Navajo Tribes, Arizona Mission to the Navajos

The Navajo nation is the largest reservation in the US. The Navajo language is their first language, English is second. Be ready to learn tribal greetings and good-byes. Most Indians are cautious of whites, but are hospitable once they are familiar with you. Honesty is the key to building relationships with the Navajo people. They are very discerning. Be sure to do what you say you will do and do not make promises you cannot keep. The national church is the Peytee Church. Spiritual Warfare is very strong as demonism and fetishes are active within the community. The suicide rate among teens is very high and many are addicted to alcohol or drugs. All of these struggles contribute to a deep sense of hopelessness. We are called to share the hope of Jesus Christ through unconditional love.

Navajo people are clearly from a different culture and perspective. A healthy portion of advance study about their religious systems will help you avoid mistakes, like wearing fetish animals charms and shirt designs. Most of the people speak Navajo and English. Many live their beliefs throughout their daily lives, although elders often lament that younger generations seem to be abandoning traditional ways. Drugs, alcohol, sexual promiscuity, and criminal activities too often fill the vacuum left behind.

Navajos need Jesus but they do not need to become white people in order to walk with Him. And Navajo Christians must take responsibility for running their own churches and spreading the Gospel in love among their neighbors and loved ones. Missionaries who come here are often a hindrance to local churches. They come with their own agendas and programs, mostly entertainment. They tend to take all the responsibility and leadership.

Please remember that many Navajo children have absolutely no framework of Christianity, not even the most basic of foundations. Please keep that in mind when planning talks and lessons. Plan on beginning at zero and using story format in terms familiar to the people.

Participants must:
1. Have accepted Jesus as Savior.
2. Be able to verbalize his/her testimony and share a simple Gospel message.
3. Adhere to the dress code.

Lodging:
Please bring your own air mattresses, sleeping bags or sheets and pillows. This will be similar to camping out.

Dress Code:
Modest attire: skirts or dresses for ladies, long pants and a shirt with a collar for guys. During ministry times you may wear pants or jeans, modest t-shirts and closed toe shoes. No sleeveless shirts or tank tops. No flashy clothes or jewelry.

Location Description:
The Navajo Reservation is in the Great Basin Desert region on the Colorado Plateau and occupies most of the northeastern portion of Arizona, extends into northwest New Mexico and a southern strip of Utah. This dry plateau is larger than the state of West Virginia and most of it is above 5,000 feet in elevation. Expect to see striking sandstone buttes, mesas and pinnacles standing defiantly above a flat plain.

Weather:
Summer temperatures average in the 90s with nights considerably cooler. Winters can be cold and snowy with temperatures plunging below zero. This area receives six to ten inches of moisture per year, much of it coming as rain in the late summer. Blue skies dotted with white clouds cover this area most of the year.

Area Attractions:
Canyon de Chelly is just two miles east of Chinle, AZ. Monument Valley in Arizona, touches the Utah border. The huge sandstone rock formation known as Window Rock is in the community with the same name. Travel north to see Four Corners – the only place where you can stand in four states all at once.

People, Culture and Religion
The Navajo people (Dineh) are tenacious, adaptable and enduring. As they forge ahead to attain their goal of economic self-sufficiency, they still adhere to their cultural, social and traditional values. Although powwows did not originate with the Navajo people, the Navajo Nation hosts one of the largest intertribal powwows in North America every summer in Window Rock, Arizona during the Navajo Nation Fair. The Navajo language is still in common use. Many of the Indian people live in small isolated sheep camps, sometimes many miles away from the nearest public water supply. Life is simple and often hard. Mormons, Catholics and the Native American Church (PAC) are all active on the reservation. Other Christian churches are represented as well.

Government and Economy
The Navajo Nation Council has grown into the largest and most sophisticated American Indian government in the U.S. It meets in Window Rock, AZ. Tourism is an important part of their economy.

Population:
200,000 on the Navajo Reservation

Poverty Rate:
28% in Navajo County

Literacy Rate:
USA - 97%

Average Annual Income:
Navajo County $25,900