Navajo Children (1938)

the last snow of winter and their sheep are having to nibble Twigs of Sagebrush father Navajo better food the sheep and goats will have soon when spring comes young grass for them to eat now it is spring the Navajo family is from their winter House of logs to their summer home the father is wearing a silver belt around his waist a handkerchief around his head and necklaces he loads in a handmade blanket a sheep skin all into the wagon dark eyes his daughter is not going to leave behind her little pets they will have a long long ride to the summer home the kittens are not sure they will like the wagon little bo dark eyes brother is helping his mother let the sheep and goat out of their pens so they can go too [Applause] little B ALS Take Along puppies kittens and Dolls will ride in the wagon on the long trip to the cemetery of the [Music] navajos little bo will ride his horse carrying his bow and arrows as usual he can hardly reach the sturup with his foot but he's already a good Rider on his horse little bo Drive goats keeping them near his father's wagon all the way inside the log house baby brother is almost ready will be baby brother's first ride to the summer home most Indian babies travel this way strapped to a cradle board now dark eyes comes for her mother the wagon is ready up climbs ready to take baby brother now small brother Mother what a wagon load they will not see their winter home of L in the fall sheep goat horses out over the bumpy ground through the trees toward the valley B must walk from getting lost there is no road but father Navajo knows the way great rocks stand up like monuments great desert rocks above the level sand at last it is evening our Navajo family must camp for the night father sees other navajos who are moving to their summer homes that is good they will Camp close to each other spot nearby the other navajos around their campfire are singing [Music] now it is morning morning and breakfast about the campfire Navajo bread someone is calling little bow it is another Navajo boy also with bow and arrows and here are some more boys ready for a game little bo takes his turn now another boy now little boy again both his arrows have hit the mark now to get the arrows and try again but no little bows father called him and again they are on their way across the desert their journey is over they have reached their summer home all have arrived safely and as soon as the Sheep are out of the way they will unload the [Applause] wagon little B will help his horse is trained not to run away baby was taken off first and next come the puppies and the kittens all safe and sound take the ho his father soon mother and dark eyes are planting seeds of squash big flat seeds in the warm moist sand the navajos raise many squashes and melons father plows up the warm sandy soil here he plants corn navajos like roasted green corn and cornmeal little bo and his dog play in the grass near the summer [Applause] home they are watching the Sheep as they move about eating tender young [Applause] grass but now little bo brings the flock to the Corral father mother and dark eyes have come from the field it is time to cut the the heavy woolly hair from the goats and to Shear the wool from the Sheep little B has caught one of dark eyes goats and father comes to tie its legs because it must lie quiet tie him well says father mother uses sheep shears to clip the wool dark eyes watches and learns father has brought branches to repair the walls of their summer house puppy isn't much help they weave this yarn into rugs dark eyes fingers are Nimble and she is learning quickly her mother has woven rugs many many Summers and she sells some of them at the Trading Post white yarn has been strung up and down and fast and she weaves the colored strands back and forth making this beautiful Navajo design pounding down each strand firmly Navajo Indians are well known for the rugs they weave from the wool of the sheep and goats which they raise in their lonely desert country dark eyes is hoping she may sell her rug when it is finished you give a good rug it will be worth much her father says through the long summer days baby grows and plays with his small brother each day little bo takes his flock to pasture in the valley or on the hillsides wherever the grass is best birched upon a rock high above little bow watches over the sheep and the goats in the hot sunshine and under the clouds that drift lazily across the land of the navajos