Show 25 Razors Razor's Strip By RAY LOUIS I This is the year of the Navajo Centennial One hundred years ago the Navajo people came back to their reservation from Fort Sumner at the tI time me they were about dead No food no clothing no homes and no hopes for further father life SOME CAME back very near death they Just laid down under undera a tree and said they wanted to tobe tobe 1 be left to alone-to die in peace Year by year the Navajo people people peo peo- pIe came back to life like anold anold an anold old tree that began another life by having a young tree start sUrf growing beside its withered trunk Now the Navajo is the largest tribe in the United States This year we glare like a diamond and we are looking the back young unknowingly i 1 n g l I Y yand t and unsure of what had happened and how hoR much their ancestors bad had suffered The old tearful they glance against the wind and recall what some of them saw and what some of them had I suffered sri as youth-marching youth tec r. r slowly IO l oy over oyer r th the hungry desert ol ot New Mexico 9 I THEIR transportation was wasp p poor or some had horses and others just walked When they came back to their country they were once again free The They y hunted gathered f food 00 d and I worked together until they be became became became be- be came strong again Their wealth grew by gaining a few animals at a smiths gained back the knowledge knowledge knowledge knowl knowl- edge of ot putting pretty stones together and they made their riches In such a matter As time came they would tr trade ade their necklaces bracelets earrings earrings earrings ear ear- rings etc for sheep cattle horses and maybe even for a wife In U this s way the Navajo people grew No longer did they have to worry about their transportation transportation transportation trans trans- there were horses- horses enough to get them from one end of life to the beginning of another one-beyond one the sunset beyond the horizon YES TODAY the Navajo tribe is a different tribe A tribe proud to be what they are and proud to have gained a feather for their memorial bonnet bonnet bonnet bon bon- net of life Ufe A tribe in hope to accomplish a step on a narrow strip of ot road in today's so so- so- so A tribe in praise of growth of life Ufe of the dark green cornfields upon a rain forgotten land sheep grazing upon the sands upon the sunbaked earth unknown to manin man manin manin in the mountains where his sheep feed in a colorful green meadow as a refreshing stream runs through to keep it green and with colorful-with flowers there thereto to lighten n the face of the man who quietly and comfortably rests under a blooming tree B But the Navajo is there under the sun-still sun praising life of growth still In hope of gainIng gaining gaining gain gain- ing as he glances up at the burning sun and he notices that there Isn't a cloud in the sky sky- just blue eternity and the sun But the Navajo will wait to night it will be cool no more stars and a moon to bring comfort to his heart On June a few chosen Navajo people are gol going lg to march back from Fort Sumner to react the longest walk Some Hollywood cameramen will be bethere bethere bethere there to film it for a picture They will arrive at Window Rock Ariz on the of July where a big four day celebration celebration celebration tion will be going on My broth brother er Gary was fortunate enough to be one of the boys to march back WITHIN the hundred years the Navajo people have prospered prospered prospered pros pros- greatly and U this s year throughout the summer the people peo will celebrate their cen cen- tennial They know they have blossomed like a flower from froma rom roma a desert seed to a beautiful flower lower so bright and rare ready to face tace tomorrow to support support support sup sup- port each man who is face with loneliness to make him smile a bright smile so the world could be as expected among the people that make the world Almost every Navajo has today changed-today the older people are encouraging their young children to attend school to de develop develop develop de- de a good foundation for life- life his own and his people and his country THE DRESS is about the same long sleeve velvet blouse ankle length dress And so so with with the one hundred hundred hundred hun hun- dred years of I growth-I signoff sign signoff signoff off again hoping that I will be beable beable beable able to go to Fort Sumner asa as asa asa a reporter and see wood works this walking walling ex expedition expedition ex- ex across cross the desert of New Mexico I want to see how well my people can act when they thay will walk as near death with no food no no clothing no homes and as no hopes for further life Ufe Maybe one hundred hundred years from today we will quietly lay down under a tree tre and will hope to die in peace to awake from the end of life HIe to a beginning of ot another be beyond beyond beyond be- be yond the sunset beyond the horizon NEXT WEEK is coming so until then wi with th a s smile mile Ill I'll say good-bye good and to wish you well well |