Adams] SHONTO: ROLE OF NAVAHO TRADER 245 



Navaho had to depend on the modern American economy for some 

 or all of his livelihood, while the trader alone among all White men 

 had to depend similarly on the Navahos. 



Modern American society is complex and highly organized at every 

 level from the national on down to the individual (cf. chart J). The 

 regular functional units of Navaho society, on the other hand, extend 

 no higher than the level of the residence group (see "Social Structure," 

 pp. 54-65). Furthermore, the institutions of White society are spe- 

 cialized where those of Navaho society are not. It follows from this 

 and from the overall pattern of interest in Navaho-White relations 

 that the constant focal points of culture contact are those institu- 

 tions of White society which are specifically chartered to deal with 

 Navahos, No single agency of Navaho society maintains an equal 

 constancy or intensity of contact with White life. Accordingly, the 

 pattern of contact, and Navaho participation in it, is determined by 

 White norms. 



In spite of increasing initiative, Navaho mobility in the present era 

 remains highly restricted both as to situations and as to numbers in- 

 volved. At least throughout the western Navaho country, therefore, 

 the loci of culture contact remain very largely within the reservation. 

 A large number of Shonto men engage in off-reservation railroad work 

 every year, but their job situation actually involves a minimum of 

 culture contact (see "Eailroad Work," pp. 129-133) . The major points 

 of culture contact, as will be shown in the study of Shonto, are a small 

 group of specialized Wliite institutions within and near the Navaho 

 community which are specifically organized to deal with it. 



THE BASIC DIBECTION OF INEXTJENCE 



Throughout their history and presmnably their prehistory as well, 

 the Navahos have been known as culture-borrowers rather than donors 

 (cf. Luomala, 1938, pp. 16-17; Underbill, 1956, pp. 3-4). It some- 

 times appears as if every group with whom they have ever come in 

 contact has left its cultural mark on them, whereas traces of any similar 

 influence exerted by them on their neighbors are few. The same 

 relationship has characterized the contact of Navahos and Anglo- 

 Americans. 



Even in a situation of close culture contact within the Navaho 

 country, and where Navahos outnumber Wliites by some 50 to 1 as 

 they do at Shonto, evidences of Navaho cultural influences on Whites 

 are few. It is true that most of the contact institutions have been 

 inaugurated for the specific purpose of dealing with Navahos, and 

 hence owe their existence to the existence of Navahos. Nevertheless, 

 they derive their actual character from purely American models and, 

 with the exception of the trading post, show little or no special adapta- 

 tion to the conditions of Navaho life or culture. 



635893—63 17 



