Who we are
Navajo or Dineh (Dine)
When I was a kid, I ask my mom one day ' Mom, what does Navajo mean' and she answered '
it means thieves'. 'Thieves...' I wondered. 'How come?' I continued to ask ' Well, the white
people call us thieves because when the wagon trains use to go by, we use to go in and steal
from the wagons.' 'Oh, I see' I said.
Well, this conversation stuck in my head for a long time and I, sort of, accepted the fact that
this is what the word 'Navajo' meant. It bother me a little, but not to a point of disappointment.
Until the word 'Dineh' became the preference of what the Navajo should be called. I figured
that maybe it is because, our tribe did not want to be known as thieves. So, I went along with it.
Until one day I heard the word 'Dineh' coming from a real German coworker. It sounded
awkward. I told him, call me Navajo. I am fine with that. After that, I became sensitive to the
word 'Dineh' and soon became determined on why we should be called Dineh, instead of Navajo.
So, to find out, I started researching for answers from a reliable source - 'Tony Hillerman'
books (God bless his soul).
Well, after reading most of his books, the only thing I got out of it was that the Navajos were
known to the Paiutes as 'Sharp knives'. I said 'YES' and I was on a high horse. I had found
out the meaning of 'Navajo' and its meaning was that, we were warriors and not thieves. Soon
after that, I was hosting a Native American culture booth at a local city diversity event and I
met a man of Mexican descent. We start talking and he said he knew what the word Navajo
meant. I asked ' What does it mean?'. He said, it is a Spanish word for Sharp Knives -
'Navajas'. Well now, I was on a real High White horse. I was for certain that Navajos were
warriors. I was happy, but to confirm this, I went to a different source: the internet or another
words 'I googled it'.
Before I googled it, I was reading a lot of books. And in one of those books, a journal from a
Franciscan Priest wrote a phrase that struck me. It was 'Apachu de Nabajo', hmmmm..... I
thought. 'Apachu de Nabajo'. I knew Apache was a word for enemy from the Zuni, So, I said to
myself, ' Apache what?!? Turns out, from the books that I've read and googled, Navajo
originated from this term - 'Nabajo'. Nabajo means ' cultivated fields' or ' a place near a canyon
with cultivated fields' in the Pueblo language. So, the Pueblos named us ' Apaches that farm or
Apaches with cultivated fields'. This made more sense to me. Later, the Spanish drop the
'Apachu de' and called us 'Navajo'. So, there you go, another latin word that originated from
Greek ( ahhh...yeah..riiiiight). Personally, I am okay for being called a 'Navajo', but if an elder
of the tribe is speaking to me in Navajo and I asks me if I am 'Dineh', I am honored and
humbled.
Now that I think about it....I wonder if Tony Hillerman knew that Mexican guy...............
hmmmm.............I wonder.
The Navajo Tribe
Well, we are from the Athabaskan language group. The Athabaskan group are from Canada
around a lake called Athabasca. Thus the name Athabaskan. We, what I call - the Southern
Athabaskan group, form into several groups: the Apache (Chiricahua, San Carlos, Mescalero,
White Mountain, Jicarilla, Lipan,), Navajo, and the Kiowa. From what I have read, there were 2
migration to the southwest region. The first formed the Jicarilla, Lipan, and the Kiowa and the
2nd, the Apache and Navajo group.
Do not know much about the 1st migration, but the 2nd may have been around the 12-13th
century. Maybe even later. That is when we Navajos came. It is very possible that we were one
group at one time. Then we split into 2 main groups: one half continued south into Southern
Az, Southern NM, and Northern Old Mexico. The other half stayed in the Northern NM region.
Remember, I said possible.
We are the 2nd largest tribe in the US. The size of our reservation is about 26,000 square
miles or the half the size of Alabama. If you are reading this from an Asian perspective, the
Navajo reservation is the twice the size of Taiwan. If you are reading this from an Indian
(India) perspective, it is the size of Sri Lanka. European - half the size of Greece.
We consist of 4 reservations and a lost child. The main Navajo reservation, the Alamo Navajo
reservation, the Ramah Navajo reservation, the Canoncito Navajo reservation, and the lost
child - the Colorado River Indian Tribe or CRIT. CRIT consist of 4 tribes: Mohave,
Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo. So send some love to CRIT.
