Navajo Nation (1983: Doomsday)

The Navajo Nation, better known to locals as Dinétah is a nation located in the southwest of what was once the United States. Populated by primarily by the native Navajo people, the country also includes a large number of other southwestern Native Americans as well as a notable minority of White Americans. In the geographical sense, Dinetah is mainly based out of southeastern Utah but also controls large parts of northwestern New Mexico, southwestern Colorado, and northeastern Arizona. The exact boundaries of this nation are unclear, and are generally marked by the different towns and landmarks under Navajo control.

The nation emerged from the carnage of the 1983 nuclear war as one of the largest surviving societies left in the United States. Although the Navajo nation has had to endure the harsh post-doomsday conditions for most of its existence the native lifestyle of the Navajo, as well as the stable tribal governments in the region, has made it remarkably adapt to survival. In recent years an alliance with the near by Mormons in Utah has greatly straightened the nation, allowing for a greater exchange of resources, manpower, ideas, and goals between the remnant nations.

Doomsday and Aftermath
As the Nation was located in a fairly isolated area away from most major cities, the Navajo were at first lightly affected by the nuclear weapons that had detonated across America. This was not to last forever however as time went on it became apparent that conditions were worsening. Electricity had been going on and of since doomsday and had finally shut of completely. Gas supplies were quickly dwindling with no way to replenish them.

Acting quickly the tribal government ordered an emergency meeting to be held at Navajo Nation Council Chamber in Window Rock. Several other near by tribes were invited to join as well. Inside they discussed how they should best handle the situation. At first it was agreed that a mass evacuation to the (said) safe haven of Mexico would take place. However lack of adequate equipment as well as increased radiation discovered in the south soon canceled these plans. Soon after it was decided that they would instead try the best they could to take cover and hunker down as far away from the southern fallout as possible.

As to be expected the radiation did kill an untold amount of people, but far more survived than would normally be thought possible. Most of the fallout had blown south or east of the Navajo Nation. Further more the Navajo had been use to radiation poisoning given that uranium mining and nuclear weapons testing had taken place near Navajo lands before. The people knew or were told how to properly cover themselves and take appropriate shelter. After about a month nearly all fallout encountered had subsided or blew away. Overall a large majority of people had survived the disaster.

Immediate Response
After surviving the disaster no contact had been made with any remaining government officials left in the United States. Assuming them to either be dead or unable to help, the tribal government decided to take over and start recovery efforts. Using what little gas was left, a small recon mission was sent out to try and help any surviving communities near by. Several Indian reservations were visited to the east, where radiation levels were still higher from the nuke that hit Albuquerque. These people were offered to come back with the recon party to live in the Navajo Nation; an offer which was kindly accepted by nearly all of them. Reports coming from the south and west indicated that most of the places here were either destroyed in the attacks, completely abandoned, or in a state of anarchy.

In the Navajo Nation widespread panic and discontent was beginning to show among the populous. Crime rates were quickly worsening, and riots were breaking out over lack of food and water. Acting quickly the Navajo Tribal Police was put into action and was instrumental in keeping the region in working order. Although food and water were rationed the sheep and cattle herding that existed here long before doomsday proved to be a valuable source of food. What cattle was lost from the fallout was soon made up for by the farming and fishing villages that had now been built along Lake Powell and the Colorado River for the refugees that had come to the Navajo Nation.

Birth of a New Nation
By 1988, things had finally started to stabilize. A reliable food source had been provided to the people so there were rarely any mandatory food rations, except for during droughts and such. The Navajo police, warrior bands, and a small army of volunteers were able to assure that any trouble that found its way into the now isolated Navajo lands would be properly dealt with. As people became less worried about survival, they became more worried about how the tribal government was acting without consent from the people. This was especially true among the non Navajo who were beginning to feel under represented by the dominant Navajo culture.

Resentment was beginning to brew against the current system running the nation. Even those in the tribal government had doubts over how properly the Navajo Nation was run. Finally on June, 20, 1989 it was decided that a new nation would be founded. This new nation was to be named Dinétah after the traditional name for the Navajo homeland. Furthermore, the Navajo tribal government was to be weakened, and a new central government would take its place. The large minority of non Navajo would be allowed to form there own sovereign nations within this new country. By august of that year all of the details had been worked out and for the first time a native republic in the heartland of America was born.

As the years went on the people of Dinétah had begun to revert to their traditional lifestyles more than ever before. As nearly all forms of technology and electrical equipment had been rendered useless, the traditions and lifestyles passed on by their ancestors proved to be quite practical in everyday life. Although health problems, unemployment and harsh weather patterns would continue to plague the nation for years to come, a stable democracy had emerged form the wreckage of nuclear war and seemingly secured survival for its people. More to come soon.

Economy
Like all of the former United States, the economy of Dinétah is very weak with most economic activity directed at obtaining goods needed for survival. The biggest economic sectors in the nation are sheep and cattle herding, farming, and fishing. Other sectors such weaving, jewelry making, and art trading are done here as well, although demand for these remain quite small. Unemployment in the country ranges somewhere around 70 to 80%, although this is slowly improving.

So far Utah is Dinétah's sole economic partner. The Navajo Nation usually exports food supplies to Utah, while it imports most of its technology and machinery from there as well. The U.S dollar is still used as currency, but given the environment in which the nation survives in bartering for goods is just as common as using money. Recently new economic sectors are starting to be exploited such as fiber production and electricity generation. However these new industries are still in their infancy, and have yet to gain widespread use.