Topics to be Covered
“Culture Clash: Navajo Traditions versus Economic Development,” covers the tensions between economic development and the goal of invigorating and maintaining individuals’ attachments to tribal culture. Economic development is a necessity for the Navajo community, given its high poverty levels and overreliance on assistance from the US federal government. The reservation has too few jobs to support the younger generation and its infrastructure cannot support the kind of businesses which are needed to bolster the local economy. If there were employment opportunities on the Navajo reservation, many of the younger people who live outside the community would return and contribute economically. Furthermore, large industrial projects such as solar panel manufacturing plants are feasible because the Navajo community can secure financing and support by partnering with other governments and entities around the world. However, it is important than economic development projects be carried out with an eye to preserving the community’s own cultural traditions. Because of the experiences of tribal members at the hands of the US government, which tried to coercively assimilate them as children into Euro-American society, they remain skeptical of economic development efforts driven by outsiders, efforts often seen as weakening indigenous culture. For this reason, it is critical that economic development activities, especially if undertaken in partnership with outsiders, be carried out in ways that respect these traditions.
Learning Outcomes
In this module the students will learn about the importance of economic development for Native American communities and the key strengths of Native American cultural traditions, particularly the focus on community welfare. Students should also be in a position to understand the tensions between certain kinds of economic development and the goal of maintaining these traditions.
