A Lesson From
By Michele Reeves For those of us who live in or near Gallup, we see this town for what it is—small. We take for granted that there are expansive grocery stores, nail salons, service stations, and restaurants all within a short drive. The “perks” of Gallup is what others from the central part of the Navajo Reservation make a day’s trip to visit. Because it’s a long roundtrip journey, the trip must be worth the time and fuel, especially if the grandparents are coming along. Marie Tsosie is one of those people who makes her trips into Gallup as purposeful as possible. She has been an elementary teacher at the local boarding school for nearly three decades. She lives next door to her elder parents at the base of the western slope of the Chuska Mountains. When she isn’t at school, she is caring for a small flock of sheep, grading assignments next to the wood-burning stove, and having dinner with her parents. As far as she is concerned, there is 48
May 2018
no need for the internet, fast food, or Frappuccino. However, there always comes a time when a scheduled trip into Gallup is necessary, and she is quick to point out that it will never be during the first week of the month. Marie was raised “off the land” and without electricity and water. She and her siblings spent their childhood playing in the mountain springs, picking berries, and camping outdoors. She has always loved the sounds and smells of nature, and she loved coming home from school to the bleating sheep. Her brothers and her sister teased Marie for her reluctance to venture far from home, even to get a college education. Marie knew she wanted to be a teacher but feared any large city and its large university. While her brothers left for the military and her sister married and moved away, Marie’s options were limited. Fortunately, Diné College was a 30-minute drive from home. That meant, however, she would need to transfer to a fouryear college soon; so off she went to UNM and the “big city” of
