Navajo Nation (Diné)

Hello! We are the Diné, which means “The People” in our language. For a very long time, we have lived in our beautiful and sacred homeland, which we call Dinétah. This special land is in the American Southwest. We know the borders of our home because it is watched over by four sacred mountains. These mountains stand like guardians in each direction—north, south, east, and west—and they are very important to us and our stories.

In the past, many of our families lived in special homes we call hogans. A hogan is more than just a house; it is a sacred place for our families. They are often built with the doorway facing east. This is so we can greet the rising sun each morning and welcome its blessings into our home. Our families are also connected in another way, through our clans. We have many different clans, and we learn which clan we belong to from our mothers. This way of tracing our relatives through our mothers is a special part of our culture.

We are also known for our amazing art, which we have created for many generations. We have long raised churro sheep, and we use their wool to weave colorful and warm rugs and blankets. The wool is carefully cleaned, spun into yarn, and dyed with beautiful colors from plants. Each design we weave can tell a story or share a special meaning. Besides our weaving, we create beautiful jewelry. Our artists are skilled at working with silver and setting it with bright blue turquoise stones, which are found in the earth and treasured for their beauty.

A long time ago, our people faced a very hard time. In the year 1864, we were forced by the United States government to leave our homes in Dinétah. We had to walk hundreds of miles to a place called Bosque Redondo. This journey is known as the Long Walk, and it was a time of great sadness for our people. But we are strong and we never gave up hope of returning to our sacred land. In 1868, our leaders signed a special agreement, a treaty, that allowed us to go back. We are one of the only Native peoples who were able to return to our original homeland after being removed.

Today, we are the Navajo Nation, and we are the largest Native nation in the United States. Our land is vast, and we have our own government to make decisions for our people, with a president and a council, just like a country. Many of our children go to modern schools to learn about the world. At the same time, we work hard to keep our culture strong. We teach our children the Diné language, share our important ceremonies, and continue our traditions, making sure our way of life will stay alive for many years to come.