty that happened in 1868 took so much away from the Navajo people but at the same time protected them. My pondering thoughts on why my Grandparents never talked about their experience makes sense to me and is still a sensitive subject to this day. But with the help of present day resources I was able to educate myself on my family's past. Do I think what happened was okay? No I don't but at the same time I feel as if it were not to happen that the Navajo Nation would not be as successful as they are now in terms of numbers. I believe that there could be more done in the school systems on the Navajo Nation for the younger generation to be able to learn this Nizhoni (Beautiful) language. When I went to school in Ganado, Arizona. English was the main focus. The remnants of what happened still linger on the Navajo Reservation and some grandparents still believe to this day that learning the white man language will keep them safe.  I feel that the Dine (Navajo) language could be preserved but only if action is taken by its people. Dual immersion in school and having homework in Navajo is something I feel like could help increase those who speak this sacred language. I still have many questions about my culture and through more extensive research such as Articles and personal stories from my elders I might be able to get those answers.