The Bridge

As a result of the political turmoil in San Juan County over the past few years, I have returned to Robert S. McPherson’s A History of San Juan County. Having read it long ago, I revisited the text to see if it might help me develop a better historical perspective on some of our more pressing issues and improve my understanding of the differences between the Navajo and Mormon cultures. Not being a member of either group has left me with many unanswered questions. 

Lately, redistricting, federal and state land policy, voter rights, race, and a myriad of other controversies have dominated the local news. Reading the comments associated with related online articles will leave one believing everyone in this isolated region is racist, undereducated, illiterate, or just plain ignorant. That, of course, is not the case, and the issues are much more complex than the outside world understands or wishes to admit. It is far too easy to attach a label to the problem and move on, “racist” being the characterization of choice. Having said that, I readily admit we, the residents of Southeastern Utah, have our share of serious controversies that have suffered through decades of inaction and intentional neglect.

This column is not, however, directly related to those issues. It is instead more personal, more closely associated with our day-to-day lives at Twin Rocks Trading Post. 

In his book, McPherson attempts to give an overview of San Juan County history, which is what I desired. It will come as no surprise that one of the subjects attracting my attention was Bob’s discussion of regional trading posts, which he refers to by the Navajo term, “Naalye’he ‘Ba Hooghan---House of Merchandise.” As part of his analysis McPherson notes:

Though far different in their basic perception from their Anglo neighbors, the expanding Navajo population did share a number of economic interests where the two societies met, exchanged, and improved upon their own cultural lifestyles.

Perhaps the most colorful of these meeting places was the trading post, an institution that flourished between 1900 and 1930. Trading participants overlooked cultural diversity in favor of economic growth and development, as each group offered products and forged bonds of cooperation despite their differences. There is perhaps no better symbol of the bridge formed to span the cultural gap between the two societies than the men and women who lived and worked in the trading posts of the Four Corners region.

When I think of old-time trading posts, the image of diverse people sitting around a potbelly stove drinking coffee and discussing current events floods my memory. On almost any given day, a similar scenario plays out at Twin Rocks Trading Post, where people sit in the showroom expounding on a variety of topics. Barry and I often use this as an excuse to neglect our duties. How can we be expected to work when people are talking to us? Fortunately, we have Priscilla to pick up the slack.

Early trading posts were social centers for their communities, a place where ideas and information were freely exchanged. Many historians agree that over the past 150 years Southwest trading posts and their multifaceted traders have had an enormous, mostly positive, impact on the Navajo economy, livelihood, and culture. Besides buying and selling goods, trading posts and their resourceful operators functioned as points of contact between distinctly different cultures, providing Navajo people with access to the world outside the reservation, and bringing people together.

Taking a lesson from history, Barry and I have always positioned Twin Rocks Trading Post and Twin Rocks Café as places where diverse people and disparate ideas converge. We work hard to understand conflicting ideas and give people a forum to express their, at times, passionate opinions. This has allowed us to explore local history and beliefs, a variety of world civilizations, distinct religious and spiritual values, and a whole host of political, cultural, and economic issues.

That has resulted in Twin Rocks being an interesting place to spend our adult lives and has introduced us to the concepts of respect, individual dignity, and patience. It has also woven us into the complicated fabric of Southeastern Utah and the northern Navajo Nation.

Although our bridge is still under construction, and navigating it can be treacherous, Barry, Priscilla, Rick, Susie, and I are constantly working to fortify the structure against the inevitable squalls that threaten its continued existence. Like The Little Engine that Could, by listening closely, being attentive to individual needs, and providing an open forum, we believe we can make a lasting difference.