THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-GREEN BAY
STUDY GUIDE
Anthropology 304: Family, Kin and Community
Film: "Seasons of the Navajo"
1. What aspects of Navajo family form and practice were portrayed or discussed in the film?
- Religious symbolism of Mother Earth, Corn Pollen and Fertility
- Kinaalda- girl's rite of passage to womanhood
- Grandparent-Grandchild familiarity
- Matrilineal descent
- Gendered division of Labor
- Extended family
- Children's Labor
- Interdependence
- Links to family members with jobs and school away from home
2. What variations on the typical matrilineal system did the Navajo in this film demonstrate?
- pastoralism
- individual ownership of property (e.g. sheep)
- children are away at school or jobs
3. Discuss the position of the grandfather in this family.
4. Discuss the significance of Kinaalda rituals to Navajo family form and practices.
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