Feral Horses

There are many things different about Chinle.  There is no New York Times, no local paper, and not even USA today.  There is only one FM station (Country Music uggh!) and one AM station (Navajo).  There are few trees and nothing resembling a planned community. What really separates Chinle from many other small are the feral horses that roam the streets and highways.  These are somewhat wild horses that are one or two generations away from being domestic riding horses.  There is one herd that is always hanging out in the center of town feeding on what little grass there is and the leftover hay from daily hay sale lot. I do not know where they get water as there is no running water anywhere. There are other feral animal around town also such as dogs, cats, goats, and sheep but it is the horses that one sees most often. Apparently people try to do something about them after a horse encounters a car with both side losing. However, after a while things return to normal and the horses roam freely.

Part of the problem is the love that Navajo about animals and a desire to let animals be.  People like the fact that animals can roam free and not possessed by anyone. Navajo are traditional herders and have always lived among animals so the presence of animals is a comfort to them.  If you drive to Chinle, slow down as you approach town and watch out Seabiscuit, National Velvet,  and Trigger. 

The Judge

I spent the 4th of July with one of the local judges, Victor Clyde, at his family's ranch up in the Chuska Mountains.  This was about at the 7500 foot level and much cooler than Chinle at 5500 feet.  There was a stream running through the property and lots of Ponderosa pine trees.  While there I learned that the judges here have to be well versed in criminal law, civil law, and tribal law.  Tribal law disputes mostly deal with grazing and property issues as although the land is held in common by the entire tribe, the right to use the land is passed down from one generation to the next.  Up until recently the land was passed down maternally which made the Navajo Nation one of the few with maternal rights of inheritance. Land use is now passed down from family member to family member regardless of sex.  However, because of large families there are often disagreements over who gets to use which house or graze a specific plot of land. If the family cannot work out some agreement they end up in tribal court where judges like Victor have to use the wisdom of Solomon to decide who gets what. Victor also acts as justice of the peace and in a community with few church weddings he is quite busy. He also has to be elected every four years which helps to make him responsive to the community needs.

Tsaile Creek in the Chuska Mountains

It rained the night of 4th of July. Although it put a damper on the celebration I still have all my fingers and eardrums from not being able to set off fireworks.  I guess there is always New Years Eve.

Narbona Pass

I just finished a 10K race that started and finished at 8500 foot level Narbona Pass, about 75 miles east of Chinle as the crow flies. The race was what I now call "Navajo Tough" meaning very steep with lots of sand and rocks on the trail  The course rose to 9500 feet at mile three with great views for a hundred miles in each direction. It was the largest of the Navajo Nation races to date with 400 in the 5K and 300 in the 10K.

Narbona Pass runs through the Chuska Mountains and is named for a Navajo Chief who defeated the Spanish coming through the pass about 1820.  Up until 20 years ago it was named "Washington Pass" which was named for a US Army major who came through the area in the mid 19th century and killed and enslaved many Navajo.  For the Navajo it was like the Israelis having a major street named after Adolf Hitler.  Thankfully the state of New Mexico gave the Navajo permission to rename the pass so that now on all official maps it is "Narbona Pass".   The pass is very scenic with alpine meadows and lots of Pondorosa Pine trees and a nice picnic are by the side of the road.  It is a popular place for the Navajo on the 4th of July but the rest of the year there are few people. It is usually 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the valley below which was over 100o today.

Monsoons

The "Monsoon" season has begun here.  This means that any afternoon thunderstorms can occur. Most afternoons there are only clouds and real rain only falls occasionally.  The rain can vary from sprinkles to over an inch in half an hour. The thunder and lightning can put on quite a show and one can watch the storms almost fifty miles away. Foolish people like myself drive up to the mesa just to see the display and watch nature in action.

Two nights ago we had our first real thunderstorm with thunder. lightning, and rain. There was even a double rainbow as an added attraction.   We lost electricity for a while as several transformers were hit.  There was not enough rain to help the drought or fill any of the washes but it was welcome anyway. There are many stories of people camping near a wash or canyon and being swept way by a sudden rainstorm

Chinle after thunderstorm

Thunderstorm in my backyard

Sad to say that I am losing my student physician assistant who is going back to North Carolina tomorrow.  She was a dietician for several years before going back to school.  She has been a joy to work with and has a great future ahead of her. She has a gift of working with all kinds of people in a positive way.  I so enjoyed teaching her and being taught by her.  Godspeed Laura.

The big bang theory!

Yesterday I did something that the American Academy of Pediatrics would cringe at. I bought and exploded fireworks with some male friends (of course). Here on the reservation it is possible to buy all manner of explosives from the small fire cracker to the "Please don't tell Homeland Security" variety. I was amazed at the great mortar fireworks the shoot balls into the air and explode just like the ones at the great displays in Portland with many colors and lights. As the evening wore on we were exploding larger and larger devices. I had one about the size a coffee can that was the called "The Big Bang". I knew it was dangerous when it said on the side to be at least one hundred feet away after lighting. It was impressive and left a nice crater in the ground after almost blowing out my eardrums. After that explosion one of my native friends goes back to his car and pulls out one the size of a wash bucket called "The Nuke". ( I still can't believe they make these things.). This time I put cotton in my ears and moved almost to the next mesa. There is a nice long fuse which allows one to run for good cover. "The Nuke" turned out to be a multidirectional display that shot rocket like balls in all directions and then ended with an explosion similar to the "The Big Bang". After that testosterone fueled event and counting our fingers we returned to town. The "Fourth" may be an anticlimax.

Class, Culture, and Customs

     This week I had for the first time a non Navajo patient.  One of the physicians brought in her baby for an exam.  I walked in with the medical student and immediately noted how different the interview was. There were lots of questions from the mother, an in depth discussion of breast feeding and an ease of presence that I have not seen since I left Portland.  The past difficulties of obtaining a history were gone and the parent and I could readily see a connection

     It brought to mind how much of a cultural and class divide I have with many of my families. I often find myself struggling to get answers to very simple history questions from the parents and children. I still feel this must be a better way for me to interact with my patients so I can make the connection that will help make a healthy child.   Perhaps if I were Navajo I would know better things to say or do that would help the therapeutic process along.  Having worked in clinic where half of the population were African-American was a snap compared to relating to the Navajo. It is not that I have had any bad interactions but that I have not been able to make the connection I find necessary for a successful visit.

Ancient Ruins from the Chinle Outback

      It brings to mind how difficult it must be for couple who come from different cultures to have a good relationship.  The Jewish-Christian,  Black-White, and Navajo-Anglo couples all must deal with great barriers to make the relationship last. We have a few physicians who have married Navajo and I would love to ask them how they make a go of things.  Meanwhile,  I will seek out other physicians who have been here a while to see what they do to relate better and bridge the cultural divide I see.

Alvina Begay

Alvina Begay is a 31 yo runner from the Navajo Nation and a local woman who comes from Ganado near Chinle. Every great runner has a story of overcoming adversity and Alvina is no exception. She adapted from the not so academic life of Ganado to be become an academic all American at Arizona state. This year she qualified for both the US Olympic trials in the marathon (2:43) and the 10,000 meters (32:40 qualifier). She has given much to the community here and has infected many young people with running bug. Her mother is a pediatric nurse who heads up our outpatient clinic in Chinle. So when you watch the olympic trials in Eugene this week give a cheer for Alvina who makes all of us so proud here in the Navajo Nation.