The Navajo or Diné

The Diné, or Navajo, exhibit in the Arizona Museum is organized in an appropriate manner. The exhibit starts with the introduction to the Diné people, discussing the Athapaskan Migration. It then displays a beautiful sand painting done by a Diné man which represents the Diné Bikeyah or homeland. The Diné are introduced as a pastoral people who adopted customs from other native peoples as they migrated south to present day Arizona. The next topic discussed in the exhibit is the Long Walk, or the forceful movement of Diné people to Fort Sumner in 1863 and the return to Diné Bikeyah in 1868. Pastoralism is then discussed more in depth including how pastoralism and specifically sheep effected the Diné economy. The importance of weaving rugs is introduced as well. Sheep were an important part of the Diné culture, not only economically, but through kinship and community as well. The sacred narrative of Spider Woman was an audio recording within the exhibit accompanied by a modern day scene of women weaving rugs and spinning their own wool into yarn. This scene is important because while it shows the Diné living in a modern home, it shows how they blend modern day lifestyles with sacred Diné tradition. The conclusion of the exhibit discusses this blend with the modern day and traditional as well as displays rugs both modern and traditional.
The Diné have been a pastoral people for the last three centuries. The main animals they care for are horses, cattle and sheep. Sheep, being the most influential animal group they raise and care for due to their role in Diné economy, kinship, and community. The history of pastoralism revolves around central concepts of animals, lands and journeys. The Diné people consider their entire history just a ...

... middle of paper ...

...e to preserve traditional culture as well as be a part of modern culture is discussed within the exhibit. We can see this struggle in a scene depicted in the exhibit of women weaving in a modern home with a traditional room, while the men sit on the couch and read comic books. We see the melding together of tradition and modernization. Traditions like weaving and pastoral life in the Diné home serve as a teaching tool to remind young people where they come from and who they are as Diné people. It shows them how to be Diné in a colonized world. While maintaining tradition had become difficult at points in their journey, Diné persevered and adapted to change while maintaining tradition. They remain one of the largest groups of indigenous peoples in the Southwest today.

Works Cited

Paths of Life: Navajo 11 Apr. 2014. Museum Exhibit. Arizona State Museum, Tucson, AZ.