For hundreds of years, Diné land management, wool processing, and economics evolved to
take advantage of the special qualities of Navajo-Churro sheep and wool.
Beginning in the 1860s, the U.S. government attempted to eradicate the Navajo-Churro breed as a
way of eradicating the Diné. The infamous “scorched earth” campaign in 1863-64 drove at
least half of the Diné into devastating captivity bewteen 1864 an 1868. During the 1930s, federal agents
went from hogan to hogan and shot sheep in front of their horrified owners. The first to be shot
were the Navajo-Churro because the agents thought this hardy breed was “scruffy and unfit.”
The psychological, economic, and environmental effects of this trauma are still felt today.
In the 1970s, animal scientist Dr. Lyle McNeal recognized the genetic and cultural
significance of Navajo-Churro sheep. He and his wife, Nancy, founded the Navajo Sheep
Project in 1977 to restore breeding stock to Navajo families and revitalize Spanish flocks in
northern New Mexico. His research recovered and documented the breed characteristics.
The Navajo-Churro Sheep Association was founded in 1986 and worked with the
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy to help save the breed from extinction. Today, there
are several thousand registered Navajo-Churro sheep in the United States.
In 1991, Diné shepherds and weavers founded Diné be’ iiná, Inc. (DBI) to restore Navajo-Churro sheep,
traditional fiber arts technology, and our historic self-sufficiency. DBI provides assistance with
sustainable flock management and develops value-added wool and meat products to help
maintain Diné livelihood and ensure continuation of the Navajo Sheep Culture.
Through its programs, DBI works to educate the public about traditional lifeways; strengthen
communities; and develop economic support for Navajo-Churro producers and weavers. DBI
programs support the central role of sheep in Navajo Lifeways and bring together people from
diverse cultures who love sheep, wool, and weaving. We celebrate prayer and song, tradition
and adaptability, and the interconnectedness of people, place, and land.
SPECIAL ATTRIBUTES OF NAVAJO-CHURRO SHEEP:
• Churros are hardy, genetically resistant to many diseases, and have flavorful lean meat.
• Churros produce milk with a high fat content suitable for making cheese and ice cream.
• Churros can exist in harsh climates. Lambs can survive cold winters during lambing season.
• Churros frequently twin, and sometimes have triplets. Healthy flocks can reproduce at a rate
of 200 per cent per year.
• Churros can be shorn twice a year. The fleece has two lengths of wool fibers that both protect
the animals from the elements and give Churro yarn extra strength and durability.
• Unlike other wools, Churro is low in lanolin, so it does not require valuable water for
washing nor time-consuming carding. It can be shorn, hand cleaned, then spun into yarn that
readily absorbs native vegetal dyes, from which the Navajo create weavings famous for their
exceptional luster, fine texture, and durability.
• The natural colors of Churro wool come in many shades of apricot, red, grey, black, blue,
brown, beige and white. These are highly sought after by weavers and spinners.
• Navajo-Churro wool has high potential for value-added processing for niche markets,
increasing the economic return that Diné sheep herders can obtain for their labors.