Adams] SHONTO! ROLE OF NAVAHO TRADER 111 



phasis on short-term employment, and a high turnover in permanent 

 jobs. 



LIVESTOCK 



Livestock raising is second only to farming (see pp. 123-124) as the 

 most basic and necessary, in native terms, of all Shonto's productive 

 activties (see Hill, 1938, p. 18; Kluckhohn and Leighton, 1946, p. 20; 

 Roessel, 1951, pp. 72, 95). It is the one and only source of fresh 

 mutton, an absolute necessity according to Navaho ideals, and, hence, 

 even such high-prestige activities as the practice of native crafts and 

 professional skills are secondary to it. All Shonto residence groups 

 except that at the school have some livestock. Distribution of animals 

 (in terms of formal ownership) among Shonto households and resi- 

 dence groups is shown in table 17. Average and total holdings are 

 shown in table 19. 



The best recent discussion of Navaho livestock practice in general 

 is that of Landgraf (1954, pp. 60-64) at Ramah. His description 

 applies to Shonto, with little modification. 



Sheep are owned in all but one of Shonto's 38 residence groups. 

 Formal ownership is by individuals, often involving several members 

 of a single household (cf. Kluckholm and Leighton, 1946, p. 59). 

 However, actual sheep operation is usually undertaken as a joint 

 operation of the whole residence group. The average band comes 

 to about 100 head (see table 19). Herding is traditionally the job 

 of children between the ages of 6 and 12 years (cf. Leighton and 

 Kluckholm, 1948, pp. 57-58), but in the present day, when nearly all 

 children of those ages are in school, it is likely to be done by older 

 children and even, in a few cases, by adults. Flocks are herded 

 during the daylight hours only, and are normally corralled at the 

 residence group center for at least 12 hours out of 24 (cf. Kluckhohn 

 and Leighton, 1946, p. 30) . Herding follows a very limited itinerary, 

 usually within 2 miles of the hogan, as dictated by limited range 

 holdings and water sources (see map 1). There is seldom any signifi- 

 cant variation in the daily grazing itinerary (see Franciscan Fathers, 

 1910, p. 257). 



Shonto's sheep practice is essentially sedentary; it is a type of 

 practice normally adapted to pasturage rather than range conditions. 

 As map 1 clearly shows, the Navahos' celebrated seasonal migration 

 with their flocks seldom amounts to more than "moving onto the 

 back 40." Of 38 Shonto residence groups, 15 have only one residence 

 which is occupied throughout the year. Sixteen groups have two 

 residences, 6 have three residences, and 1 has four. In all but half a 

 dozen cases summer and winter hogans are located upon a single 

 contiguous range area, and, in fact, average less than 2 miles apart. 



