The Living Nativity



Church members portraying Mary, Joseph, and the three Wise Men brave the cold December temperatures for four 30 minute shifts in the living nativity scene Thursday evening outside the First Baptist Church.



Jody Parrish, playing one of the Shepherds, has makeup applied to her face before appearing in the living nativity scene at the First Baptist Church.

Photos by Nicole Goodhue

 

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Local artist finds humor in her magical realism

Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Special to the Independent

RAMAH, NM — Some artists paint landscapes, or portraits or still lifes. Artist Kristi Davis prefers to paint ideas. And frequently they are ideas full of humor or irony. And some are just plain off-beat.

Sort of like Davis herself.

Davis, of Ramah, talked recently about her artwork, which is currently being sold at the Double Six Gallery in Grants and the Old School Gallery in Ramah.

She describes herself as a painter of "magical realism." That label was put on her artwork while she lived in Santa Fe, Davis said, and it's a label she feels is accurate. Davis paints realistically, but she creates highly stylized compositions with magical settings and magical subjects.

For example, there is Davis' painting of a Mexican girl pulling stars out of the sky and collecting them in a basket. Or the painting of Zuni women, walking single file, with baskets of clouds balanced on their heads. Or the painting of Pueblo Koshari clowns, literally rolling up a rainbow for storage during the winter.

In "The Deer That Killed the Man," a bow hunter is stalking its prey in the forest. But in Davis' painting, the hunter is a deer and he's tracking a human Davis' twist on the Frank Water's classic tale, "The Man Who Killed the Deer."

Davis attributes much of her unique art approach to her childhood in rural New Mexico. Her paternal grandparents were part of Ramah's early Mormon community, and her maternal grandparents, who moved into the area, had ties to many influential people in the Southwest.

Davis describes her maternal grandfather, Evon Z. Vogt, as a "total all around Renaissance man." Vogt, she said, was the first custodian of the El Morro National Monument, a photographer, sheep rancher and editor of the Gallup Gazette.

Davis' grandmother ran a guest ranch in Ramah and was a cousin to the famed anthropologist, Clyde Kluckhohn, known for his extensive research on Navajo culture. It was at her grandparents' guest ranch, said Davis, that she met many artists, writers and anthropologists. Kluckhohn was a frequent visitor, she recalled, and brought with him many students from Harvard.

In addition to meeting the many visitors at her grandparents' ranch, Davis said, she grew up around the five prominent cultures of the area Mormons, Texans, Mexican-Americans, Navajos and Zunis.

"My background has the mythology of all five cultures," she explained.

Davis takes those mythological stories and uses them as springboards for her own imagination.

"They're my own mythology," she said with a laugh. She creates highly stylized compositions, she explained, so that viewers can share what she was thinking as she visualized the idea.

Although Davis professes to have no religious beliefs, many of her paintings have roots in the spiritual mythology of the Southwest. She said she is drawn to many powerful images from nature clouds, rain, water, stars and sky and to the relationship between people and nature.

Other works by Davis have no particular mythological roots, but are fanciful and clever. In "Chili Weather," a storm cloud is pelting down red chili peppers on a picturesque New Mexico scene. The painting is one of Davis' most popular pieces, she said,
and she has reproduced it in prints and greeting cards.

In addition to painting, Davis produces a line of sterling silver jewelry, noted for its whimsical pieces with attached, swinging design elements.

Davis' jewelry line began while she was living in Santa Fe, when she created a pair of earrings in the shape of a cat with a long, swinging tail, attached to the earring.

"Somebody bought them off my ears," she explained.

She went home and made another pair. After selling several dozen earrings that way, Davis decided to reproduce more with a wax casting process.

Today, Davis, has an entire line of earrings, pins and necklaces that feature swinging design elements from bucking broncos to Koshari clowns to Day of the Dead skeletons to Christmas trees.

"Even my jewelry," she said, "has a sense of humor to it."

