In class on Tuesday, a group presented on the Navajo Nation for their tribe presentation. This was a very good presentation because it showed me how large the Navajo reservation and how their creation story is detailed and complex. The tribe has the largest Indian reservation in the nation and it is even larger than some states. The Navajo believe that they put between 4 mountains, one in each direction. Since it was 4 mountains, the number 4 has a lot of symbolism in the tribe, such as the 4 seasons and 4 colors. Since their land is a necessity to their tradition, they were reluctant they received their land back after the government forced them off of their territory.
For their current event they discussed the Black Mesa Mine, which is a mine on the reservation that is currently being used to mine for resources. The controversy stems from the problem that the mine is overlapping territories of the Navajo and Hopi. This problem is making tribes think they have the right to the mine. The mine is so beneficial to the Navajo people because it creates new wealth to be distributed amongst the tribe. The Black Mesa Mine is a necessity for the Navajo people because they need that wealth as a resource to help their people.