health
Navajo Nation: the fight for cultural survival
Rick Findler, photographer and Joan Wakelin bursary recipient, speaks to Navajo communities attempting to save a language and traditions that are being diluted by modern life
TL;DR
- The Navajo Nation is the largest Native American reservation in the US, spanning 27,000 sq miles across New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah.
- Historical trauma from boarding schools and modern influences like social media are impacting the Navajo language and cultural knowledge, leading to a decline in speakers and a generational gap.
- Schools are implementing Navajo language and culture classes, while individuals like Drake Mace continue traditional crafts such as weaving.
- Infrastructure issues, including lack of running water in many households, pose significant challenges, leading some to relocate while others adapt by using technology for remote work.
- Navajo communities are actively preserving their heritage through sacred ceremonies, traditional dances, and mentorship programs, aiming to thrive rather than just survive.
- The culture's preservation is extending beyond the reservation, with those in 'border towns' also maintaining practices like weaving, silversmithing, and speaking the Navajo language.