Native American Indian Culture

Native Americans, which include the Navajo Tribe, have a very long standing in the history of the United States. They have also been removed from their homelands thought out the ages. Many of these tribes have been forced to reside on reservations. According to the Journal of Health Education, Native Americans out of the total population are the unhealthiest population. This is proven by a shorter life expectancy and higher mortality rates for communicable diseases. Cultural competency is necessary for promoting health caring for patents. When cultural beliefs and values are valued, both the patient and the health care professional can achieve their goals (Sorrell, Smith, 1993). The Navajo Indian Tribe is the largest federally recognized Native American Indian Tribe in the United States. Their reservation is located through out the four corners of Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and Colorado. The Navajo Indian Tribe first settled in Arizona and New Mexico. When they reached New Mexico and Arizona they started to learn many things from the Pueblo Indians. A few things that the Navajo Indians learned from the Pueblo Indians including basket weaving, art and how to make clothes. Hogan’s is what the Navajo Indians lived in, Hogan’s consisted of mud, wooden poles and tree bark. There were two types of Hogan’s. The first type of Hogan was for the summer and had one side completely open. The second one was used for the winter, which was built with mud and partially stone to protect from weather. The main door in the Hogan’s was always facing east; this is believed to bring good blessings to the home. The Spanish and Pueblo influenced the Navajo Indian Tribe immensely. Prior to being introduced to these tribes they were hunters a gathers. The Navajo were taught how to grow squash, beans and corn. They than progressed into trade, trading blankets they made from wool, clothing, and cattle. Navajo Indian men were warriors and political leaders. The Navajo Indian women were the farmers; they tended the livestock, did most of the cooking and raised the children. According to Navajoindian.net, The Navajo reservation is currently the largest reservation in the United States, with over 200,000 people throughout their 27,000 acres. The Navajo Indian tribe is very similar to the Apache tribes. As of today the Navajo still occupies the same territory as the Apache Tribes. Today the capital of the Navajo Nation is located at Window Rock in Arizona (The Navajo Indian). The Navajos center their way of living on beliefs that focus on both the spiritual and physical world. They believe that everything on earth in alive. The Navajo tribe focus their worship the sun, wind and watercourses. Death is seldom talked about. The Navajo Indians have two vast kinds of ceremonies; the first one is known as the Blessing Way, which keeps them on the path of knowledge and happiness. The second major kind of ceremony is the known as the Enemy way. The Enemy Way is to warden off evil spirits and gets rid of ghosts. These ceremonies duration can be up to four days and consist of a lot of chanting, prayer and singing songs. Some chants can go on for nine days and require dozens of helpers. The most significant of all of the ceremonies involve the treatment of illness. The Navajo culture use Sand painting as a spiritual way to heal the sick. Sand painting consisted of a painting in a smooth bed of sand. This type of healing was only temporary. Crushed yellow ochre, red sandstone, gypsum, and charcoal were used to create the paintings. During the Sand painting …show more content…
According to the Journal of Nutrition, The risk factors are steadily increasing for Coronary Artery disease among the Navajo tribe. Obesity, Smoking cigarettes, chewing tobacco, high total cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, and diabetes are the major risk factors found in this Tribe. Risk factor levels are different for men and women. Women having a higher occurrence of obesity and diabetes, but men have a higher occurrence of hypertension, adverse lipid levels and smoking (Mendlein, Freedman, Peter, Allen, Percy, Ballew, C., ... & White,