Livestock return brings relief, raises long-term questions for Diné ranchers
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Jaden Ben, 15, of Oak Springs, Ariz., with the Office of Diné Youth, stands watch as sheep graze at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena in St. Michaels, Ariz., on July 7. The arena sheltered livestock displaced by the Oak Ridge Fire.
WINDOW ROCK
As the Oak Ridge Fire scorched over 11,000 acres of grazing land southwest of St. Michaels, families rushed to evacuate their animals – livestock that carry deep personal, cultural, and economic meaning.
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
A student with the Office of Diné Youth guides livestock into pens at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena on July 7. The arena served as a temporary shelter for animals evacuated during the Oak Ridge Fire.
The return of some animals to their home ranges this week brings a sense of relief, but also forces many deeper, long-standing issues in tribal ranching and agriculture into the spotlight.
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Jesse Jim, the manager of the Navajo Department of Agriculture, speaks with Jeremy McCabe on July 7 at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena, where livestock were sheltered during the Oak Ridge Fire.
At the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena, the Navajo Department of Agriculture sheltered over 370 head of livestock during the height of the fire. The arena became a temporary refuge for sheep, goats, pigs, horses, cows, and dogs as flames threatened homes and rangeland across zones near Hunters Point, Standing Chimney Road, and Klagetoh.
“They did what they needed to do,” said Jesse Jim, the Navajo Department of Agriculture manager. “We came in with the frame of mind that, as Navajos, our livestock is our livelihood. That’s who we are at the core.”
Special to the Times | Donovan Quintero
Evacuated livestock, including sheep, goats, horses, and cattle, are sheltered at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena on July 7 following the Oak Ridge Fire evacuation.
Jim said her team already had pens and quickly mobilized to receive animals once evacuations began.
“The first call we got was for 77 head of sheep,” she said. “We reached out to BIA for extra panels to section off smaller herds. We used existing sheep-proof pens in Fort Defiance, and within a day or two, we had more set up here.”
To read the full article, please see the July 10, 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