Before the Navajo came to the Southwest, they lived by hunting game and gathering plants.
Few wild animals and plants, however, lived in their new hot, dry homeland. To survive, they looked to the Pueblo Indians and learned by their example how to farm corn and squash.
Pueblo people who moved to Navajo lands to escape the Spanish also taught the tribe about the ceremonies they performed to ensure a large, healthy harvest.
The Navajo began performing their own versions of Pueblo ceremonies, which became a central part of Navajo life.
