Navajo Questions..I need some insight?

Question

I’m not sure how to start. I don’t want to come off sounding like a complete bumbling ignorant fool but I’m not sure if I can spare myself that luxury. The thing is I’ve married a Native American and his whole family is fullblood Dine. I’ve only met his mother and his brother and both of them seem excepting of me. The thing is I’m Irish, pale as can be, covered in freckles and bright red hair. I’m not sure how the rest of his family living on the reservation are going to take to me. He himself was taken off the reservation at a younger age so he didn’t grow up there. Which means he doesn’t know how things function there. I’ve done some reading and found that there are still a large number of Native Americans that dislike “whites” (or is it just that they are the only ones getting their words published?) but since I am so very obviously different, I am a little worried. All I want to do is soak up as much information about his culture and his family as I can. So can anyone give me any insider information or a point of view of what it would be like for me to visit the Navajo Nation. Is it not as bad as what I’ve been reading or is it worse? I apologize, I am so frightfully ashamed at how ignorant I am about this.

I do have one more question though. I am wanting to learn some Navajo to keep the language alive in my family to come. I want my husband to have someone to talk to so he doesn’t lose it. When we have our children I want them to know the language of their culture and I want to be a part of that. Does anyone know any halfway decent audio tapes to learn from?

Answer 1

yes there is a lot of reverse racism on and off reservations. your husban is dine, did you mean dene? they only live in canadas far north.i just went with the flow when i lived on the reserve, letting people get to know me and they liked me.i do know 1 guy that hates me, hates everyone that isn't aboriginal. he only express it when he is really drunk so i let it slide, after all he was raped by white priests in residntial school.

Answer 2

The Navajo Reservation is an interesting place.  It is one of the largest reservations in the United States (both in area and population) and is bigger than many an eastern state.  You can drive for hours across it and it has its own radio station and community college.  Because of this, the Navajo reservation has been able to maintain a very distinct sense of community and culture that is somewhat isolated from the larger American society.  When you are a non-Native American visiting the reservation, it does feel a little like being in a different country, and that can be a bit of a shock the first time.

However, in all my trips to the reservation, I have never been treated rudely or felt any strong sense of animosity.  Given the history of Native American cultures in the United States, I imagine that many Navajo feel some sense of frustration and/or justifiable resentment at how the larger American society has treated Navajos (and other Native American groups) but most would probably not hold that against a single specific individual.  Just as people in other countries may not like the actions or policies of the United States government, but they don't necessarily dislike each individual American they meet because of it.

Of course, with any large group of people you will find a wide range of personalities, opinions and attitudes.  If you meet your boyfriend's Navajo family and friends, there will probably be some that accept you and others that have some initial doubts about you and everyone else falling somewhere in between.  I would be surprised however, if anyone outright treated you in a 'mean' manner.  One thing to remember is to not jump to conclusions.  In my experience, Navajo (who often refer to  themselves as 'slow talkers') are generally a bit more socially reserve when meeting new people - this can sometimes come off as being 'shy' or 'stand-offish' when it is not the intent.  Remember that in some ways, they are probably going to be as uncertain and wondering of you as you are right now about them.

The best thing that you can do is show that you have good intentions, learn as much as you can about Navajo culture and customs, and show that you are open to learning more.  An excellent (and very readable) book on Navajo history is "Dine: A History of the Navajo" by Peter Iverson and Monty Roessel (Iverson is a respected historian at Arizona State University and Roessel is a Navajo photographer).  There used to be a Navajo phrase book and cassette tape ("Conversational Navajo Dictionary") by Conversational Navajo Publications, but I believe it is out of print (you can sometimes find it used).  A number of colleges in the southwest periodically offer classes in it.  It would be a tough language to learn on your own.  

Aside from that, you should probably make sure you have a basic understanding of current reservation news and government structure, learn a little about the importance and meaning of clan groups and some basic social taboos and norms.  You should also be aware of the on-going debates around the Navajo-Hopi land dispute and coal operations on Black Mesa (though I would not bring these up in conversation yourself).  Dress conservatively on the reservation (ie: no shorts and sandals) and be extra respectful of elders.  Be aware that there is still a lot of poverty on much of the reservation (and the social problems that go with it) and that much of the reservation does not have the same level of facilities and infrastructure that you would find in much of the United States (it is a very rural area with open grazing and mostly very small towns).

Overall though, it sounds like you are going about it the right way and should not have any problems.  In my experience, Navajo people have generally been good hearted, polite and down to earth, if not always as socially extroverted as many mainstream Americans.  Give things time and don't jump to conclusions or make assumptions about people's reactions when you first meet them.