The Frybread
One day, a co-worker came to me and told me this story. ‘I went to a cultural diversity event
and there were a lot of booths showing each culture. And I heard of Indian frybread before and
I wanted to know more about it. So, I went to a booth that I thought was related to Indian
Frybread. And I asked them ‘So, where can I get some Indian Frybread and some Indian
tacos.’ They looked confused. Then one person behind the display table said ‘Indian Tacos?......
Pardon me, but we do not make Tacos (with an Eastern Indian accent)…..I think, you may
have the wrong booth, but please try some tofu and curry’. I laughed and I said to him ‘
Man…you are from the East Coast’. Well, this made me think. Where did the
Frybread come from?
To begin with, the Frybread is a round, deep fried, tortilla bread that is about 8-12” in
diameter. It is similar to the pop-over, claimed by Minnesotians and Wisconsiners. Frybread is
great with honey, powered sugar, soup, or if you want to go real Native - SALT. Also, the
frybread is the very core of the Navajo/ Indian Taco and also, one of the core identities of the
Navajo Tribe.
The origins of the frybread is not certain, but most likely evolved from the time when the
Navajos were held in captivity at Fort Sumner. After the round up at Fort Defiance, the
Navajos were forced on the 'Long Walk' to Fort Sumner, which were already occupied by
Mescalero Apaches. At Fort Sumner, Navajos were given rations of bacon, coffee, flour, and at
times, beef. Obviously, one could say, well there you go….bacon grease + flour + water and
presto! You have Frybread. Well, I believe it was more involved than that. You see, at Fort
Sumner, Mescalero Apaches were already there and knew the routine and the distributions of
rations. Also, both Navajo and Apaches tribes had captive slaves from other tribes and
Mexicans slaves. Bring the combinations together: Flour + water +bacon grease or maybe lard
(lard may have been a ration as well) + Navajo ingenuity + captive knowledge + possibility of
an accidentally dropped tortilla bread in hot greased pan = Frybread.
I am sure there are many versions out there, but the combinations of the mentioned factors
at Fort Sumner seemed to have brought out the Frybread.
So, if you are wondering where the frybread came from, I believe it came from Fort Sumner.
If you are also wondering who makes the best Frybread..........…no contest......hands down.....
the Navaaaaa......aahhh..................my wife........................................(next to my mom, of course).
When I was a kid, I ask my mom one day ' Mom, what does Navajo mean' and she answered '
it means thieves'. 'Thieves...' I wondered. 'How come?' I continued to ask ' Well, the white
people call us thieves because when the wagon trains use to go by, we use to go in and steal
from the wagons.' 'Oh, I see' I said.
Well, this conversation stuck in my head for a long time and I, sort of, accepted the fact that
this is what the word 'Navajo' meant. It bother me a little, but not to a point of disappointment.
Until the word 'Dineh' became the preference of what the Navajo should be called. I figured
that maybe it is because, our tribe did not want to be known as thieves. So, I went along with it.
Until one day I heard the word 'Dineh' coming from a real German coworker. It sounded
awkward. I told him, call me Navajo. I am fine with that. After that, I became sensitive to the
word 'Dineh' and soon became determined on why we should be called Dineh, instead of Navajo.
So, to find out, I started researching for answers from a reliable source - 'Tony Hillerman'
books (God bless his soul).
Well, after reading most of his books, the only thing I got out of it was that the Navajos were
known to the Paiutes as 'Sharp knives'. I said 'YES' and I was on a high horse. I had found
out the meaning of 'Navajo' and its meaning was that, we were warriors and not thieves. Soon
after that, I was hosting a Native American culture booth at a local city diversity event and I
met a man of Mexican descent. We start talking and he said he knew what the word Navajo
meant. I asked ' What does it mean?'. He said, it is a Spanish word for Sharp Knives -
'Navajas'. Well now, I was on a real High White horse. I was for certain that Navajos were
warriors. I was happy, but to confirm this, I went to a different source: the internet or another
words 'I googled it'.
Before I googled it, I was reading a lot of books. And in one of those books, a journal from a
Franciscan Priest wrote a phrase that struck me. It was 'Apachu de Nabajo', hmmmm..... I
thought. 'Apachu de Nabajo'. I knew Apache was a word for enemy from the Zuni, So, I said to
myself, ' Apache what?!? Turns out, from the books that I've read and googled, Navajo
originated from this term - 'Nabajo'. Nabajo means ' cultivated fields' or ' a place near a canyon
with cultivated fields' in the Pueblo language. So, the Pueblos named us ' Apaches that farm or
Apaches with cultivated fields'. This made more sense to me. Later, the Spanish drop the
'Apachu de' and called us 'Navajo'. So, there you go, another latin word that originated from
Greek ( ahhh...yeah..riiiiight). Personally, I am okay for being called a 'Navajo', but if an elder
of the tribe is speaking to me in Navajo and I asks me if I am 'Dineh', I am honored and
humbled.
