John Holiday, Medicine Man and Friend

Doing business on the northern edge of the Navajo reservation (often referred to as the "Rez"), is an experience few can claim. It is an education in a diverse culture; one that is ever changing and always interesting. Our daily interaction with the Navajo people provides an opportunity to witness the Navajo humor, motivation and unique perspective on an on going basis. To be successful here one must adapt to the Navajo way of thinking. The most important measure of success, to us, is the personal relationships we have developed through the years. These relationships are many and varied, and we treasure them greatly.


John Holiday at Twin Rocks Trading Post

One of our most treasured associations is with John Holiday, a local, highly respected, medicine man. We first met John in the late 1970s. That was back in the days when we accepted pawn. Pawn involves loaning cash on a short term basis in exchange for collateral; usually jewelry, saddles, Pendleton blankets or guns.

John loves to play cards, the old Navajo way. In these games slight of hand is not only allowed, it is admired, especially if you aren't caught. This form of gambling brings John great pleasure, and, from what we hear, he was quite talented. John would bring in his jewelry, borrow $500.00 or $1,000.00, and head to the nearest game. His laughing, joking nature is infectious, and it is always a pleasant experience dealing with him. We always looked forward to seeing him when he was pawning or redeeming his items.

When we closed our pawn business, we had many concerns. Not that we missed that aspect of our business, but because we missed the people. Not to worry with John, he simply ignored the fact that we were no longer pawning, and adapted his methods. From that day forward he simply borrowed money without offering collateral, or interest. John has never
failed to pay back a loan. When he gives his word, it is as good as gold. His attitude is always fun loving and easy going; his pride and personal honor remain untarnished.

These days John has slowed down a bit. He recently turned ninety-one years old. He still practices the Beauty Way, but his mobility is greatly hampered. His vision is not adequate to keep track of the cards, or the craftiness of his adversaries, so his games are limited to family members who are much less aggressive and more likely to ignore his declining skills. We are lucky enough to see him on a regular basis. He generally has his driver pull the truck up right in front of the trading post and honk the horn. When we hear the horn we know to come outside. We are always treated to a friendly, laughing smile and good conversation. John sells us the ceremonial baskets that he receives as payment for providing healing ceremonies. We always enjoy his visits, because he leaves us with a feeling of unrestrained friendship and happiness. We are proud to know John, and appreciate his presence in our world.

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