New Mexico Blizzard 1931 (newsreel)

Establishing shot: Credits and title cut to a snowy scene with four men walking through the snow with blankets under their arms (00:00:12).

Named locations: Gallup, New Mexico; McKinley County Trading Post; Thunder Mountain (Dowa Yalanne)

Major themes covered: This newsreel reports on the “…vain and valiant…” rescue of bands of Zuni and Navajo Indians from a large blizzard in western New Mexico. This film opens with scenes of dead and frozen people being carried out of the mountains by rescue workers. The surviving Zuni and Navajo Indians are relocated to a McKinley County trading post. The film closes with scenes of Native people standing in queue for food rations.

Native activities shown: Zuni and Navajos in carts being taken down the mountains; Woman holding a baby on a cradleboard; Indians taking shelter and food/water
Individuals Named: No named individuals
Native language spoken: No native languages
Audible: Good quality English narration
Noteworthy elements:
Other notes: Google map identifying Dowa Yalanne  https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Dowa+Yalanne&hl=en&ll=35.052765,-108.792114&spn=0.152049,0.307274&safe=off&client=firefox-a&channel=fflb&hnear=Dowa+Yalanne&t=p&z=12

--Mikel Stone, 2012

Probably a repurposed newsreel, re-released as part of television series Yesterday's Newsreel, in 1948. --Jennifer Jenkins, 2012