Minority Report

Part Three: Native Americans

The lines were long around the large trailer. People had risen early, bringing their dogs and cats for the event. It was April, and a mobile spay/neuter team had come to the reservation to help people get their family pets fixed. The fact that they were there at all, these members of the Navajo Nation, shatters a belief held by many in the welfare community that it's impossible to make a dent in the pet overpopulation problem on reservation lands.

The Native American community is spread all across America. Yet, even though it includes hundreds of separate tribes and customs, it remains one of the smallest minority groups.

Many people have preconceived notions about the relationship between Native Americans and animals. The concept that their fundamental culture is one of an elevated respect for and symbiotic existence with animals seems in sharp contrast to what many visitors to reservations find: large numbers of cats and dogs who seemingly roam free and uncared for. David Ortiz is a writer and anthropologist based in Flagstaff, Arizona. His work has taken him to the heart of the Navajo population - a patriarchal culture where elders still pass down traditions and customs, and shape the attitudes of younger generations.

"Many older people on reservation lands were brought up with the idea that animals are a resource," says Ortiz. "Dogs guard the hogan or house and herd sheep and goats. A cat's job is to kill mice and other smaller animals. When animal welfare people show up and start talking about altering the animals to control the population, they just can't relate to it. They feel in part that dogs and cats need to reproduce to provide food for coyotes and other predators. They're part of the cycle of life."

These cultural attitudes are often an obstacle when it comes to interacting with the Native American community.

Historical treatment of their people at the hands of the white world has left deeply embedded suspicion - and that hesitation is often present when humane groups come to town.

"Language can be a barrier," says Dr. Carol Holgate, a Navajo veterinarian who runs the health services of Plateauland Mobile Veterinary Clinic. "There are many English-speaking people, but among the older generation, there are also those who only speak Navajo. I've been working with some groups that come to the reservations to come up with ideas on how to communicate more effectively. What would help is to have materials - videos, audio cassettes, and pamphlets - that are written in the language. And we have to educate people not to judge. Just to understand that there are differences in attitude and culture."

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