During my visits to the Navajo reservation in Arizona I frequently come upon small groups of men talking in the trading post or outside in the shade of a tree. Often they are the older, more respected men. Thse groups provide the communication for the reservation which, in the "outside world," is the function of newspapers and electronic media.

Although most of the Navajo reservation has neither newspapers nor radio/television, news travels with remarkable speed from group to group like the one I have painted here. Each man tells of his extended family, their livestock, the weather and any unusual happenings he has seen or of which he has heard. These items are disseminated to the family and friends of each member of the group - "The Navajo Daily Word".

Occasionally, one of the bits of news may be unique enough and interesting enough to be added to one of the men's collection of stories. Then it will be told and retold, smoothed and polished, elaborated upon, choreographed for gestures until it is judged fitting for a Navajo story.

The Navajos are great storytellers, and when the "daily word" is finished, the old men enjoy telling or listening to favorite tales. Despited the taciturn, stolid front they present to outsiders, there is a great deal of humor, puns and jokes, in tribal social life. The greatest storytellers are fine actors and mimics.

In a culture where history is preserved in the spoken word, the storyteller is an important person. The old men are the story tellers, the guardians of the People's history. They are respected for their wisdom, their knowledge and their ability to communicate that knowledge to the next generation. It is more pleasant to grow old in Navjoland than in a rest home.

- Ray Swanson