Navajo Women

[Riverkilt]

Welcome Ranchergal18,

Not sure what your tribal affilication is or where you are, but you're welcome. If you're not up to speed on Navajo history and culture I think you'd be VERY surprised at the power of Navajo women.

Navajo men of yore wore deerskin "skirts" - they weren't pleated so guess they'd be skirts.

I studied Navajo history and culture in grad school and was recruitied up here to the Navajo Nation by the Navajo Nation. Only been here six years...but have seen plenty of times a frail granma "Sani" raised an eyebrow partially and full grown men raced to carry out her unspoken wishes. True matriarchy reigns in this part of the world. A lady came within a few votes of being elected President of the Navajo Nation just a few months ago. A lady is Chief of Police of the Navajo Nation...the second largest Tribe in the U.S. with a huge reservation in three states.

If you understand a certain "Navajo contrariness"...an attitude of still being at war with the "Bilagaana (White people)" It makes more sense.

But hey, I didn't confront her and ask her what was on her mind and she didn't tell me. So, was only left with my own guesses and fears.

We don't do politics on this board and I don't wanna drift there. Just know that Navajo women really are strong and powerful within their reservation and families - I say this culturally, rather than politically.

I do wish she could have met the Navajo man I met the next day, 40 miles down the road, who owned a kilt because his sister brought him home one from Edinborogh.

Ron

[ranchergal8]

Not sure what your tribal affilication is or where you are, but you're welcome. If you're not up to speed on Navajo history and culture I think you'd be VERY surprised at the power of Navajo women.

I am Navajo and so are all of my relatives.

Navajo men of yore wore deerskin "skirts" - they weren't pleated so guess they'd be skirts.

It seems like you're trying very hard to make the piece of clothing a skirt.

...but have seen plenty of times a frail granma "Sani" raised an eyebrow partially and full grown men raced to carry out her unspoken wishes. True matriarchy reigns in this part of the world. A lady came within a few votes of being elected President of the Navajo Nation just a few months ago. A lady is Chief of Police of the Navajo Nation.

Well, again from your eyes, elderly and women don't have much value. What is does true matriach mean to you? There is respect, reverence and high value placed on her as much depends on her. Even though you have spent time on the NN, it doesn't seem like you understand OR not able to convey that to the readers.

If you understand a certain "Navajo contrariness"...an attitude of still being at war with the "Bilagaana (White people)" It makes more sense.

There is no war. There is a distinct awareness that Navajos don't quite have the same values as in your society. Perhaps it would be like scottish vs. welsh vs. english and I know there are differences there and it still exists.

IWe don't do politics on this board and I don't wanna drift there. Just know that Navajo women really are strong and powerful within their reservation and families - I say this culturally, rather than politically.

Navajo society still exists on the Nation as well as in the cities. This is a practicing society even though the US Government has been here for the past 230 years. Don't worry that you don't quite understand as there are many native nations that don't understand that in due to the French / English / Colonists who got their own ways and many native nations whose citizens do not speak the language nor practice their spiritual / religion. As to the "political", it is alive and well. Just because the woman who ran for the president's office was not elected, it's really not a big deal. If she was elected, it is expected that she will serve the people (Dine).

[Riverkilt]

Welcome again,

What a wonderful surprise to have a Dine' member of this board.

You are most certainly right. Despite years of studying and learning Dine' ways and culture and years of living adjacent to the Navajo Nation I am, and always will be a Bilagaana who just doesn't get it.

All I can claim is to perhaps know a bit more that the tourists and the local Bilagaana's with little interest.

How did you come to be interested in Kilts?

Do you mind sharing what part of the Navajo Nation you're from?

Ron

[ranchergal8]

Welcome again,
...and always will be a Bilagaana who just doesn't get it.
Do you mind sharing what part of the Navajo Nation you're from?
Ron

Hi Ron. I think it's cool that you have a place to share the culture! That is always cool. My family resides in Shonto / Red Lake / Tuba City / Navajo Mountain / Black Mesa and of course, we have some that occasionally outside the US. So the readers would understand my grandparents / parents generation - English is a second language however, for my grandies - there is no English. Some of my contemporaries when I was quite young - spoke no English only later on. So when I visit, the default language tended to be Navajo.

Keep up the good posts.

[cessna152towser]

I have found this a most interesting thread, from which I have learned more about the interface between the native North American cultures and those of the descendants of the European voyagers. Although I am a Scot living in Scotland, my mother's family are on Vancouver Island as her father's brothers all emigrated there around a hundred years ago. One of my second cousins married a native "Indian" who teaches native arts and crafts for a living and constructs totem poles in his spare time. Their daughter, in turn being of mixed Scottish/native stock then married a Mexican "Indian". So it appears to me that while the native tribes preserve their own crafts, cultures and skills, there is also a mixing with the incomers to provide the unique combination that makes Canada and the USA the great nations they are today.

[macwilkin]

I have found this a most interesting thread, from which I have learned more about the interface between the native North American cultures and those of the descendants of the European voyagers. Although I am a Scot living in Scotland, my mother's family are on Vancouver Island as her father's brothers all emigrated there around a hundred years ago. One of my second cousins married a native "Indian" who teaches native arts and crafts for a living and constructs totem poles in his spare time. Their daughter, in turn being of mixed Scottish/native stock then married a Mexican "Indian". So it appears to me that while the native tribes preserve their own crafts, cultures and skills, there is also a mixing with the incomers to provide the unique combination that makes Canada and the USA the great nations they are today.

For a very interesting read on this thread's subject, I recommend the book "Scottish Highlanders, Indian Peoples: thirty generations of a Montana family"* by James Hunter:

http://www.his.state.mt.us/pub/press/scothigh.asp

The book "Scots in the North American West 1790-1917" also has a very good summary of the Scottish-First Nations connection; it is available online at:

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/indians.htm

* published in Scotland as "Glencoe and the Indians". Hunter also wrote "A Dance Called America" about Scottish immigration to the US and Canada.

Regards,

Todd