The most complete and current history of the largest American Indian nation in the U.S., based on extensive new archival research, traditional histories, interviews, and personal observation.

A History of the Navajos examines these circumstances over the century and more that the tribe has lived on the reservation. In 1868, the year that the United States government released the Navajos from four years of imprisonment at Bosque Redondo and created the Navajo reservation, their very survival was in doubt. In spite of conflicts over land and administrative control, by the 1890s they had achieved a greater level of prosperity than at any previous time in their history.

Explores the history and culture of the southwestern Indian tribe

Navajos Wear Nikes reveals the complexity of modern life on the Navajo Reservation, a world where Anglo and Navajo coexist in a tenuous truce. With tales of gangs and skinwalkers, an Indian Boy Scout troop, a fanatical Sunday school teacher, and the author's own experience of sincere friendships that lead to hozho (beautiful harmony), Kristofic's memoir is an honest portrait of an Anglo boy growing up on and growing to love the Reservation. --publisher's description.

For the Navajo people, the new year begins in October, when summer meets winter. The Navajo Year, Walk Through Many Seasons follows the Navajo calendar, and provides poetic descriptions of the many sights, sounds, and activities associated with each month. In November, there are string games and stories; in April, planting of corn, beans, and squash; and in July, rodeos and monsoon rains. Follow Coyote through the year, and explore how the Navajos observe the rites and passages of each month.

Explore the lives of the people who call the Arizona portion of the Navajo Nation home. Follow the Spencer family as they search for yucca root to make yucca shampoo. Learn about be'ezo (grass brush) from Stella Worker and how she knows what type of grass to pick. Discover why water is such a precious commodity to the Navajos, and listen as the residents talk openly about the land they love and rely on for survival.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Note on Orthographic and Linguistic Conventions -- INTRODUCTION: The Intimate Nostalgia of Diné Country Music -- ONE: Keeping up with the Yazzies: The Authenticity of Class and Geographic Boundaries -- TWO: Generic Navajo: The Language Politics of Social Authenticity -- THREE: Radmilla's Voice: Racializing Music Genre -- FOUR: Sounding Navajo: The Politics of Social Citizenship and Tradition -- FIVE: Many Voices, One Nation -- EPILOGUE: "The Lights of Albuquerque"--Notes -- Works Cited -- Index -- A -- B -- C -- D -- E -- F -- G -- H -- I -- J -- K -- L -- M -- N -- O -- P -- R -- S -- T -- U -- V -- W -- X -- Y -- Z

To experience change on the Navajo Reservation, one need only close one's eyes and listen. Today an increasing number of Navajos speak only English, while very few speak only Navajo. The Navajo language continues to be taught, but it is less often practiced. Deborah House asks why, despite the many factors that would seem to contribute to the maintenance of the Navajo language, speakers of the language continue to shift to English at such an alarming rate—and what can be done about it. Language Shift among the Navajos provides a close look at the ideological factors that intervene between the desire of the Navajos to maintain their language as an important aspect of their culture and their actual linguistic practice. Based on more than ten years of fieldwork within a Navajo institution and community, it points to ideologies held by Navajo people about their unequal relationship with the dominant American society as a primary factor in the erosion of traditional language use. House suggests that the Navajos employ their own paradigm—Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’eh Hózhóón—to learn both Western language and culture and their own without denigrating either perspective. By building on the traditional Navajo belief in harmony and balance, she advocates that those who value the language should use and teach it not just in school but also in the home, in the ceremonial hogans, and among those who cherish their heritage. Now is the time when language choices and behavior will influence whether the Navajo language lives or dies. House's book carries important lessons for anyone concerned with cultural continuity. It is a wake-up call for educators, youth, politicians, or family and community members who value Native language and culture. It remains to be seen in what language that call will be answered.