Navajo Livestock Reduction: A Pathfinder

by Sara Albert

October 12, 2004

Introduction

In the first part of the twentieth century Navajo livestock populations greatly increased, so much so that the significant overgrazing was damaging the range. By 1933 it became apparent to the American government that erosion had become a major problem on the Navajo reservation. The Indian Bureau implemented a livestock reduction program aimed at cutting livestock numbers roughly in half (Spicer). This program was extremely disruptive to the Navajo community and led to major changes in economic and social structures.

This pathfinder provides sources of general information about the livestock reduction program as well as sources that provide insights into specific facets of the topic, such as the Navajo reaction, the view of the government, and the social and economic consequences of the program. This information was prepared to address the needs of the Diné College population, as requested by David Hurley, director of library services of the Arizona Campus & Centers. Their needs include information on the history and various consequences of the livestock reduction program and on the Navajo and non-Navajo reactions to the program.

There is at least one book exclusively dedicated to the topic (Navajo Livestock Reduction: A National Disgrace). More commonly, books of Navajo history have a chapter or section on the era of the livestock reduction program. Journal and newspaper articles are another valuable source and include articles written during the time of the livestock reduction as well as retrospective research articles. Some of these journal and newspaper articles are available on the Internet, although these tend to be recently published as opposed to being published near the time of the program implementation. Finally, the serious student may be interested in the original government publications including the text of the acts and committee reports (these are beyond the scope of this pathfinder).

I based my decisions on the following criteria in choosing sources to include in this pathfinder:

• Coverage of the topic, whether in general or about specific aspects as requested by the client.
• Authority of the author or publisher. For example, books or articles written by people who experienced the livestock reduction program firsthand are desirable.
• Inclusion of multiple viewpoints.
• Source type. The client is particularly interested in newspaper sources.
• Accessibility. On-line accessibility is desirable.

I started my search by using databases such as Academic Search Premier, America: History and Life, Article First, and the University of Texas at Austin library catalog using search terms such as “Navajo,” “Navaho,” “livestock,” and “livestock reduction” in various combinations. I also pursued links from Native American and Navajo websites including http://www.nativeculture.com and http://navajocentral.org/. I queried search engines like Google using some of the same search terms mentioned above to see if that turned up anything else. Finally, I combed references in pertinent books and articles to locate other possible sources to include in this pathfinder.

 

Reference: Spicer, E[dward] H. with John Collier. “Sheepmen and Technicians: A Program of Soil Conservation on the Navajo Indian Reservation.” Human Problems in Technological Change: A Casebook. Ed. Edward H. Spicer. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1952. 185-207.