Recently, I received a large quantity of fleeces from one of my knitting/spinning friends, Georgene. There’s a whole story or two about that, but for now, I’ll just write about one fleece breed among the 17 she gave me.
Navajo Churro
Navajo Churro Photo from Navajo-Churro Sheep Association Website
Being from Washington State, I don’t recall there being Navajo Churro sheep in our area. They appear to be more common in the southwestern states, like New Mexico.
Lucky for me, besides about a handful of Navajo Churro fleeces I was just gifted, I was able to find some written information on them in the Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson & Carol Ekarius as well as the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association Website.
There is a rich history behind the Navajo Churro sheep as a conservation breed. They are also the oldest breed in North America. Developed from the Churra sheep, the name was changed from Churra to Navajo Churro.
There are two instances that nearly wiped the Navajo Churro sheep off the face of the earth. First, and very tragically, in the 1860s, the U.S. Army killed thousands upon thousands of Navajo Churro sheep to maintain control of the Navajo tribe. Second, in the 1930s, after attempting to improve the breed, the government started a large livestock reduction program, citing drought conditions and overgrazing issues on the Navajo Reservation. The Navajo Churro sheep nearly went extinct because of these federal management policies.
By 1977, the Navajo Churro sheep population had dwindled to less than 500. The Navajo Sheep Project was then established by Dr. Lyle McNeal to revive the breed and prevent it from going extinct. With the help of many individuals, the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association was formed in 1986. The program has increased the sheep population to nearly 6,000.
The Navajo-Churro Sheep Association has the Guide to the Selection of Navajo-Churro Sheep pdf available on their website.
“Sheep is life,” is a strong belief in traditional Navajos. I totally agree!
There is more to learn about the Navajo Churro fleece breed as I continue to explore it. Stay tuned!
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