In the late 1990s, Davis returned to Ramah to build a house on her family's land and be near her parents. Between laying flagstone and setting tile, Davis said, she still tries to create pieces of art for area shows.

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Living Nativity is a holiday favorite

Bill Donovan
Staff writer

GALLUP — Truckers adjust their schedules and people travel as far as 80 miles to journey here in the pre-Christmas season to enjoy the serenity of the Living Nativity Scene put on by the congregation of Gallup's First Baptist Church.

"It's a very humble and awesome experience to walk by the scene and reflect and pray," said Rev. Jay McCollum, the church's pastor.

And some do more than pray.

It's not uncommon for groups to sing carols as they walk by the scene. A year ago, a young man used the Nativity scene as a backdrop for his (successful) request for his true love's hand.

Between 4,000 and 5,000 people each year take time out from their Christmas parties and shopping to make a trek to the church and pause for a few minutes to ponder the event some 2,000 years ago that guides the faith of hundreds of millions of Christians.

"Our congregation holds it each year because of our belief that the birth of Christ is an historical fact," said McCollum.

It's also an event that many in the 1,000 member congregation start working on in late October and early November.Some members work on the landscape while others start repairing the costumes that will transform bankers, secretaries and students to Mary, Joseph, the Three Wise Men, angels and shepherds.

There are people who work on the lighting while others prepare the almost 500 luminarias each night. And of course, there has to be an animal wrangler to make sure that the sheep, goats and the lone donkey understand what their role in the living tapestry will be.

Even the human members of the event need to be prepared. Not only do they have to remain virtually motionless for 30 minutes but they also have to adjust to Mother Nature who every year or so decides to give the performers an extra challenge or two.

Begun in 1988, this year marks the seventh year that McCollum has been a part of the event and for him the performance on Thursday, which featured the youth in the congregation, was a joy to behold.

"It was the best night we have had as far as weather and beauty," he said.

The weather hasn't been as kind in past years when actors have had to do their 30 minute shifts with layers and layers of insulated undergarments to survive temperatures as low as minus 10 degrees.

And McCollum said that while there has never been a blizzard during his years here, he has seen the event go on during a light snow.

"The only time we called it off was two years ago when winds gushed to 50 to 60 miles per hour," he said. Not only did the high winds cause havoc with the costumes worn by the Three Wise Men but it proved to be very dangerous to the angels on the roof.

The event is something that has become a tradition for members of the congregation who enjoy performing it each year as a "gift to the Gallup community," McCollum said.

Beginning in early December, the church office starts getting as many as 12 phone calls a day from people in the community wanting to know when the church will begin the event.

The event still has two nights to go starting at 6 p.m. and ending at 8 p.m. The church is located just off Boardman Avenue at 2112 College Drive.

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State police say DA wrecks DWI cases

Tanya Brazil
Staff Writer

GALLUP — New Mexico State Police officers want to know why the McKinley County District Attorney's office has either dismissed or pleaded down an extraordinarily high number of drunken driving cases over the past two years.

New Mexico State Police Capt. Glenn Thomas said his officers are frustrated that the District Attorney's office has been dismissing cases and reducing charges during pretrial conferences without bothering to consult the arresting officers.

He said his officers also are baffled with the way the office has been dismissing all other charges that sometimes are associated with DWI arrests, such as driving on a suspended or revoked driver's license and lack of automobile insurance.

"Effective immediately," he said, "we are not allowing the District Attorney's office to prosecute our misdemeanor (DWI) cases. The officers will prosecute them themselves."

According to DWI statistics provided by Thomas, 42 percent of the 1,523 case filed in Magistrate Court last year either were dismissed, pleaded down to a lesser charge or another disposition was sought.

Between January and November 2000, the dismissal/plea rate was 39 percent of the 1,306 DWI cases filed.

"We are not being adequately represented and neither are the taxpayers by the District Attorney's office on our DWI cases," Thomas said. "It's inexcusable to me that they could have a dismissal or plead down rate this high. It's probably the highest in the state."