Now that I think about it....I wonder if Tony Hillerman knew that Mexican guy...............
hmmmm.............I wonder.
The Navajo Tribe
Well, we are from the Athabaskan language group. The Athabaskan group are from Canada
around a lake called Athabasca. Thus the name Athabaskan. We, what I call - the Southern
Athabaskan group, form into several groups: the Apache (Chiricahua, San Carlos, Mescalero,
White Mountain, Jicarilla, Lipan,), Navajo, and the Kiowa. From what I have read, there were 2
migration to the southwest region. The first formed the Jicarilla, Lipan, and the Kiowa and the
2nd, the Apache and Navajo group.
Do not know much about the 1st migration, but the 2nd may have been around the 12-13th
century. Maybe even later. That is when we Navajos came. It is very possible that we were one
group at one time. Then we split into 2 main groups: one half continued south into Southern
Az, Southern NM, and Northern Old Mexico. The other half stayed in the Northern NM region.
Remember, I said possible.
We are the 2nd largest tribe in the US. The size of our reservation is about 26,000 square
miles or the half the size of Alabama. If you are reading this from an Asian perspective, the
Navajo reservation is the twice the size of Taiwan. If you are reading this from an Indian
(India) perspective, it is the size of Sri Lanka. European - half the size of Greece.
We consist of 4 reservations and a lost child. The main Navajo reservation, the Alamo Navajo
reservation, the Ramah Navajo reservation, the Canoncito Navajo reservation, and the lost
child - the Colorado River Indian Tribe or CRIT. CRIT consist of 4 tribes: Mohave,
Chemehuevi, Hopi and Navajo. So send some love to CRIT.
The Frybread
One day, a co-worker came to me and told me this story. ‘I went to a cultural diversity event
and there were a lot of booths showing each culture. And I heard of Indian frybread before and
I wanted to know more about it. So, I went to a booth that I thought was related to Indian
Frybread. And I asked them ‘So, where can I get some Indian Frybread and some Indian
tacos.’ They looked confused. Then one person behind the display table said ‘Indian Tacos?......
Pardon me, but we do not make Tacos (with an Eastern Indian accent)…..I think, you may
have the wrong booth, but please try some tofu and curry’. I laughed and I said to him ‘
Man…you are from the East Coast’. Well, this made me think. Where did the
Frybread come from?
To begin with, the Frybread is a round, deep fried, tortilla bread that is about 8-12” in
diameter. It is similar to the pop-over, claimed by Minnesotians and Wisconsiners. Frybread is
great with honey, powered sugar, soup, or if you want to go real Native - SALT. Also, the
frybread is the very core of the Navajo/ Indian Taco and also, one of the core identities of the
Navajo Tribe.
The origins of the frybread is not certain, but most likely evolved from the time when the
Navajos were held in captivity at Fort Sumner. After the round up at Fort Defiance, the
Navajos were forced on the 'Long Walk' to Fort Sumner, which were already occupied by
Mescalero Apaches. At Fort Sumner, Navajos were given rations of bacon, coffee, flour, and at
times, beef. Obviously, one could say, well there you go….bacon grease + flour + water and
presto! You have Frybread. Well, I believe it was more involved than that. You see, at Fort
Sumner, Mescalero Apaches were already there and knew the routine and the distributions of
rations. Also, both Navajo and Apaches tribes had captive slaves from other tribes and
Mexicans slaves. Bring the combinations together: Flour + water +bacon grease or maybe lard
(lard may have been a ration as well) + Navajo ingenuity + captive knowledge + possibility of
an accidentally dropped tortilla bread in hot greased pan = Frybread.
I am sure there are many versions out there, but the combinations of the mentioned factors
at Fort Sumner seemed to have brought out the Frybread.
So, if you are wondering where the frybread came from, I believe it came from Fort Sumner.
If you are also wondering who makes the best Frybread..........…no contest......hands down.....
the Navaaaaa......aahhh..................my wife........................................(next to my mom, of course).
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To Encourage and Fellowship with Navajo Christians
