a true navajo feast

some of the best times in my childhood were spent with extended family - aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents - and whenever we'd all gather together, we'd have amazing feasting parties! i remember running around with my cousins, playing hide and go seek out in hilltops, or playing "house" on the red rock plateaus, gathering sage brush and juniper berries for our "stews," as one of us swept the dirt or rock floors - all while waiting for the aunts and uncles to finish preparing the real food. 

as the cousins grew up and moved away, the aunts and uncles grew older and became grandparents themselves, the grandmother's too old to keep their cattle and provide for family feasts, the gatherings dwindled until they completely faded away.

so yesterday morning, when my grandmother, aunts, and some cousins came to visit, things just fell into place. instead of a quick passing through hello, suddenly there were party feasting plans - and for those who don't know - a traditional navajo feasting party almost always consists of mutton. but with grandma's sheep sold, the dilemma was where to get one? - along with who's going to get it?

my dad made some calls, found a few places to buy a sheep for $100 or less. and somehow, the two non-navajo blackfoot men were sent off to run the errand of finding the perfect sheep. 

the aunts quickly began the work of making frybread and tortillas - and knowing my qualifications and limited talent in this area, i cleverly stayed out of the way. besides, it is always a well-known fact that, the aunts and mothers always make the best frybread - unless it's grandma's bread.

we all snitched, waiting eagerly for sam and uncle nathan to get back with the sheep. there were pictures being sent back, "is this a good one?" aunt julie would give her thumbs up or thumbs down - "his teeth are too old, it's too lean!" and finally, they were on their way home.

sam, once again, helped my aunts with the butchering. his spunk and capable hands amaze me. he is not afraid to jump into anything. there were words of gratitude said for the sheep and it's sacrifice...and then the more light-hearted task of preparing the meat. my aunts teased sam and he teased back. 

grandma sat from the chair as she shouted out orders or criticism - "you're going too slow! you should've been done by now, the meat is drying out! yadilla! you're cutting it wrong, don't get the meat dirty!" 

isaiah was also a very good help in fetching this and that.

everyone was howling with laughter. there was no way out of cracking up. at one point nathan got in to help the others lift the sheep carcass onto the tree branch. 

(uncle nathan and auntie myha)

of course, things got a little messy, and once the meat was hung, sam yelled out, "where's the hand sanitizer?" my aunts wasted no time in getting after his cheeky self and replied, "somebody push him in the chaa' (that's navajo for, poop) and THEN we'll give him some hand sanitizer!"

after an entire afternoon of butchering, preparing, and grilling outside - the mutton was finally ready to eat. 

we had such a house full of people that we had to spread ourselves throughout the entire first floor of my parent's house.

two of the many little cousins, running around the house playing together....samiyah and her cousin, nizhoni.

 and just like with anything else we do - eating was not complete without teasing and fits of laughter to compliment the feast. one of the aunts had yelled out, "where's sam? why is he so quiet?" another had yelled out to the other rooms, "sam! get back in here and make us laugh!" absolutely nothing can compare to the sound of indian women laughing - it is the best thing ever and thoroughly contagious. and if anyone can make them shriek with giggles, it's sam.

we stuffed ourselves silly with mutton stew, grilled ribs, ach'ii', frybread, tortillas, and all the other tender and sweet parts of the meat. my pregnant belly was happily satisfied.

since it was makayah's birthday, i had also made a cake for everyone to enjoy, after we sang happy birthday to makayah, of course.

when everyone had finished eating and helped clean up, said good-byes, and gave out hugs, makayah asked when she could have her sheep eyeball. yes, she did. earlier in the day, makayah and isaiah - who had never had a sheep's eyeball - were fighting over them. mak argued, "it's MY birthday, so I get to have the eyeball!" lucky for them, there were two eyeballs.

as soon as she bit down, she immediately spit it out, yelling, "i don't like it!" and ran out of the kitchen as fast as she could...

only to come back around the corner, seconds later, to witness isaiah's first time eating a sheep's eyeball.

surprisingly, he liked it. well, maybe unsurprisingly. after all, he is a boy.

now, i know most of you who are reading this are quite unfamiliar with navajo ways of life and will most likely be turning your nose up, grossing out, thinking, "how in the world?" but as long as i can remember, my grandmothers have owned herds of sheep. they know and can tell each one apart. there is great love and respect for the animals they raise. nothing is wasted. in fact, the hide was going to be cleaned and tanned and given to makayah for her birthday gift - which she is incredibly excited about.

so, before you gross out too much, remember where and how your hamburger meat, your bratwursts, or your roasted chicken came to land upon your plate. in most instances, these animals were raised in diseased environments, treated with cruelty and disrespect in horrible slaughter houses without so much as a, "thank you very much."

i for one, am grateful for this particular sheep's sacrifice to bring together family, create a sense of team work, love, and rejoicing on a special day. it is a sacred and noble purpose to play this part in one's life.

these are pictures from earlier in the morning...before we knew what the day would bring. ;)

we finished up our game of monopoly, started the night before. isaiah was kicking our booties.

it was baby enyeto's first time meeting the navajo side of his family (he is my nephew, my younger brother's son). we did take pictures of him with his great aunts, but those are on the nicer, bigger cameras which we just can't download right now.

my two brothers. uncle darrell and uncle bubba with little mims. she wasn't feeling too hot (we found out a day later she was actually suffering from an ear infection, poor girl.). so, she had reason to be a grouch.

isaiah with his cousin, enyeto.

makayah was begging and begging to hold him, too. but she had to wait (rather impatiently, i might add) for her turn after the aunts and umpa got their fair share of cuddles.

he grew so much since we last saw him! he's four months in these photos.

today i am grateful for:

*uncle nathan and auntie myha's willingness to help and their appreciation for my culture. they are amazing people who open their arms wide for all the world has to offer them.

*the opportunity my children have to have such rich experiences that allow them to learn more of their heritage and who they are. it is important to have roots.

*family and happiness.