Navajo Historical and Agricultural Progress.
Culture is the only gift a people are often and easily identified with among the billions of human races. The rich world cultures are always distinct and vastly practiced across the continents. Depending on different factors such as assimilation most cultures of people in the world have not remained the same again. Some cultures have changed totally with other cultures remaining intact and superior among the people who practice them. For instance, in Africa, the Maasai people are well reorganized with their nomadic lifestyle and mode of dressing. This gives them a sense of identification among the African people. In a similar way, the Navajo nation has been having certain cultures encompassing the origin of its people, the agriculture practice and the modern lifestyle (Reyhner 15). Therefore, it is very important to put into consideration the knowledge about the Navajo culture especially in the field of agriculture.
Historically the Navajo nation is known to have lived in the present geographical place of New Mexico. They arose from the political forces of the USA that was witnessed in the early years of 1448. The political forces of the US left them scattered and homeless in the areas considered worthless and desert (Bogle 41). Nonetheless, they regrouped themselves back forming the present-day Navajo nation. Presently, the Navajo nation is larger than three states of New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont combined together. The Navajo is a proximately 16 million acres with most parts in Arizona and Utah. The smallest unit of the government is known as the chapter. The chapters serve as the administrative function. In addition to the administrative functioning, there is the legislative, judicial and executive units reorganized system of governance. Like any other part of the world, the Navajo nation has got challenges of infrastructure and putting the modern facilities. For example, about 80% of the vast lands lack electricity and telephone services (McCarty et al..227). Despite the challenges, the Navajo’s have accessed different parts of US making the known within the world’s populations. For example, the Athapaskan language family remains to be one of the largest spoken in North America.
On the contrary to the challenges facing the Navajo nation has been a blessing. This because the poor roads and infrastructure have given them the opportunity to keep off from assimilation and acculturation of the world cultures. As a matter of fact, their language, custom, and cultures have remained unchanged in America. The cultures and practices have survived more on the domestication of livestock which has been the source of livelihood. The Navajo people have got well-reserved grazing practices that have survived since the nineteenth century. There are mostly farming activities that involve livestock keeping, fishing, and weaving industry (Bogle 41). Finally, in the last 20th century there has been a lot of agricultural projects reviving agriculture practice in Navajo nation. For instance, the irrigation project founded in the 1960s by Navajo Indian Irrigation Project (NIIP) saw 110,000 acres of land become useful for cropping activities. In addition, the local governments through tribal programs have managed to open up canals, pipelines lift stations and overhead sprinkler feedlot for cattle productions. As a result of the initiated projects in the year 1981, over 40,000 acres were added to crop diversifications such as vegetables and other foods including squash, beans among others (Bogle 47). All these have been achieved through the coordinated efforts of local government and tribal foundations based on the cultures of the Navajo people.
Work Cited
Bogle, Rian, Margaret Hiza Redsteer, and John Vogel. “Field measurement and analysis of climatic factors affecting dune mobility near Grand Falls on the Navajo Nation, southwestern United States.” Geomorphology 228 (2015): 41-51.
McCarty, Teresa L., Sheilah E. Nicholas, and Leisy T. Wyman. “50 (0) years out and counting: Native American language education and the four Rs.” International Multilingual Research Journal 9.4 (2015): 227-252.
Reyhner, Jon. “1 A History of American Indian Vocational Education.” American Indian Workforce Education: Trends and Issues (2016):