They have walked a difficult trail, and they have lived in a forceful time of transition—in a time when they desired the past in its simplicity and shunned the future with its dynamic progression.

Many times during this period the young people were held back rather than encouraged to seize opportunities for future progress. Their elders considered them more useful at home caring for the sheep than going to school and learning to read and write. Many mothers and fathers hid their children behind a stack of sheepskins whenever representatives from the school came to the hogan.

So, without education, they have witnessed the world of the white man coming upon them. Knowing the aggressive nature of the white man through their experiences with him, the Navajos knew they would face challenges. But the Navajo has always lived with challenges. The ability of the old people to cope with these changes speaks highly of their knowledge of survival.

The Navajo has been thrust into a world of technical advancement from a primitive setting in a land forgotten by the world. Yet he has lived with these changes. From the time he first encountered the non-Indian, he knew his people would not remain the same, he knew his land would not remain untouched; he knew he had to retain the strength he had gained from his culture and its traditions if he were to survive the onslaught of the white man’s world.

These great people, the old and wise ones, have walked a difficult trail. They are not ashamed to be Navajo, not ashamed to live the simple life, and not ashamed to know the old ways of the people. They have great respect for those who went before them, and as a child of the hogan, I have a great respect for the elders of the Navajo people.

In this series of short stories, Louis takes us from the Hogan—a traditional Navajo dwelling—to the importance of family and elders; the role of the woman, wife and mother; responsibilities; survival; the clan system; the land; the medicine man and more. Be sure to read all the stories and to “Discover Navajo”.