essay

A taxonomic view of the traditional Navajo universe

handbook of north american indians. southwest10 • Published In 1983 • Pages: 579-591

By: Werner, Oswald, Manning, Allen, Begishe, Kenneth Y..

Abstract
This article focuses on Navajo cultural knowledge as reflected in language and expressed by taxonomy. Data are from well-structured interviews with twenty-eight informants. After a lengthy methodological section on how the taxonomies were elicited and what taxonomy is, the authors move to native taxonomies of plants, animals, ceremony, and meteorology. Also covered are native terms for anatomy, physiology, and societal denominations. Mythology is touched on only briefly. The relationship of these taxonomies to semantics or other cultural aspects is not addressed.
Subjects
Theoretical orientation in research and its results
Interviewing in research
Organization and analysis of results of research
Grammar
Semantics
Cosmology
Mythology
Organized ceremonial
Ethnogeography
Ethnobotany
Ethnozoology
Ethnoanatomy
Ethnophysiology
culture
Navajo
HRAF PubDate
2004
Region
North America
Sub Region
Southwest and Basin
Document Type
essay
Evaluation
Creator Types
Ethnologist
Indigenous Person
Document Rating
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Richard A. Wagner ; Marlene Martin ; 1985
Field Date
no date
Coverage Date
not specified
Coverage Place
southwestern United States
Notes
Oswald Werner, Allen Manning and Kenneth Y. Begishe
For bibliographical references see 197: Brugge (p. 780-839)
LCCN
77017162
LCSH
Navajo Indians