Unit 9
Navajo and Hopi Peoples of the Southwest

Unit 9 discusses one of the most thoroughly studied culture areas of North America: the Southwest. This unit will examine two cultures of this area: a fairly recent arrival, the Navajo; and the Hopi, descended from the one of the prehistoric cultures of the area. The unit will also examine reincarnation beliefs of Southwest Aboriginal peoples.

Objectives

When you have completed Unit 9, you should be able to

1. describe the geographic and environmental characteristics of the Southwest culture area.
2. identify the geographic locations of the major cultural groups historically occupying the Southwest region.
3. compare Navaho and Hopi societies with regard to
   • economy (resources, technology, division of labour, seasonal mobility);
   • social organization (group membership, marriage rules, non-kin relations);
   • political systems (leadership, social control, warfare); and
   • ideological systems (rituals, beliefs, taboos, worldview).
4. describe the known origins of the Hopi and the Navaho.
5. outline the effects of Spanish colonization on the Hopi and Navaho.
6. describe the role of the female head of household among the Hopi and the Navaho.
7. identify the post-1868 changes in the Navaho economy.
8. discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism for Aboriginal groups in the American Southwest.
9. describe the impact of natural resource development on Hopi and Navaho lands.
10. explain the origins of the land dispute between the Hopi and the Navaho.
11. outline the different reincarnation beliefs and their distribution among Southwest Aboriginal groups.