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Federal Livestock Reduction
Program
In the year 1933 the Navajo sheep
population reached
a high
of 1,350,000 sheep units of livestock. At
that point the US decided they should research the
sheep in Navajo
control. They found out that the Navajo
Reservation only has grass enough for 560,000 sheep units of livestock. In 1934 the Bureau of Inidan Affairs had an
idea for what needed to be done to
reduce the sheep population. It is outlined in A Navajo Confrontation and Crises
by Floyd Pollock.
1.
That proportionately larger reductions
should be made in
larger herds;
2.
That an exemption limit should be set, below
which no
reduction should be made;
3.
That an effort be made to reduce goats more
heavily than sheep;
and,
4.
That the water development program should
proceed in close
correlation and with immediate and future range management requirements.
The decision
went before the tribal council who agreed to the project.
They came up with a proposal and Pollock said it looked
like this:
1.
A resolution sanctioning a widespread
reduction program;
2.
That an attempt be made to secure additional
land for them;
3.
That soil conservation carry on with a vast
undertaking among
the Navajos;
4.
That the emergency conservation work
continue;
5.
That the day-school program, which has
subsequently been
completed, should be started.
They divided
the area into 6 jurisdictions and each one had a set amount of sheep it
was
allowed: Northern, 20,000 head; Southern, 32,000 head; Eastern, 15,000
head;
Western, 15,000 head; Hopi, 10,000 head; Leupp, 8,000 head. The problem was the Navajo were forced
to sell their sheep extremely cheaply to the US government. The Navajo were not given the promised
education so they could get jobs to make up the loss in money. This caused the Navajo to become poorer than
they already were and made
them distrust the US government even more.
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