The Dine'

The Dine' or Navaho are relative late comers to the four corners region of the USA. The Hopi with whom they share the region (Not the best of friends) arrived here about 500 to 1000 year before the Navajo. However, the Navajo are the largest tribe in the United States with about 250,000 members. I have come for at least two months to serve as a physician to those native Americans who live near Chinle, Arizona. Chinle is a crossroads community with a population of about 5,000 and serves as a center for about 15,000 more in the surrounding 50 miles. The hospital where I work has about 80 beds and is quite busy 24/7.

Chinle has one grocery (Bashas) , three fast food joints, three gas stations, and a large high school. There are no trees but lots of tumbleweed . It is the headquarters for Canyon De Chelly, a national momument outside of town with many ancient cliff dwellings. Chinle is a trip and half. There are many feral horses that roam the highway and streets oblivious to traffic and people. There are also a number of wild dogs but they so far have been friendly. Chinle is 100 miles from Gallup New Mexico. Gallup is where people from here go for big shopping trips as they have (Hold on to your hats) a Wallymart. Needless to say they have problems attracting physicians and nurses as there is not much to do outside of work. The surrounding area is spectacular and if you drive a bit as I did last weekend you arrive in Momument Valley in two hours.

The big news in town is that they will be filming "The Lone Ranger" here next month. Johnny Depp(Katie eat your heart out) will play Tonto. Maybe they will need a Doc on scene! More about this later when the movie company gets here. I sure Johnny brings something to eat because Navajo fry bread gets old after a while.

The Navavjo have been great to work with. I am honored to be able to serve them.