When I was between the ages of nine and eleven years old my role in the
family, during the summer, was to herd sheep. Grandma would wake us early, feed us, and then push us out the door.
We had to take the sheep out to eat. This job required us to stay in the outdoors the whole day and we loved it.
When I think back on it grandma did put the responsibility on us sisters to be herdmen of her little
flock. We had to take the sheep to green fertile pasture which was usually by a mountain stream, boy, did we play.
Then in the evening we had to remember the way home when it was time to get home and we did this every single day.
How could she trust us to take care of what was so precious to her? She didn't know which way
we went or when we would be back. For being little girls we had about 40 to 50 sheep to take of and for most of the
day they were in our hands.
I remember bobcats trying to sneak upon the sheep but the dogs protected us, they were our buddies. Sometimes
my older cousin would come with us and when she did we took horses to ride. Riding horses when I was herding
sheep made it easier on the legs. Corina would usually organize a horse race which was a no-no, but oh they were
fun.
One particular day when Corina was with us she wanted to have a race and as quickly as that was said
she kick the flanks and whipped her horse which took off on a dead run. My horse was excited and shot off after hers
and with all that muscle under me I couldn't stop the stallion.
We were racing toward a huge pine tree and she won because she took off first. My horse was
still running at break neck speed when I noticed a low hanging tree branch right at my neck level. I tried with all
my might to pull the reins to slow the horse or to turn it but it was racing with all it's might toward that limb and I couldn't
do a thing.
I just froze and watched the branch come closer and closer. I was in trouble, what was I to
do? To my surprise I saw my cousin's arm at the corner of my eye and she pulled the reins, which directed the horse
away from the tree and she slowed the horse down and its then that I finally took a breathe.
My heart was pounding so hard and fast I couldn't believe what just happened. I was so
frozen I couldn't get off the horse and my hands were cemented around the reins but there I was still sitting on the horse.
My sisters and cousin were laughing. I couldn't laugh, I couldn't even talk, I was in absolute
shock. I never wanted to ride that horse again because he was too big and too powerful for me to handle.
I do have many memories of herding sheep on Chuska Mountain. Especially with my sisters and
enjoying nature at the fullest. I loved playing with the little lambs and mischievous goats it was a peaceful time
there in my Navajo World when I was very young.
