Navajo sheep herding at risk from climate change. Some push to maintain the tradition

Jay Begay tries to lasso a churro sheep in a pen at the home of relatives on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, in the community of Rocky Ridge, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation. Begay was helping to castrate his aunt's sheep. Whenever Amy Begaye's extended family butchered a sheep, she was given what she considered easy tasks — holding the legs and catching the blood with a bowl. She was never given the knife.

Beginning in 1864, the U.S. Army forced several thousand Navajo into exile during what came to be known as the Long Walk; they returned to destroyed homes and livestock. Some hid with their sheep and survived, only for the government to again kill thousands of sheep during forced herd reductions in the early 1930s.

A mega drought across the Western U.S. has sucked moisture from the land, leaving cracks and barrenness in its wake. The next count of sheep isn't planned until 2024, but Navajo Department of Agriculture officials say the number is lower than the 200,000 counted in 2017. Adding to the problem is the long-standing issue of water scarcity on Navajo Nation, where roughly a third of people lack reliable access to clean water.

Like Begay Jr., Craig worries about climate change. He pays more for feed in the winter and must haul water from a filling station in Gallup, about an hour roundtrip. To prevent erosion, a problem worsened by wild horses that have been allowed to run rampant on the reservation, the allowed number of sheep and other livestock is controlled by grazing permits. Craig has seen the erosion, and tears up thinking about how the contours of the land he once roamed as a child have changed.

Energy Energy Latest News, Energy Energy Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Navajo sheep herding at risk from climate change. Some young people push to maintain the traditionRaising sheep is a way of life for many people in Navajo Nation, but a host of factors threaten that livelihood.
Source: wjxt4 - 🏆 246. / 63 Read more »

Navajo sheep herding at risk from climate change. Some young people push to maintain the traditionRaising sheep is a way of life for many people in Navajo Nation, but a host of factors threaten that livelihood.
Source: ksatnews - 🏆 442. / 53 Read more »

Navajo sheep herding at risk from climate change. Some young people push to maintain the traditionRaising sheep is a way of life for many people in Navajo Nation, but a host of factors threaten that livelihood.
Source: KPRC2 - 🏆 80. / 68 Read more »

Navajo sheep herding at risk from climate change. Some young people push to maintain the traditionRaising sheep is a way of life for many people in Navajo Nation, but a host of factors threaten that livelihood
Source: sdut - 🏆 5. / 95 Read more »

Navajo sheep herding at risk from climate change. Some young people push to maintain the traditionRaising sheep is a way of life for many people in Navajo Nation, but a host of factors threaten that livelihood. Historic droughts have led many Navajo to reduce the size of their flocks, and grazing restrictions, development and a lack of interest from the next generation of shepherds all compound the problem.
Source: AP - 🏆 728. / 51 Read more »