• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / Why was Sheepherding important to the Navajo people in the Southwest?

Why was Sheepherding important to the Navajo people in the Southwest?

April 2, 2020 by Karen Hill

Traditionally, the Navajo were the most skilled Indian ranchers in the Southwest.

In addition to keeping large herds of horses, they raised huge flocks of sheep. (Like horses, these animals were introduced to North America by the Spanish.) Almost every Navajo had a few sheep. Even small children were given lambs to look after so they would know how to care for the animals they would own when they grew up.

Each spring, women and men used knives to shear off the outer layers of their animals’ woolly coats. Women then spun the wool into yarn, which they used to weave warm blankets for their families. The Navajo also raised sheep for their meat.

A favorite dish was mutton stew, in which chunks of meat from older sheep were combined with cooked vegetables.

Related Facts

  • Who were the Navajo Code Talkers and Why were the Navajo Code Talkers important during World War II?
  • What did the Navajo learn from the Pueblo Indians when they moved to the Southwest?
  • What is the Creation Story of the Navajo tribe and Where did the Navajo Come From?
  • What is a Navajo rug and How did Navajo rugs originate?
  • When did the Navajo first encounter non-Indians and Who were the first explorers to reach Navajo territory?
  • What is Navajo life like today and Where is the Navajo Indian reservation located?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What type of clothing and tools did Native Americans in California make?
Next Post: How did the Native Americans of California grow crops and How were Hyacinth plants kept in bloom? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy