Shiprock, NM./ Navajo Nation

10/3/09

Today we leave Echo Basin Ranch in Mancos, CO. The last few nights it has gotten down below freezing and Joe had to unhook the waterlines to prevent problems. The day warmed up to high 40's to low 50's and with the last day in the 60's. But it was sunny everyday and really didn't feel bad. The rest of the week it is going to warm up again, but we have plans down the road. We do like this park and the area, and I told Joe I wouldn't mind being a camp host here sometime, if we ever get to the point that we just want to stay in one place for awhile. This place has 3 small lakes, tennis courts, (as if I would play), horse ranch, restaurant, and close to lots of things to do.

It has about 23 nice cabins Joe looking back at the cabin area. Place to keep your horse's or you can ride their horse's. This was our view looking out at the pasture and horse's and cloud's. But it's time to go. Headed south on Hwy. 160/491 to Shiprock, NM See that big rock out in the distance. That is Shiprock. You can see Shiprock at the highest point in Mesa Verde National Park. Another picture of Shiprock. While we were in Monument Valley in AZ., we had an American Indian, at one of the vendor places, tell us that Shiprock was going to have a big fair this week. He said all the Zuni and Navajo tribes come together for this event and there would be many vendors from all around this area. Joe found a place to stay with passport at $10 a day, so we decided to go. We entered into the Navajo Nation reservation once again. The landscapes looks like not much and arid once again. There is the sign into our campground. Doesn't look good.! Oh dear what are we getting our selves into. It keeps getting worse! This is the office. As Joe goes in, I see some Am. Indian children playing on an old broken down merry go round. Joe's still inside. Another shot of the place. As we drive in it looks like mostly permanent RVs. We find a spot in the back next to the only big RV that looks temporary, and Joe asked if I want to park next to them. Yes I said loudly. Above is the view out our new side yard window. There do have a place to keep horse's. I am not feeling real comfortable, but Joe tells me the guy at the office told him an easy way to walk to the fair. We are here I think, so just go with it. After lunch Joe and I head toward the back of the park and slide through the fence to reach our destination. Joe can barely get through the hole in the fence. We walk through this area to the bridge that passes over the San Juan River. Looking back to where we came from. See the campground in the distance. We walk across the bridge. We would have driven, but when we entered the town of 8000, the cars were backed up for miles and it took us about 30 minutes to move a mile. We were told it was faster to walk. Everything says Navajo Nation. I feel like I am not in the nation of America. We cross the San Juan River on the bridge. The trash is unbelievable. My mom would just have a cow. She thinks Cedar Rapids is bad. We walk past as miles of cars inch along. We are keeping up with the cars. I feel like I have a neon sign on us, as I do not see any tourists at all. Everyone looks at us, ( at least in my mind). We definitely are outsiders. No blonde's around here. We see many Navajo police car's and hear many sirens. We finally get to the fair gate and find out it costs $ 8 a person to get in. I am still feeling very uncomfortable and Joe and look at each other and turn around. We decide to forget it and head back to camp. On our way back I saw One vendor selling food with some other wares. Asked where all the jewelery vendors were and he said on the other side of the fair. Picture from campground to the bridge we walked to and back. The walk to the bridge wasn't to bad except I worried about snakes in the brush, but I did find a few stones on the way. I am collecting stones where ever I go. When we got to the bridge, the underneath had all kinds of graffiti, garbage, broken glass and beer cans. I wouldn't want to come through here at night.

I checked the stats on the internet when we got home and there are 2% whites in this town, and I didn't see a one on our walk. It really is intimidating to be different. I also found out that this lasts for 9 days with an ongoing ceremony. The ceremonies are for healing of those who need it. Thursday through Sunday are the big days. The guy at the Camp office happens to be one of those 2%. We have to stay because, our mail is being sent here general delivery to the Post Office and today is Saturday. We lock up our nest and Joe says before I go to bed, " I hope we don't get scalped tonight" What an encouraging husband he is tonight. That was not funny. The guy at the office told us we would hear drums beating all night because of their ceremonial rituals. I woke up several times in the night and heard the drums.

The next morning we decide to drive uptown as this being the last day, the roads were not backed up this cars. We had noticed about 4 RVs left this morning with Am. Indians. The funny thing about it was the campground had many open spots. There had to be at least 100,000 people here and this town is known to have no motels. Where was everyone sleeping? We came to the conclusion, they sleep in their car's as when we walked up town the first day we saw people sleeping in their cars.

We drove uptown and happened to see a place where the vendors were, outside the fairgrounds. I looked in and all I could see was AM. Indians. It was a windy day and the dust was blowing. Joe said, "this is your last chance, do you want to go or not?" At first I said no, but then I saw one white couple walking to the vendors, so I changed my mind.
We found a spot to park and walked up and down the vendor rows. I started to relax and enjoy myself. There was a tent with some Indian dancing going on, so Joe and I wandered over to watch. As we stood there an older American Indian lady pulled her coat off the bales of hay and asked if we wanted to sit there. I started to feel welcome. The announcer told the crowd to take their trash with them as this doesn't represent them well. We were getting hungry, so I bought a tamale steamed in a corn husk. It was yummy. Joe bought some banana bread. As we walked around the place, many women had scarves over their mouths because the blowing dust was so bad. The vendors had their feather dusters out, trying to dust their wares, but the wares would get dusty again in a few minutes. Picture of the dust as we headed to our car. Picture looking back at the vendors and the dust. We were both cover with dust by the time we got home This is the land we gave the American Indians. It tried to rain a couple of times today, but just a few sprinkles for a minute. I have very mixed emotions about this situation. I understand the feeling to be somewhere that you are not different. But I also see Americans that are not progressing and intergrating as the African Americans have. I see how this has held them back and kept them back from growing. When you drive around the Navajo reservation, you feel you are driving in slum areas. When you see the way they treat their land with such trash, you see non educated people. But you also see a resentful people, who were pushed out of their land and broken trust by the white man's word. I think the American Indians just need to realize they are Americans, and can have the American dream we all want. Yes, there is prejudice out there. But the majority of American embrace the individuals we all are. All Americans, at one time, came to America. Even the American Indians came from the middle east hundreds of years ago, if you believe in God's word and his creation. I think the American Indians need to let go of the hurt and resent that the white men did to them and realize if it had not been the white man, it would probably be someone else who was stronger than them. After all, hasn't it been the strong and powerful who are the rulers from the beginning of time. You see it in the animal kingdom also. They did not have the power to rule. So the white man came and ruled them. But they are Americans now, so they have all the right as we do. I feel they have hurt themselves by hanging on to resentment and not intergrated into their real nation America.