Navajo Oral Histories, 1975

File — Box: 1, Volume: 1

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Helen Begay (b. 1924) talks about the Rock Point community. (interview fragment, 2 pages)
Elsie Benson (b. 1913) recalls her training as a licensed practical nurse and decision to come to the mission in 1961. Other topics include the mission and clinic background, health education, nursing care and physician services, home visits, community health, and home remedies. (24 pages)
Warren Campbell, M.D. describes his first sight of the clinic in 1957, and talks about the equipment, nurses, patients, education, John Carlsen, and Allen Dyrud. (8 pages)
Pastor Wallis Cole and his wife, Fern D. Cole describe being called to the mission in 1965 and the problems encountered. Other topics include early work by nurses, transportation, services offered by the mission, great snow storm of 1967, Mormon missionaries on the reservation, Elsie Benson, medicine men, health education, intermarriage, Navajo cultural mores, singers, celebrations, and homelife. (51 pages)
Allen Dyrud recalls the foundation of the clinic in 1953 and talks about early personnel and programs. (10 pages)
Lynn M. Dewey describes the water, crops, climate of the Rock Point area, and talks about public health. (3 pages)
Pastor Kenneth Hatland speaks of hearing about the mission from John Carlsen and describes his duties there. (6 pages)
In a telephone interview, Emma Twedt and Mable Johnson explain how they came to the mission in 1953 and talk about their duties there, health education, medicine men, transportation, and living conditions. (11 pages)
Albert Kukulski talks about being principal-teacher of the boarding school in the Rock Point area. He recalls the origin of the mission, nurses, transportation, teaching, medicine men, and the impact of the mission. (9 pages)
Lillian V. Lundahl recalls coming to the mission as a nurse in 1966, home visits, buildings and roads, home remedies, treating minor medical problems, dispensing medicine, and health education. (8 pages)
Erling Ostergaard, M.D. describes his duties at the mission during his six months there in 1961, and talks about equipment, nurses, transportation, public health, mission administration, and problems. (5 pages)
Eula Mae Swenson describes teaching the Navajo language, home visits, health problems, and changes in the community. (4 pages)
Willis Wilson (b. 1922) talks about herding sheep, Shiprock Indian School, George Christensen, the trading post, the mission, medicine men, the school, and life on the reservation. (11 pages)
Lorraine Witt recalls moving to Rock Point to manage the trading post in 1948. Other topics include transportation, the government school, a diptheria epidemic, water, crops, squaw dances, and jobs. (10 pages)

Dates

1975

Language of Materials

From the Collection: Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.