article

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

American Indian quarterly6 (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.
Subjects
Internal migration
Urban and rural life
Public welfare
culture
Navajo
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