Ms. Safarik presents:
~The Navajo~
(image used for educational purposes from-http://www.ipl.org)
"So, what's the point?"
1. Students who visit this site will have the opportunity to learn basic
information about the Navajo people.
2. Students will understand The Long Walk and what it meant for the
Navajo people.
3. Students be reading the book Sing Down the Moon which is about a
Navajo girl who faced many problems, including The Long Walk.
Specifically:
**students will be required to answer questions
throughout the site. Either about the Navajo or about how the information
relates to what we have read in the book. These questions will be turned
in for a grade and will show how thoroughly the students have used the site.
--Click here to print off questions for
this site. *Note: you will not be able to answer the questions without going
through the website, this will simply make it easier to write the answers.
The Navajo People
The People-Dine'
(image used for educational purposes from-http://unink.com/passages/Monument-Valley/People/TheNavajo.html)
Dine', Navajo people, live on more than 25,000 square miles of land
that stretches across parts of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. When the early
Navajo people traveled to southwestern United States they met the Pueblo
Indians. The Navajo farming, clothing, weaving, and pottery have Pueblo
influences.
The Canyon de Chelly is an important place to the Navajo, Bright Morning
talks about the canyon often while they are at the Bosque Redondo.
(image used for educational purposes from-http://www.americanwest.com/pages/navajo2.htm)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Houses
Navajo homes are called hogans and are made of wooden poles,
tree bark, mud or clay and were originally eight sided. The doorways of
the hogans open to the east to welcome the sun and receive blessings. Many
Navajo families still live in hogans which, because of their design, are
cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
click here to learn about the construction of a hogan.
**Question:
Name the two types of hogans and list three (3) characteristics of each.
--if you need more info. to answer the question, here is another site
about hogans.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spanish influences
~When the Spanish settled in the southwest in the 1600's they brought
horses and sheep with them from Europe. The Navajo stole the animals from
the Spanish and learned how to use them in their daily life. The Navajo
are well known for their weaving even today-they use the wool from these
sheep for their clothing, blankets, and rugs. The sheep also provide meat
for food and are important to Navajo families.
**Question:
How does Bright Morning feel about getting to herd the sheep? (be more
specific than "happy" or "excited") What does this tell
you about the families attitude toward the herd?
**Question:
What was the name of the first domesticated sheep in the New World? Why
were they imported by the Spanish, what were they used for when they got
here?
--you will need to go to this site to answer 
~The Navajo and the Spanish did not always get along. Spaniards fought
the people, made them prisoners and used them as servants. At times the
Navajo, Pueblo, and Apache joined together to fight off the Spanish.
**Question:
What happens to Bright Morning and Running Bird that supports this information?
Give some detail, at least four (4) sentences.
~Navajo artists are known for their silver work, which they learned
from the Mexican people. It is often decorated with a blue stone called
turquoise to make bracelets, rings, earrings, belts and necklaces.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Long Walk
(image used for educational purposes from-http://www.smithsonianmag.si.edu/smithsonian/issues97/dec97/bosque.html)
- In the 1800's after the Spanish American War the United States acquired
land from Mexico, which became the states of Arizona and New Mexico.
- As settlers came to those areas looking for silver and gold they came
into contact with the Navajo.
- The Navajo people fought to keep their land, the Americans fought to
take it away.
- Many treaties were made between the U.S. government and Navajo leaders
but neither side could make their people keep the agreements.
- The Navajo were accused of raiding other tribes, Spaniards and white
settlers.
- From 1863 to 1864 more than 8,000 Navajo were taken into captivity
by U.S. troops, led by Colonel Kit Carson. They were made to walk from
their home to Fort Sumner in the Bosque Redondo. The people call this "The
Long Walk," many Navajo died during this forced migration.
- Once at Fort Sumner the Navajo were plagued by disease and famine,
they were unable to survive on the unfamiliar land.
- After four years the U.S. government saw that their plan of relocation
was not working and they realized it would cost too much to keep the Navajo
alive with supplies.
- In 1868 a new treaty was signed saying that the Navajo were free to
return to their country.
- By this time the area was surrounded by non-Indians, the Navajo had
to begin trading with the surrounding towns.
Use the information from this site to answer the following questions,
read the whole passage
**Questions:
What fort was built near the Canyon de Chelly?
Does the site's account of what happened leading up to and during The
Long Walk correspond with the events Bright Morning described? Give four
(4) specific examples.
According to the site how many people did the Navajo loose as a result
of their imprisonment?
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sing Down the Moon
by Scott O'Dell
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At the end of this unit we will spend a day making Navajo food. We will
use the two recipes on this link. You can print them off if you'd like to
try them at home.
click
here to e-mail me with any questions or comments you have about the page
or the information. I'd love your input!