Exceptional Children’s Rodeo vital for Navajo

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Karen Francis
Diné Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — The Navajo Nation branch chiefs signed a proclamation reaffirming the Nation’s recognition and respect for Navajo people with disabilities earlier this week. Signing the proclamation were President Joe Shirley Jr., Vice President Ben Shelly, Council Speaker Lawrence T. Morgan, Chief Justice Herb Yazzie and Resources Committee Chairperson George Arthur.

This is the third time that the branch chiefs have signed such a proclamation, and it comes in honor of the Fourth Annual Navajo Nation Fair Exceptional Children’s Rodeo.

The Navajo Nation’s exceptional rodeo for children with disabilities is being held this year on Kid’s Day at the 62nd Annual Navajo Nation Fair — Sept. 4 at the Dean C. Jackson Memorial Arena.

The signing of the proclamation makes the branch chiefs aware of the special needs of children with disabilities and the purpose in making such an event available for them, planning team members said.

“This is a wonderful annual tradition because these are our relatives, our children, who are disabled in some fashion,” Shirley said Friday. “It does us all good to recognize them and what they bring into our families.”

On Tuesday, Shelly said, “Let’s get more involved on behalf of our kids. They’re our kids.”

For the members of the planning team, people with disabilities were not included for too long during the Navajo Nation Fair. The exceptional rodeo came about when Arthur noticed there were events at the Navajo people’s annual celebration for nearly everyone, except for people with disabilities.

After realizing the need for a new activity, Arthur, who is the chair of the oversight committee for the fair, put together a group of volunteers who planned the rodeo especially for the Nation’s exceptional children. The rodeo has continued for the past four years and recently, other fairs around Navajo have begun to include exceptional rodeos among their activities, including the Ramah and Central Navajo fairs. The fourth rodeo for the Navajo Nation is one which the planning team recognizes as a sacred event that solidifies its importance and continuation at the peoples’ fair.

Children with disabilities from all over the Navajo Nation in kindergarten through eighth grade are welcome to the annual rodeo in their honor. Events include the Wild West Photographs, Lickity Split Barrel Racing, Brush & Shine Horse Grooming, Kidz Kowboy Roping, the Pony Express Ride, pole bending, old-fashioned wagon ride and the ever-popular Mighty Bucky Bull-o-rama.