Swapping stories with historian Bob McPherson

We live in an iconic landscape. John Wayne used this rugged, harsh, beautiful landscape to tell stories with San Juan County as a backdrop for his movies; many others have as well.
Thelma and Louise, Back to the Future, Geronimo, City Slickers, and Forest Gump, just to name a few.
When John Wayne first saw Monument Valley he said, “So this is where God put the West.”
The people that travel through this land, or try to make it home, are changed because of it.
They write down their stories on the rock walls of the canyons and in journals, songs, chants and letters.
It seems as if mankind has an innate need to tell their story. You see it on the rock panels showing great hunts and processions and ceremonies, you can read the journals of the pioneers, you can sing along to the Blue Mountain song.
The pioneers wrote about heart-breaking stories of endurance only made possible because of their firm faith.
Outlaws and horse thieves have hidden among the rocks and canyons as recently as 1998. Locals won’t forget the McVean and Pilon man hunt.
Spanish explorers traversed the arduous trade route as early as the 16th century.
Native Americans used Chacoan roads for trade and migrations. The Navajos have lived in the canyons and hilltops; their stories are etched into rock panels throughout the county and captured in their prayers, chants, songs, and ceremonies.
Bob McPherson a local writer, historian, teacher, professor emeritus, and storyteller has a story to tell, and he is brilliant at his craft.
His story is less about him and more about the Native Americans in San Juan County.
Sandoval, a wise old Indian said, “You look at me and you see only an ugly old man, but within I am filled with beauty.
“I sit atop the mountain and look into the future. I see my people and your people living together. In time…my people will have forgotten their early way of life unless they learn it from white men’s books…
”You must write down all that I will tell you…so that coming generations may know the truth.”
Bob has methodically and with a passion for his work interviewed nearly 200 Navajo elders, recorded their stories, and transcribed much of what they said.
He carefully listened to their stories and teachings and has used their stories to write 19 books about the Navajo people, their teachings, their culture, and customs.
You know, if I ever decide to grow up and become a responsible adult, and I am not saying that I am, I would like to be like Robert McPherson, most people call him Bob.
Bob, taught and worked in SJC for nearly 40 years. Pretty good for a kid that grew up in Massachusetts but found his way to San Juan County.
Bob was in the army in Alaska and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and became good friends with Rick Mainord, who served in the SW Indian Mission. 
When Bob got off active duty, he made his way to Utah and eventually San Juan County to start part time teaching in 1977.
I first met Bob when I taught at CEU a lifetime ago. He was working on his research, writing books, and teaching kids.
Beyond the books, and teaching hundreds of kids, he has published four monographs, and 38 articles. Oh sure, he is “retired”, if you call retirement working on two more books.
You see, I always wanted to be smart like Bob. My secret passion was writing, and I wanted to be a professor and eat an apple during class and spew out facts, figures, history and philosophy and magically ignite the passion for a lifelong love of learning to starry eyed coeds.
So, I tried my hand at teaching when the college in Blanding was just CEU-San Juan Campus. I had to move on, apparently my countenance, knowledge, and lectures were not inspiring, factual, or useful. Perhaps I could be the White House Press Secretary.
You see Bob is everything I am not. Whereas I am sorta tall, sorta handsome, sorta dark, and dumber than a rock; Bob isn’t.
He looks like a professor and acts like a professor and is smart like a professor. And he is a prolific writer and storyteller; I struggle to occasionally crank out an article and only after my editor calls and harasses me and reminds that a job isn’t such a bad thing to have.
Even retired Bob can’t stop to rest. He and a slew of helpers have been working to restore the Oljato Trading Post; one of the few trading posts still standing.
Once there were over 450 trading posts serving the Navajo people. The Oljato Trading post has a story that is intertwined with many Utah Navajos. It was the center of activity for Navajos near Oljato, where locals would trade their blankets, pots, moccasins and jewelry for food and other necessities.
The Oljato Trading post operated from 1906 to 2010. It started out as a tent, and then a few rooms were added and finally grew to its present size. It even had a guest hogan because travelers would often have to spend the night. It would be hard to underestimate how important a trading post was.
What I learned from Bob is that we all have a story to tell and often many stories started or ended at the Oljato trading post.
Almost all the people Bob interviewed have passed on. He has tried to keep their stories alive so the next generation will know of the struggles and wisdom and ways of Navajo elders.
Sometimes we tell stories to see if we can make sense of our world. We tell stories so our kids don’t forget family traditions and so that the community has shared experiences which can bring us together during trying times.
We tell stories so the world will know of the good times and good people that helped us along the way. We tell about seemingly ordinary people that accomplish extraordinary things.
Samwise Gamgee said it best, “It’s like the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy…. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it’ll shine out the clearer. I know now folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going because they were holding on to something. That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
Bob retired but he hasn’t quit, he didn’t turn back, he has been fighting to keep a little piece of the good alive. Perhaps Bob’s stories will give us hope, teach us patience and kindness so that moderation and unity might help keep this country from imploding. “And that’s all I have to say about that.”

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