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 Posts
-
Who were the Navajo Code Talkers and Why were the Navajo Code Talkers important during World War II?
During World War II, the U.S. Marines were searching for a way they could send top secret messages that their Japanese enemies could not understand. A Navajo engineer, Philip Johnston, suggested that they…
-
What did the Navajo learn from the Pueblo Indians when they moved to the Southwest?
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…
-
What is the Creation Story of the Navajo tribe and Where did the Navajo Come From?
According to the creation story of the Navajo tribe, the Navajo passed through three worlds, the Black World, the Blue-Green World, and the Yellow World, before coming to their southwestern homeland, the Glittering…
-
What is a Navajo rug and How did Navajo rugs originate?
The Navajo have a long history as weavers. They were introduced to weaving on an upright loom by Pueblo Indians who moved to Navajo territory after fleeing from the Spanish in the mid-seventeenth…
-
When did the Navajo first encounter non-Indians and Who were the first explorers to reach Navajo territory?
Expeditions of Spanish soldiers first came to Navajo territory in the late sixteenth century. Although the Navajo sometimes traded with these intruders, more often they fought with them to protect their own territory.…
-
What is Navajo life like today and Where is the Navajo Indian reservation located?
Today, the Navajo are the second-largest Native American tribe in the United States, but they live on the largest reservation. Through many negotiations with the U.S. government, the Navajo have been able to…
