Navajo and the Animal People: Native American Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Ethnozoology

This text examines the traditional Navajo relationship to the natural world. Specifically, how the tribe once related to the Animal People, and particularly a category of animals, which they collectively referred to as the naatl' eetsoh - the "ones who hunt." These animals, like Native Americans, were once viewed as impediments to progress requiring extermination.


About the Author
Steve Pavlik taught Native American Studies and Native Environmental Science at Northwest Indian College, Bellingham, Washington, and had over thirty-five years of teaching experience in the field of American Indian education. Mr. Pavlik held a MA in American Indian Studies and a M. Ed. in American History from the University of Arizona. He authored or edited four books including Destroying Dogma: Vine Deloria, Jr. and His Influence on American Society (edited with Daniel R. Wildcat) and over 70 other published articles, essays, and reviews. His academic specialty areas include Native American religion and spirituality, ethnozoology, cognitive ethology, and environmental ethics. William B. Tsosie Jr. is an orthodox Navajo traditionalist and resides in the Navajo Reservation of the Four Corners region. He is an enrolled Navajo Nation tribal member and is married to Janice Catherine (Sun Clan) of Jemez Pueblo and has a daughter, son, and five grandchildren. He has Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology and Southwest Studies from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado and his Associate of Arts degree in Humanities is from Dine College. He is currently working as a Supervisory Archaeologist for Navajo Nation Archaeology Department in the Shiprock, New Mexico Office.