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Stories from Frank Mitchell's life spoken in Navajo, recorded June 1963

 File — CD: 6

Scope and Contents

The lady I was staying kept bothering me and I wanted to leave. I went to the Catholic priest to work for him as a cook. No cars, just wagons. People always had negative thoughts of other people. Military set up Fort Defiance. Men were recruited and went to the army (Fort Defiance. Military roaming the reservation and recruiting even at night. The people did not like the military coming to their home at night. Men served in the military. After they served in the military, they talked about their experience. From Fort Wingate, the military assigned a Navajo military man to Chinle to be interpreter. They wanted a leader that is truthful, not a liar. The people wanted to know what is going on. They wanted someone to explain. Left the Catholic church, returned home, got married and had children. At the time, there were no hospitals. There was one hospital for Fort Defiance. This hospital only gave out medicine. The people visited medicine men to be cured. He explains about hitching the mules to the wagon. He worked at a job which involved hitching wagons and moving supplies. He wanted to buy things for himself but he did not make enough money. He just bought groceries. He went for a job interview in Fort Defiance. He got the job as a lumberjack. Worked for a short period of time because of his family. He talks about working from one job to another. He was trained by a medicine man named Man Who Shouts. To become a medicine man he followed this man everywhere. He says that they were to work hard everyday. If you don’t, you will get weak and be old early in life.

Dates

  • recorded June 1963

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Collection: 1 box (23 CDs)

Repository Details

Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository

Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451