Establishing Shot: An extreme wide shot of a desert landscape; canyon walls can be seen in the background, while two people, one on horseback, tend to a flock of sheep (00:00:28).
Named locations:
Major themes covered: profile of Navajo social life and culture.
Establishing shot: Navajo riders on horseback silhouetted by sunrise
Named locations:Gallup, New Mexico; Window Rock, Arizona; St. Michael Mission; Ganado Mission; Hubble’s Trading Post, Ganado, AZ.
Major themes covered: An intimate look at Navajo daily life and culture, presented to appeal to an Anglo audience in order to promote tourism.
Establishing shot: These outtakes open with a close up of a man performing a sing and keeping time with a rattle (00:00:06)
Disclaimer: The narrator claims that the Navajo came from the Gobi Desert and look like Mongols. Fictionalized names and melodic references engage stereotypes of the day. The narration for this film is very racist: generally condescending in tone and full of misinformation about Navajo culture. All of this is told in in light and joking manner; even the narrator is presented as a humorous caricature of a “Wild West” settler rather than a real person.
Establishing shot: Mountains covered with the last snow of winter. The high peaks of the mountain are to the left of the frame, to the right of the frame the beginning of a valley can be seen. More mountains can be seen in the background. This shot then cuts to grazing sheep.
Named locations: No named locations
Major themes covered: Overview of the Navajo people and their agricultural practices; moving between winter and summer hogans; transhumant seasonal activities.
To listen to an alternate Navajo narration of this film, press "play" on the film, mute the audio, and then press "play" on the audio file above. The narration is by Rhiannon Sorrell of Tsaile, Arizona.