Anthropology

Anthropology final paper

In this paper, the culture and lifestyles of the Navajo people will be discussed. The Navajo people have a kinship system that follows the lineage of the women. Their kinship is based on love, compassion, kindness, friendliness, generosity, and peacefulness. Their matrilineal descent is traced through one's mother side. The husbands usually reside with wife's family unlike most cultures. Navajo marriages are the result of economic arrangements between kin groups. A majority of their marriages were monogamous, polygamy has recently been acceptable. The Navajos believe they have a responsibility to remain on and care for the land where they were placed by the Creator. Although the Navajo culture polygamy, they also follow the lineage of the women, which includes the responsibility to remain on and care for the land where they were placed, love, compassion, kindness, friendliness, generosity, and peacefulness for one another within the culture.

The Navajo tribe is the largest Native American group who call themselves “Dive” people. The Navajo are known for weaving blankets, raising sheep, and generally being a peaceful tribe. Typically, the Navajo tribe was deeply religious, worshiping their common possessions, such as livestock and homes. The Navajo women were primary leaders in society. The typical Navajo's life was a wealth of culture. A hoghan is what the Navajo people call their traditional homes. It is usually mad out of juniper wood and mud into two different types of shapes. The front doorway opens to the East welcoming the sun which provides them with light. The Hogan was primarily used to prepare meals, sleep, and for shelter from rain. They were also used for healing ceremonies and burying the dead, if one died in a home. These homes were recognized as a symbol of goodness, resulting in being the main topic of spiritual tales. The traditional Hogan was generally a symbol of family life....