Descendants
of the Iberian Churra
Origin
Navajo-Churro
sheep are descended from the Churra, an ancient Iberian breed. Although
secondary to the Merino, the Churra (later corrupted to "Churro" by
American frontiersmen) was prized by the Spanish for its remarkable hardiness,
adaptability and fecundity. The Churra was the very first breed of domesticated
sheep in the New World. Its importation to New Spain by the Spanish dates back
to the 16th century where it was used to feed and clothe the armies of the
conquistadors and Spanish settlers.
History
By the
17th century the Churro had become the mainstay of Spanish ranches and villages
along the upper Rio Grande Valley. Native Indians acquired flocks of Churro for
food and fiber through raids and trading. Within a century, herding and weaving
had become a major economic asset for the Navajo. It was from Churro wool that
the early Rio Grande, Pueblo, and Navajo textiles were woven -- a fleece
admired by collectors for its luster, silky hand, variety of natural colors and
durability.
Livestock,
including sheep, came in 1494 when Spain established colonies in the Caribbean
and then in Mexico. Colonization expanded gradually into Nuevo España which is
now the Southwest of the United States. In 1540, following the initial
expedition of Cortez in 1538, Coronado searched for the Cities of Gold
expending 5,000 head of sheep on the journey. The few left in New Mexico were
not heard of again. Don Juan de Oñate, in 1598, brought settlers and 2,900
sheep that formed the initial colonization of the Southwest. Spanish ranches
prospered in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona with flocks numbering in the
thousands. Many sheep were trailed back to Mexico to feed mining towns and they
supplied the growing population of the Southwest. In 1849 when gold was
discovered in California, churros were trailed west to feed the Gold Fever.
During
this period of Spanish colonization, Pueblo Indians were hired and enslaved to
herd livestock and to weave textiles. The Dine’ (the Navajo people), living on
the edge of Spanish occupation, acquired a few sheep and horses by trades and
by raids on outlying settlements. Following the turmoil of 1680 when the
Pueblos revolted against Spanish oppression, the Navajos acquired more sheep,
as did the Apaches. The Apaches ate the sheep they took but the Navajos
nurtured their acquisitions and expanded their flocks.
As
European settlers came west and the demand arose for fine wool in the American
textile industry, the churros were "graded up" by crossing with
Merino and English longwools. However, some churros remained in the remote
Hispanic villages, among the isolated Navajos and on the West Coast. These
isolated flocks eventually formed the landrace sheep, the Navajo-Churro, named
to recognize Spanish and Navajo influence.
Because
the Navajos resisted the settlers who were encroaching on Dine’ homelands, the
U.S. government ordered military actions led by Kit Carson and John Carlton
with instructions to destroy Navajo orchards and flocks. There was much
bloodshed and in 1865 approximately 9,000 Navajos were forced on the Long Walk
of 300 miles to an interment camp at Bosque Redondo, New Mexico. Terrible
conditions here caused the death of many people and their livestock. Some
Navajos escaped capture and hid with their sheep in remote canyons of New
Mexico and Arizona. After three years, the Navajo were returned to their
homeland and were issued two "native" sheep per person from
Hispanic.flocks.
The
Navajo were such good weavers and shepherds that their mixed flocks grew to
574,821 sheep by l930. The large number of sheep, goats, horses and cattle was
problematic for the severe drought conditions of the 1930’s, so the U.S.
government conducted a stock reduction. Some stock was purchased for $1-1.50
but the reduction progressed so slowly that roughly 30% of each household’s
sheep, goats and horses were slaughtered by government agents and thrown into
arroyos or burned. This terrifying Stock Reduction is still vivid in Navajo
memory.
Pasted
from <http://www.navajo-churrosheep.com/sheep-origin.html>
Excuse me but you speak of Navajo people as though they no longer exist. Instead of saying that Navajo were such good weavers, you should be say that they ARE good weavers. The livestock reduction was about control and oppression not drought. Navajo are still struggling to raise their sheep and to gain access to basic resources and markets that you take for granted. Please take time to understand Navajo-Churro sheep from the Navajo people's perspective. There is more than one side to the story.
ReplyDeleteI agree, if you look I copied the information from http://www.navajo-churrosheep.com/sheep-origin.html and so the words are not my own. I believe the Navajo people are fantastic weavers, and I admire them. Since I know they still are a very active Nation, I am thrilled to be a small all be it white part taker in their heritage, if I can say that. I take nothing for granted, be it their markets or mine, since they are two different things. I can in no way lay claim to being Navajo, nor can I claim my weavings are anything other than a Navajo style weaving. I believe the Navajo people depend greatly on the Navajo-Churro sheep as I do, all be it for different reasons. And as you say, there is always two sides to every story. So please understand that this blog is only a very small part, and a white womans view of that part, and in no way am I claiming Navajo heritage. I'm simply enjoying the experience and life. I share what I find and hope people will be smart enough to understand that it is simply one small version in the greater universe. If you are truely interested in the Navajo people then I highly recommend you either go to the Reservation and learn first hand, or read other peoples views in the books you find at your local library or book store. Life is an adventure, share it, enjoy it, and learn all that you can, and while doing all that share a smile.
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