article

Navajo women in the city: lessons from a quarter-century of relocation

American Indian quarterly • 6 (1 & 2) • Published In 1982 • Pages: 71-89

By: Metcalf, Ann.

Abstract

This is a study of the rural-urban shift among Navajo, beginning in the mid-1950s with the government's subsidized urbanization program, called 'Relocation,' which included job training and placement. Metcalf first discusses the impact of the program on all Native Americans and then looks at a sample of Navajo women living in the San Francisco Bay Area. She discusses their living conditions, income, mixed feelings about living in the city, and marital situation. She also discusses the findings of a Native American Research Group study, which measured degrees of urban adaptation and acculturation among urban Navajo. The study discovered that a combination of a strong Indian identity and attainment of job skills best insured success. Metcalf's own study revealed that positive self-image was related to a high regard for one's lifestyle, whether traditional or modern.

HRAF PubDate

2004

Region

North America

Sub Region

Southwest and Basin

Document Type

article

Evaluation

Creator Type

Ethnologist

Document Rating

4: Excellent Secondary Data

5: Excellent Primary Data

Analyst

Ian Skoggard ; 2003

Field Date

1970-1972

Coverage Date

1910-1980

Coverage Place

United States

Notes

Ann Metcalf

Includes bibliographical references (p. 88-89)

LCCN

74647596

LCSH

Navajo Indians