The Navajo call themselves Diné pronounced "Din-Eh" which
translates to "The People". 
Traditional Hogan
The Four Corners area has been Navajo Land with the first written history of the area in the late 1500's. Because of the encroaching European immigrants, much of the land was lost from the American Indian Tribes, eventually a small portion was set aside for them to live on. Laws at the time, prohibited the residents from leaving these areas. In effect, the reservations were little different in many people's minds than large prison camps. When full citizenship was finally granted to all American Indians, the Tribal members gained the right to travel anywhere in the United States.
There is also a fairly large area called the Checkerboard Land which lies on the fringes of the Navajo Reservation that has pockets of private land which is interspersed among reservation land. That is why it is called Checkerboard. Even in an official state map of New Mexico you will not see a distinction given to this area. Christ For All Nations is in this Checkerboard area. The Lord provided for us to purchase the land we are now located at. Praise His Name! We are surrounded by the Navajo Land.
Oven for baking
bread 
When the Diné first came into this area they where hunters and
gathers. They were nomads and
moved around as small family groups. This is
one reason the Spanish could never subdue them like the Pueblo Indians
that lived in permanent villages. They lived off the land but not as
farmers. One of the purposes of Bosque Redondo was to teach farming so
they could be confined to a reservation and provide food for themselves to
subsist on. They constantly raided the both Spanish and
Pueblo villages. Even after New Mexico and Arizona became a territory of the
United States it took several years to subdue the Navajo along with the
Apache and later the Comanche. Pictures of the Diné then are very
striking compared to the typical picture of the Diné of
today.
The Navajo people became shepherds after the Spanish introduced sheep into this area. The high desert of New Mexico is a extremely poor quality of range land. The Navajo families where and are still forced to live far apart to provide sufficient forage for each family's herd of sheep. Sheep herding is the main provision of income for many Navajo families.
Raising sheep is not for the meat products but mainly
for the income made from wool products.
Navajo rugs are greatly prized by tourists
and home decorators. This craft has been passed from one generation to the
next for centuries.
These are wonderful skills the Navajo families have learned but still
does not provide enough income to bring the living conditions above
poverty levels in most families. Arts and crafts, such as silversmithing and weaving
for many families only
supplement incomes.
The population growth over the years is not sustained well because the vastness of the land causes a lack of employment opportunities. The unemployment rate ranges from 50% to 70% in most areas. A grandparent's social security may support other family members. The economy is different here. Once people have a home, the daily expenses are less that one expects. One paycheck may go a long way to support many individuals.
Before welfare, subsistence farming enabled the Navajo to live off the land. Some feel that with the advent of surplus commodities being distributed, people had to adapt to a diet that was foreign to them. The high sugar in these new foods revealed the Dine's predisposition for diabetes. The convenience of the stores also led many to cease farming. Some believe that so few Navajo know how to farm anymore that they could not again live off the land should welfare end. Along with this is the of physical actives. The Diné use to have great runners and it was an activity that great pride was taken in. There is now a health program that is encouraging participation in running programs to decrease the incidence of diabetes.
The Diné do not have a tolerance for alcohol which has caused a high incidence of alcoholism among their people. This includes drugs, both of which Satan has used to reek havoc in the families.
The Diné have a great sense of humor and love to tell jokes. They have a deep love for their family. The Lord is able through His Shed Blood to restore what Satan has taken. That is why are hearts at Christ For All Nations reaches out to these wonderful people. Come meet them and let them share their hearts with you.
