The Navajo of the Southwest can be called a Native American success story; they have survived their own warlike ways and days, survived their suppression to build a culture and community in their chosen homeland.

The survival of these people was not encouraged by circumstances, although their strength and courage led to early success.  Newcomers to northern Arizona about the time of the arrival of the Spanish, the Navajo quickly used escaped Spanish ponies to make devastating raids on the settled Pueblo people of this country.  Raids for slaves and livestock between the Spanish and Navajo  continued until the United States took over Indian Affairs.  The famous frontiersman Kit Carson rounded up the Navajo by destroying their livestock, homes, crops, and any other manner of livelihood and protection. The people were sent on a long, terrible forced march and captivity; survivors were given a handful of sheep and rights to return to the beautiful, barren land they had claimed.

Their own traditions and borrowings from the Hopi, their one-time victims, helped the Navajo make a transition to agriculture and peaceful, productive lives.  The Dine, as they call themselves, need no separate word for religion; all life is lived in sacred relationship to the land.  With healing ceremonies to bring them back to harmony with each other, they sing of a beauty and harmony which is apparent to all visitors to Navajo Country.