Scratchings-and-Sniffings |
| Posted: 29 Jun 2009 09:31 AM PDT
Just can't get those Navajo dogs out of my mind. We were stopped along the road by a flag man as we moved through the reservation a few days ago. There was a modest house off to the left and we counted ten dogs of all ages, types and sizes running around in the yard. "Navajo's sure love dogs," my wife exclaimed. In fact they do love dogs. Dogs have been an important part of Dine culture as long as anyone can remember. Dogs pulling travois made the original move from Western Canada to the Southwest possible over a thousand years ago. When the Navajo ruled Dinetah with their huge herds of Spanish sheep, dogs were instrumental in keeping the herds safe from predators and in moving the herds from one pasture to another. Often dogs lived their entire lives among the sheep herds and new born pups would imprint on the woolies, leading to a lifetime of interdependence. There is even a particular look to some Navajo dogs that some researchers believe may trace back to the long ago days of their creation story. The Dine know they have a problem with stray and feral dogs. They know they have a problem with dog over population in general. Some estimate that there are over 160,000 dogs living on the reservation and that's just too many. An organization called Desert Animal Companions is trying to do something about the issue. Take a look at this web site and you'll see they are doing a good job of creating awareness for various animal welfare efforts including low cost spay and neuter and veterinary services at various places on the reservation. Take a look at this film entitled Rez Dogs to get an idea of the scope of problem. Dinateh is a huge area encompassing 26,000 square miles in three states. The Dine are spread all over this place making this issue even more difficult to deal with. At least someone is trying do attack this problem. The Dine have a long and storied love affair with their dogs, their horses and their sheep. If you'd like to help them out a bit go here and see what you can do. |
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