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Quiz about Navajo History and Culture
Quiz about Navajo History and Culture

Navajo History and Culture Trivia Quiz


The Navajo have one of the largest populations and biggest reservations of any American Indian tribe. See what you know about their history and customs.

A multiple-choice quiz by tactcigi. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
tactcigi
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
89,605
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Avg Score
6 / 15
Plays
1605
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 98 (1/15), Guest 163 (5/15), Guest 109 (5/15).
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Question 1 of 15
1. The Navajo Reservation covers many square miles in the Four Corners region. In fact, the reservation is the size of what state? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. Many Navajos live near a sacred landform. This sacred place is called:
Hint


Question 3 of 15
3. All through Navajoland or "Dinetah", abandoned cliff dwellings can be seen on top of high mesas. Built by the Anasazi or "old ones", these are the ancestral homes of the Navajos.


Question 4 of 15
4. You are visiting Navajoland and want to take home a traditional Navajo craft. You might select _______ ?
Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. Navajos are most closely related to what other tribe? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. Which of the following is NOT a traditional Navajo food? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. The traditional Navajo home, called a "hogan" is shaped like: Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. You are driving through the reservation and you notice a tee-pee. What is probably going on? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. Even though Navajos are matrilinear, only men can perform as "hathalis" (medicinemen or singers) for the multi-day ceremonies.


Question 10 of 15
10. Colorado considered a plan to print its election ballots in Navajo as well as English. Why did this amuse some Navajos? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. When the first American soldiers signed treaties with the Navajos, the treaties were almost immediately broken. Why? Hint


Question 12 of 15
12. In 1861, the Navajo endured their version of the Cherokee "Trail of Tears" when soldiers rounded up the old and the young, the healthy and the infirm and marched them into captivity at Fort Sumner. Many died or were shot during the journey. What was this journey called? Hint


Question 13 of 15
13. If you are out and about on the reservation in the fall and see a costumed figure called a "yeibechai", wearing a mask and carrying a rattle, you should: Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. Many Navajos have enlisted in the armed forces over the last century.
If a traditional Navajo sees combat, he will want the following ceremony performed when he returns:
Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Tony Hillerman is a famous writer whose mysteries feature Navajo Detectives Leaphorn and Chee. What other mystery writer employs a Native American detective? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 21 2024 : Guest 98: 1/15
Feb 19 2024 : Guest 163: 5/15
Feb 13 2024 : Guest 109: 5/15

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The Navajo Reservation covers many square miles in the Four Corners region. In fact, the reservation is the size of what state?

Answer: West Virginia

The Navajo Reservation includes more than two million acres and more than 200,000 people.
2. Many Navajos live near a sacred landform. This sacred place is called:

Answer: Canyon de Chelly

The Copper Canyon is in Mexico. Devil's Tower is in Wyoming. The Grand Canyon is near the Navajo reservation, but is more closely connected with the Havasupai, Hualapai, Paiute and Hopi tribes. Canyon de Chelly has been farmed by the Navajo for at least the last 400 years. It has been a sanctuary and a battleground and is still home to numerous Navajos who grow corn and peaches there.
3. All through Navajoland or "Dinetah", abandoned cliff dwellings can be seen on top of high mesas. Built by the Anasazi or "old ones", these are the ancestral homes of the Navajos.

Answer: False

The Anasazis predated the arrival of the Navajos in the southwest. They are the ancestors of the Pueblo and Hopi Indians.
4. You are visiting Navajoland and want to take home a traditional Navajo craft. You might select _______ ?

Answer: a matte-finish, cast silver "naja"

While some Navajos work in pottery and beads and do carve katchinas, only silverwork is considered to be a traditional Navajo craft. Pottery is traditional to the Pueblos, Katchinas are traditional to the Hopi and beadwork is traditional to eastern and plains Indians.
5. Navajos are most closely related to what other tribe?

Answer: Apache

The Navajo have arrived recently in the southwest. They are most closely related genetically and linguistically to the Apaches, and both are related to the Athabascan Indians of Northern Canada.
6. Which of the following is NOT a traditional Navajo food?

Answer: Piki bread

Piki bread is a Hopi delicacy. All the rest are Navajo traditional favorites.
7. The traditional Navajo home, called a "hogan" is shaped like:

Answer: Either

Hogans may have six or eight sides. While Navajos today often live in more contemporary structures, most still maintain a hogan for ceremonial purposes.
8. You are driving through the reservation and you notice a tee-pee. What is probably going on?

Answer: A Native American Church meeting is being held.

The Native American Church, which has a strong presence in Navajoland, holds its ceremonies in tee-pees. The church was started by Plains Indians.
9. Even though Navajos are matrilinear, only men can perform as "hathalis" (medicinemen or singers) for the multi-day ceremonies.

Answer: False

Women can and do conduct the long (up to nine-day) ceremonies.
10. Colorado considered a plan to print its election ballots in Navajo as well as English. Why did this amuse some Navajos?

Answer: Navajo has been just a spoken language up until recently so it is unlikely that an elder who only speaks Navajo could read it.

Navajos are working diligently to preserve their language and young people are encouraged to become fluent in spoken and written Navajo, but older members of the tribe, who speak only Navajo, have never been exposed to the relatively recent development of written Navajo.
11. When the first American soldiers signed treaties with the Navajos, the treaties were almost immediately broken. Why?

Answer: The headmen who signed the treaties were only local leaders with no authority to speak for the tribe.

Until very recently, Navajos had no centralized government. Small groups or clans might have headmen, or leaders, but these small groups were autonomous. There were no tribal chiefs as there were in other tribes.
12. In 1861, the Navajo endured their version of the Cherokee "Trail of Tears" when soldiers rounded up the old and the young, the healthy and the infirm and marched them into captivity at Fort Sumner. Many died or were shot during the journey. What was this journey called?

Answer: The Long Walk

Memories of the Long Walk have been passed down, as have medicine bundles and artifacts that survived. Many ceremonies were lost forever. Fort Sumner was an experiment that failed, and the surviving Navajos were allowed to return home in 1866.
13. If you are out and about on the reservation in the fall and see a costumed figure called a "yeibechai", wearing a mask and carrying a rattle, you should:

Answer: Give him something.

Traditionally, yeibechai are entitled to take something that belongs to you if no offering is given. Yeibechai now collect for worthy causes and there is much excitement when one appears.
14. Many Navajos have enlisted in the armed forces over the last century. If a traditional Navajo sees combat, he will want the following ceremony performed when he returns:

Answer: The Enemy Way

The Enemy Way or Nidaa is to cleanse the Navajo from exposure to violence and death. It culminates in a dance which is sometimes colloquially called the "Squaw Dance", but "squaw" is a perjorative term and its use is disappearing.
15. Tony Hillerman is a famous writer whose mysteries feature Navajo Detectives Leaphorn and Chee. What other mystery writer employs a Native American detective?

Answer: James Doss

If you enjoy Chee and Leaphorn, you will probably like his Charlie Moon. He's Southern Ute.
Source: Author tactcigi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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