Perception Of Navajo Women Essay

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Perception of Navajo Women The Navajo reservation is where I was born and raised also my home. My grandmother had raised me; she had always stressed about how important school is. As a child, I never thought hard enough to realize what she meant until I entered my senior year of high school. After graduating high school everyone expected myself to become a nurse or teacher, not because my grandmother was a nurse the only reason is because I am a Navajo woman. The perspective of Navajo women is that they all become nurses and teachers. It is true, although sometimes Navajo woman can become much more. I believe Navajo women are advancing from being traditional housewives to current educated woman, and we are capable for success. The reason I choose this topic is because I have experienced it personally; by not only family members, but members of my community as …show more content…
In Kendall Blanchard’s journal he stated the traditional role of Navajo woman is, “-due to nature of Navajo matrilineality, were usually owners of the sheep, and the inheritance operated through the female line.” ( 44). He used the information that Navajo women make the crucial decisions when it comes to the home. Since then Navajo women’s value or self-esteem had gone down. In another scholarly article the author states domestic violence is the common recurrence in many households. Domestic violence is an outbreak on the reservation it is the effect of alcohol abuse, and/or unemployment rates. During the 1990’s Mary Rivers lived in Crownpoint, New Mexico she then interviewed several woman getting their opinions of life on the reservation. In her article she provides evidence of abuse against Navajo Women, “a ceremonial sing was held to heal the imbalance in his spirit. The message was: wife abuse will not be tolerated.” (84). During the 1990’s as a family the Navajo would deal with domestic violence as a family, and stop it by speaking with the

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