Venture Grant: Navajo-Churro Sheep
Last April, the Anthropology Department of Colorado College appoved my senior thesis proposal. Research was carried out in July in various localities in New Mexico. Upon reviewing my notes when I returned, my advisor, Professor Marianne Stoller, and I agreed that an adjunct study would greatly enrich my research. Following is a description and rationale of the goals of my senior thesis, followed by an explanation of the proposed adjunct study.
Introduction:
Human population growth and economic pressures contributed to a decline in the huge diversity of domestic livestock breeds that existed throughout the world. Animal breeders began to concentrate on fewer and fewer "superior" breeds as knowledge of genetics and reproductive physiology increased (Vietmeyer:47). The success of conservationists’ efforts to preserve and extend rare breeds depends in part on the willingness of traditional herders to accept and contribute to the proliferation of the endangered traditional breed. A little researched aspect of this problem involves the notion of a "breed" as a cultural construct. Livestock breeds, after all, are human inventions and not the result of natural evolution. One might assume that traditional breeds reflect to some degree the perceptions of herders themselves. There is nonetheless a power elite among breeders who establish "standards" for a breed and their placement on national registries. In respect to sheep, when breeders are white scientists and traditional Navajo herders, there may be differences in perceptions of the value of a breed. Such differences need to be addressed, especially when they relate to issues of economic survival.
There have been recent efforts to re-introduce Navajo-Churro wool to traditional Navajo weavers in New Mexico and Arizona. This has been part of an on-going breeding project in Utah which aims to eventually re-establish Navajo-Churro herds on the reservation. Some weavers are exclusively using wool bought from the breeders, yet the accessibility of the wool to the general weaving population may be restricted for socioeconomic reasons. One goal of this thesis would be to investigate the economic implications of Navajo-Churro wool for the overall weaving population. This is contingent on researching how Navajos perceive the sheep, the quality of the wool, and the success of the reintroduction efforts. A second goal of the study is to relate these findings to the above discussion of cultural perceptions of breed. This requires additional research into how the sheep are being presented to the Navajo, what role the sheep play in Navajo traditional folklore, and what characteristics are important to the Navajo versus what traits are actually being bred into the herds by project leaders.
Background:
The Navajo Nation has a history of sheepherding that extends back over three centuries. In no other Southwestern tribe did sheepherding become as central to everyday life than with the Navajo. Up until the early nineteenth century, Navajo sheep were almost entirely descended from the first sheep brought to New Mexico from Spain in 1598. These original sheep are thought to have been the Spanish Churro, although there is debate as to the purity of their breed. During the 1800’s, the government worked to increase the commercial value of the wool and mutton of the Navajo sheep by breeding them with European breeds such as the Merino or Rambouillet. Ironically the mix breet:ng drastically reduced wool production, and by 1930 there was no uniformity to the sheep types except that most had short, greasy wool that was unfit for spinning and weaving. In an effort to remedy the situation, the government set up a laboratory at Fort Wingate in 1936 to attempt and to renew old-type Churro herds which had long, nearly greaseless wool that was well suited for weaving. However, the breeding program did not receive funding long enough for sheep to be returned to the reservation, and in 1960 the program was terminated.
It was not until the late 1970’s that renewed interest in the old-type sheep occurred under the leadership of Dr. Lyle McNeal, then a professor at California Polytechnic State University. At that time there were probably fewer than 500 fairly pure old-type sheep left, scattered in remote areas of the Navajo reservation. With six ewes and 2 four-horned rams. McNeal started his breeding program. Today his project continues with over one hundred sheep on land owned by Utah State University in Logan, where he now teaches in the Department of Veterinary Science. Wool from his herds are sold to Navajo weavers, and educational programs are provided on sheepraising, breeding and weaving techniques. McNeal has stated that the purpose of the reintroduction program is to "study and preserve this unique animal and protect it from further losses," and that "in time I would hope the Old-type Navajo wool rug weaving industry would make a comeback." (Hillinger, B6) Eventually he would like to reintroduce small herds of Navajo-Churro sheep to the reservation and keep them separate from other sheep in order to maintain their lineage (Hillinger, B6).
Description and Rationale of Research:
Dr. Lyle McNeal’s project has received national attention. He has been largely responsible for the placement of the Navajo-Churro on the American Minor Breeds Conservancy Registry in 1986. He has received funding from organizations interested in the conservation of livestock breeds and in the maintenance of biodiversity. The way McNeal’s project has been implemented, in terms of facts and numbers, has been fairly well documented.
Beyond numbers, however, there have not been any studies of the Navajo’s perceptions of McNeal’s reintroduction efforts, nor any studies on the differences the wool may have made in the economic well-being of individual weavers. In addition, Navajos have had little input into the breeding strategy used at Utah State University, although the characteristics of today’s Navajo-Churro are largely due to the past 300 years that the animals have survived solely on Navajo lands. It is these and related issues that I wish to address in order to study the project’s impact on Navajo weaving.
This research is important for several reasons. First, as shepherding, spinning and/or weaving are still the means by which a great many Navajos earn their living, any efforts to improve the quality of their wool could potentially impact the lives of many Navajos. Studies on Navajo perceptions of the Navajo-Churro sheep, wool, and weaving are important to those trying re-introduce Navajo-Churro sheep to the reservation in order to ensure the success of their efforts. My study, as already stated, would try to evaluate the progress of McNeal’s efforts from the Navajo standpoint, and also from the standpoint of rug dealers, traders and auctioneers. It is also hoped that the study will provide evidence that will enhance our understanding of the economic and aesthetic effect Navajo-Churro wool has on rugs and blankets.
