Navajo Women

[Riverkilt]

Welcome Ranchergal18,

Not sure what your tribal affilication is or where you are, but you're welcome. If you're not up to speed on Navajo history and culture I think you'd be VERY surprised at the power of Navajo women.

Navajo men of yore wore deerskin "skirts" - they weren't pleated so guess they'd be skirts.

I studied Navajo history and culture in grad school and was recruitied up here to the Navajo Nation by the Navajo Nation. Only been here six years...but have seen plenty of times a frail granma "Sani" raised an eyebrow partially and full grown men raced to carry out her unspoken wishes. True matriarchy reigns in this part of the world. A lady came within a few votes of being elected President of the Navajo Nation just a few months ago. A lady is Chief of Police of the Navajo Nation...the second largest Tribe in the U.S. with a huge reservation in three states.

If you understand a certain "Navajo contrariness"...an attitude of still being at war with the "Bilagaana (White people)" It makes more sense.

But hey, I didn't confront her and ask her what was on her mind and she didn't tell me. So, was only left with my own guesses and fears.

We don't do politics on this board and I don't wanna drift there. Just know that Navajo women really are strong and powerful within their reservation and families - I say this culturally, rather than politically.

I do wish she could have met the Navajo man I met the next day, 40 miles down the road, who owned a kilt because his sister brought him home one from Edinborogh.

Ron

[Erisianmonkey]

Reading your story made an interesting counterpoint to some of my own experiences growing up in Durango, situated between two Ute reservations. I've never had a problem with a Ute over my kilt. Navajos from the reservations down in New Mexico and Arizona were another story. I'm glad to hear that you tend to have such good experiences where you're at Ron, but I've found that in general, Navajos are very nervous about anything that disturbs the status Quo.

[cessna152towser]

I suppose there is bound to be the very occasional person who frowns on the idea of men in kilts - I think cultural differences play a big part. When I stayed in a Glasgow hotel last year one of the east european waiters expressed surprise that I intended to go outside the hotel in a kilt in winter time as he said it must feel very cold.

[Dirk Skene]

You must have really been hungry & far from another diner. I would have let the kid know I was not upset with him and quietly left.

[neo71665]

My grandmother was 1/2 navajo, she was tiny but belive me if she said jump you were asking how high while in the air.

[Riverkilt]

Exactly!!

Ron

[Livingston]

My grandmother was 1/2 navajo, she was tiny but belive me if she said jump you were asking how high while in the air.

Mine wasn't Navajo, was tiny and you still jumped

I do follow and agree with what Ron has stated. My ex is 1/2 Creek and it was easy to get her upset.

[Sciuropterus]

...My ex is 1/2 Creek and it was easy to get her upset.

Creek Nation Chief Waldo McIntosh

[michael steinrok]

Creek Nation Chief Waldo McIntosh

Now that is an Image

[macwilkin]

Chief Chinnube MacIntosh, one of the designers of the Tulsa District Tartan, also dresses this way for Highland Games in this atea.

If I remember right, Waldo MacIntosh wore that outfit at a gathering of the Clan in Scotland in the 1960's.

Cheers,

Todd