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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.

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
1618

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 140 (7/15), Guest 205 (7/15), Guest 76 (3/15).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

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

Arkansas

Delaware

West Virginia

Connecticut

NEXT>

Question 2 of 15

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

Grand Canyon

Copper Canyon

Canyon de Chelly

Devil's Tower

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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.

True

False

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Question 4 of 15

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

an intricately painted pot

a matte-finish, cast silver "naja"

a delicately carved katchina

a beaded tobacco pouch

NEXT>

Question 5 of 15

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

Zuni

Aztec

Apache

Hopi

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Question 6 of 15

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

Mutton stew

Blue corn meal mush

Frybread

Piki bread

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Question 7 of 15

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

Neither

A hexagon

Either

An octagon

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Question 8 of 15

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

Some young Navajos are getting back to their roots.

A Native American Church meeting is being held.

A movie is being filmed.

Some"wannabes" are visiting.

NEXT>

Question 9 of 15

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

True

False

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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

The white man has reneged on promises so many times before.

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

There is no agreed upon system for spelling Navajo words.

Most Navajos who vote, vote in Arizona.

NEXT>

Question 11 of 15

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

The Navajos signed with their fingers crossed.

Navajos didn't consider treaties signed with non-Indians valid.

The treaties were unfair to the Navajos.

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

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

The Trail of Sorrow

The Long Walk

The Long Dying

The Trail of Shame

NEXT>

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

Give him something.

Avert your eyes.

Say a traditional prayer.

Request a blessing.

NEXT>

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

The Warrior Way

The Beautyway

The Enemy Way

The Blessingway

NEXT>

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

James Lee Burke

Zane Grey

James Doss

Ellis Peters

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Most Recent Scores

Nov 06 2024 : Guest 140: 7/15
Oct 13 2024 : Guest 205: 7/15
Sep 22 2024 : Guest 76: 3/15

Score Distribution

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.

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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