The Navajos actually refer to themselves as Diné—‘the People’.Once semi-nomadic, the Diné lived according to a matrilocal system, in which the women owned the livestock and land.
The Navajos, or Diné, typically dwelt in round mud homes called hogans, which are considered sacred.
Sadly, this native American 'people' were forced out of their sacred homes only to be confined to the reservation. Today they total roughly 250,000.
The Diné inherited a rich tradition of weaving on upright looms—a skill that played a tremendous role in their religion, even defining their social relationships.
The Diné color palette first included brown, white, and indigo and later expanded to red, black, green, yellow, and gray as contact with the Europeans increased in the mid-19th century.
The Navajo language, Diné Bizaad, belongs to the Apache family and is still widely spoken today.Considered one of the most linguistically complex in the world, the language drew much attention during WWII and, consequently, Navajo speakers were deployed into battle as “code talkers,” who transmitted undecipherable tactical messages.
The fictional movie Windtalkers is a definite “must see”!
Another “must see” this season is the 2009 a/w collection by April 77, which pays fashionable tribute to this great native American tribe!
Slide Show 2009 a/w collection Copyright April 77.
Photo top right Public Domain Wikipedia.
Photo center left by Robfergusonjr Public Domain Wikipedia.
