Written by Peter Deswood III
As the gate to the bucking shoot opened and the raging 2,000 pound bull exploded, I immediately awoke, at 4 o’clock in the morning, to the front door of the hogan opening and closing. Shi nali asdzaa (my paternal grandmother) walked outside to say her morning prayer. I could faintly hear the wind blowing in the -5° weather as the winter wind blew from the west.
I slowly faded back to my dream of riding the raging bull for eight seconds. However, right at the six second mark, I was bucked off the bull. Right before I hit the ground, I woke up hearing shi nali saying, “Hozho Nahasdlii, Hozho Nahasdlii, Hozho Nahasdlii, Hozho Nahasdlii” (beauty to the east, beauty to the south, beauty to the west, and beauty to the north). Again, I fell back into my dream of being a rodeo cowboy on the Navajo reservation.
As my eyes opened, I could smell the succulent-bacon cooking and I could hear the bacon sizzling. All while shi nali was flapping tortillas back and forth between her hands. I laid their thinking she made tortillas for thirteen of my aunts and uncles. My cousin said, “Sonny Boy are you awake?” I responded, “Yeah, I just woke up.” I began telling my cousin about my dream of living on the rodeo circuit. Meanwhile, shi nali continued to make a stack of tortillas while sitting on a small step stool in front of the potbelly stove. It took us a while to get ready so we could brave the chilly-winter day in Round Rock, Arizona. This was my family’s winter sheep camp. Shi nali’s Hogan and other structures were hidden between plateaus in all directions. Right before slipping on our work boots, shi nali helped us put Rainbow Bread plastic-bags over our socks. She told us it snowed overnight and we needed to keep our feet warm and dry. Once we were all set, shi nali made us breakfast burritos made with Navajo tortillas, thick cut bacon, and diced potatoes. Those burritos did not stand a chance, especially when a second grade boy just finished rodeoing around the reservation. This was a typical morning when my cousin and I would spend winter break with our 90 pound-Kinlichiini (The Red House People clan) nali and masanii (maternal grandmother). Shi Nali’s day always started with a prayer that lasted 20-30 minutes, even in the freezing cold. I often wondered how she was able to pray in the freezing weather. Shi nali was spiritual and resilient!!! Photo: David Bekis