My second area of interest has more theoretical implications. The survival of the Navajo-Churro breed into the future depends upon the willingness of Navajos to maintain pure herds. The reintroduction project was not started within the Navajo Nation, but instead by an Anglo biologist in Utah who saw the need to save the descendants of the Churro sheep from extinction. Thus there may be two conflicting viewpoints to consider, both based on ethnic conceptions of breed and the importance of breed. The historical link that grants the use of the word ‘Churro’ in the title of these flocks is very important. When educating Navajo weavers about the sheep, not only are project leaders advertising the quality of the wool, but also the return to traditional values through the use of the "first sheep". It is interesting that in so many of my readings and conversations, these modern coarse-wooled sheep are called "Churro," although their official title is of a separate breed, the "Navajo-Churro". This may seem like a meaningless distinction, but it may be significant for several reasons. It may not be entirely true to tell Navajos that "these are the sheep that your ancestors herded," when project leaders are back-breeding for traits they are only assuming to be more "purely" Churro than others. The historical and archeological record leave us with no descriptions of the first sheep. It would be interesting to investigate, for example, why a bare belly became a criterion for Navajo-Churro in rare-breed contests, and who it was that determined this was "Churro-like". Breeders are actually defining a new breed, the "Navajo-Churro", that may legitimately retain characteristics from the original New Mexican sheep. But as with all breeds, these sheep are a product of their traditional herders, who in this case were the Navajos for the past 300 years. The types of traits that are being selected for in the Utah State Navajo-Churro herd depend to some degree on the more subtle intentions of those in charge of the project. Some questions pertinent to this discussion are as follows: Are there differences in the way the Navajo and the Project leaders view the importance of certain traits in the Navajo-Churro and its wool? Are the primary intentions of breeders to save an endangered sheep breed; and if so, how are they defining the breed and its historical significance in relation to Navajo economy (as opposed to Spanish conceptions of the Churro)? How is the Navajo-Churro being presented to the Navajo? What role do these sheep play in traditional folklore and tradition? The study I am proposing is very important in that it brings to light some of these culturally determined definitions and perceptions of domestic breeding.
Venture Grant Proposal: Adjunct Study
The above thesis research was accepted by the Anthropology Department last Spring and research was conducted in New Mexico in July. My advisor, Professor Marianne Stoller, and I have determined that the thesis would fit even better into a theoretical framework if it provided cross-cultural comparison of the role of NavajoChurro in Hispanic culture with my Navajo research. The Churro, originally the common sheep of Spain, is part of a deep historical hispanic tradition that has survived in isolated places in the southwest. Although no pure lineages of the breed made it into the later twentieth century, Professor Lyle McNeal was able to find sheep, in isolated old hispanic towns, that retained strong Churro characteristics. Recently the Churro has made a comeback, most notably in the village of Los Ojos. Los Ojos is a community striving to live in a traditional hispanic setting, in which weaving has become the primary focus through a co-op named Tierra Wools. Wool is supplied entirely by local sheepherders, who have large :percentages of fairly pure Navajo-Churros. The sheep owners have come together to form a cooperative called Ganados del Valle. The presence of their Navajo-Churros is mainly due to a on site back-breeding program for pure traits led by McNeal.
In describing the rugs and garments woven at Tierra Wools, the weavers and coop organizers emphasize and take pride in the use of this Navajo-Churro wool. Impressively, Los Ojos has pulled itself from an economically poor and dying village into a state of self-sufficiency and economic triumph. It would greatly enrich my thesis to include an adjunct study of the role of the Navajo-Churro at Tierra Wools. From an economic point of view, the success of Tierra Wools may illustrate the benefits of using Navajo-Churro wool in weavings. This benefit may be more due to the traditional significance of the wool rather than to its improved quality over other wools. Sheep in general, and specifically the Navajo-Churros, are important for similar and distinct reasons between Hispanic and Navajo communities. I would like to explore these crosscultural and economic issues by traveling to Los Ojos during third block, which I am taking as an Independent Study block.
An oral presentation of my thesis will be scheduled in April, and it will be advertised through the Anthropology Department. Students outside the Department will be welcome to attend. The presentation will feature slides, possibly video, and wool or rug samples.
BUDGET
(11/6)
Travel from Colorado Springs to Pagosa Springs to
stay overnight with family friends: 242 miles X.25 = $60.50
(11/7)
Travel from Pagosa Springs to Durango to meet with
Professor McNeal when he is there on November 7: 60 miles x.25 = $15.00
(11/8)
Travel from Durango to Los Ojos: 125 miles X .25 = $31.25
(11/8-11/10)
Stay at a motel in Chama for two nights: est. $40 X 2 = $80.00
(11/10)
Drive in late afternoon from Los Ojos to Pagosa
Springs, stay with family: 60 miles X.25 = $15.00
(11/11)
Drive from Pagosa Springs to Colorado Springs: 242 miles X.25 = $60.50
Food expenses @ $10 per day for 6 days: = $60.00
TOTAL: $322.25