Echoes of resilience: Diné voices return in ‘Our Livestock Will Never Diminish’
Courtesy | Navajo Nation Museum
Sheep make their way through an arroyo in Mormon Valley, north of Gallup, during the summer of 1935, moving along well-worn paths that have shaped the landscape for generations.
By Nolan Bruno
Navajo Times
WINDOW ROCK
The echoes of the resilient Diné past will soon resonate through the Navajo Nation Museum.
On Aug. 8, the museum will open a new exhibition titled “Nihinaaldlooshii doo nídínééshgóó k’ee’ąá yilzhish dooleeł.” It translates to “Our Livestock Will Never Diminish.” It is “The Photography of Milton Snow and the Legacies of Livestock Reduction (1935-1959).”
Courtesy | Navajo Nation Museum
A Diné family poses for a portrait around 1937, capturing a moment of family life and cultural resilience during a pivotal era in Navajo history.
The exhibition is generously funded by the Henry Luce Foundation’s Indigenous Knowledge Initiative and sponsored by the First Nations Development Institute. The exhibition’s co-curators, Jennifer Nez Denetdale and Clarenda Begay, say the showcase offers visitors a meaningful journey into the past, where stories of survival, connection to land, and the sacred relationship with livestock remain at the heart of Diné identity.
Courtesy | Navajo Nation Museum
Sheep graze peacefully as a sheepherder on horseback stands nearby in District 17, continuing a traditional livelihood deeply rooted in Diné culture and the land.
The project will display the intriguing history of U.S. Indian Commissioner John Collier’s controversial livestock reduction programs and the legacy of photographer Milton Snow, famous for focusing on the transformation of the Navajo land.
Courtesy | Navajo Nation Museum
A motorist drives down a quiet roadway in 1956, capturing a snapshot of mid-20th century travel and the open landscapes of the era.
“Milton Snow has spent over three decades taking photographs of Navajos. He has left around 15 to 20 thousand photographs of Navajo people,” Denetdale explained in an interview with the Navajo Times. Denetdale is a professor and the American Studies chair at the University of New Mexico.
To read the full article, please see the June 26, 2025, edition of the Navajo Times.
Get instant access to this story by purchasing one of our many e-edition subscriptions HERE at our Navajo Times Store.
Rate:
Highway 264,
I-40, WB @ Winslow