At an elevation of nearly 6,000 feet, Dilkon is laced with buttes, hills with sloping sides and flat tops that stand alone in an otherwise flat area. The reservation is expansive and encompasses a mix of modern and traditional housing. Homes are separated by miles of open land the locals use to herd sheep, goats, cows and horses. Almost every compound has a hogan, but many are used only for ceremonial purposes.
According to the U.S. census, the median income on the reservation in 2000 was $16,146 compared with $41,994 nationwide. We therefore witnessed poverty first-hand.
Our primary task was to partner with a local church to conduct vacation Bible school. We began each night serving dinner. Children as young as 4 walked alone to the church, many simply in search of food.
The stories were heart-wrenching.
One 6-year-old boy told of how he lives in a home with so many people that he is forced to sleep outside. A girl, 9, spoke of raising her three younger siblings because her mother is an alcoholic. A young mother, after receiving the school supplies we brought with us, said, "You saved my life." She has had to forgo meals to buy school materials. Another young girl had begged her mother on the last day of our stay to use some of the family's water to take a bath. With a big smile on her face she said to us, "I wanted to be clean for my new friends from Salt Lake City."
We were also exposed to some of the cultural challenges that exist for Navajos who want to convert to Christianity.
For American Indians, religion and culture are inseparable. Therefore, converting to Western religion is a difficult decision that requires converts to relinquish some of their culture.
Some feel it best to completely abandon their culture once they embrace Christianity. A 72-year-old convert exclaimed, "I don't even entertain the old ways for fear that I may be pulled back in." Thus, she does not participate in any of the Navajo ceremonies and chooses not to even wear traditional jewelry, which is usually symbolic of some Navajo customs, traditions or deities.
Others have found a compromise. One Navajo woman who grew up on the reservation and is now a member of our congregation in Salt Lake City says, "I wear the jewelry because I want to identify with my people, but to me it's just art. I don't believe in any of the customs or deities that they may symbolize."
Our trip was a reminder of how we sometimes take things for granted. Even within our country's borders there are many suffering immensely. I thought often of my children, who may not realize how fortunate they are to have running water, food, school supplies and a plethora of electronic games and devices. But the Navajo children we met are happy. They have simply accepted their situation for what it is and have learned to live with it.
Our mission was an opportunity to minister to the Navajo people; in all honesty, the lessons from their lives have touched us probably more than our service touched them.
Corey J. Hodges is pastor of New Pilgrim Baptist Church in Taylorsville. E-mail him at
coreyjhodges @ comcast. net or send comments to religion
editor@ sltrib. com.