Thomas is not denying that some of these cases are dismissed because the arresting officer either made a mistake or failed to put together a good case.

But he said this makes up only about 10 percent of the cases that are dismissed, that the rest are purely the fault of the District Attorney's office.

Thomas said DWI is the number one problem in this area and that while his officers are doing their part by making the arrests, the rest of the system needs to do theirs.

"It seems to be common practice to blame the courts or the judges for failing to penalize drunk drivers," he said. "The fault clearly rests with the District Attorney's office for almost 40 percent of the cases not even getting to the judge to pass sentence on."

To make matters worse, he said, the District Attorney's office, for reasons he does not know, has filed peremptory notices excusing Magistrate Court Judge John Carey from all of its cases.

With Magistrate Judge Rhoda Hunt on vacation, he said, there are no other judges to hear cases, inevitably resulting in the courts becoming jammed up and felons being released.

But according to court documents, Carey is being accused of allegedly striking a deal with a defendant Diane Dipomazio facing charges of writing worthless checks without consulting the District Attorney's office.

Andrea Hoffman, the special projects director for the District Attorney's office who manages the Worthless Check Program, in an affidavit states that Dipomazio told her she did not need to appear at a scheduled preliminary hearing because she and Carey had made a deal that if all the checks were paid off by that time, he would dismiss the case.

Hoffman states that when she asked Carey about the alleged deal, he said Dipomazio "may have misunderstood him and he did not recall making any deals with her," according to court documents.

But on the day of the preliminary hearing, Hoffman said she was informed that the case was closed and a Final Order On Criminal Complaint had been entered.

According to the document, Carey took a plea on a lesser charge from a felony to a misdemeanor and assessed court costs in the amount of $51 without first consulting the state and prior to the defendant completing payment of restitution.

District Attorney Mary Helen Baber said that her office, like the Defense Bar which has been excusing Magistrate Court Judge Roxanne Heath from its cases, has the legal right to excuse a judge without explanation.

"We are doing our best to get the best possible disposition for the victim," she said, "and we have to make judgments everyday."

In regard to the accusations made by the state police, Baber said it is extremely disappointing and irresponsible that Thomas would try to lay all the blame on the District Attorney's office when he knows it takes involvement from all the agencies for the system to work.

"It's easy to make the District Attorney's office a scapegoat in prosecutions," she said, "but the ultimate disposition is a group effort."

She said her office is doing the best they can but that they only have one attorney left in the office who happens to be the one charged with prosecuting DWIs.

Last fall, she said, a state police officer and magistrate court judge recommended she fire the office's DWI attorney on grounds she was incompetent.

After finding that to be true, Baber said she did fire the employee but with only one attorney currently at the office, does not feel she could take such an action now.

Baber said she has advertised for attorneys to come on board when the new District Attorney, Karl Gillson, takes office but that the office has received "zero resumes." "I've done my best to accommodate and make the system work with the resources I have," she said.

While she inherited a deficit of $38,000 when she took office, Baber said she is leaving Gillson with more than $60,000 in the budget which should enable him to prosecute effectively.

Thomas said his agency is looking forward to the new District Attorney coming on board and hopes they can resolve the issues for the good of the public.

"On the other hand," he said, "District Attorney Mary Helen Baber has been excellent in prosecuting cases involving children, an area of law she is passionate about, and I always have had a good working relationship with her."

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Kirtland boys fight off Bengals

Santiago Ramos
Staff Sports Writer

GALLUP — After playing at home for its first seven games, unbeaten Kirtland-Central ventured out for its first road game of the season Thursday night, escaping with a tough 56-47 win over Gallup.

"Basically I'm happy with the way we played," said Kirtland-Central coach Steve Scott after his Broncos improved to 8-0.
"This is our first road trip so I'm happy to get a win on the road. We knew it would be tough. Overall I was happy with our defense. Gallup wasn't effective inside but they shot well from the outside. We go into Christmas 8-0 and they are not many teams that can say that. This is a fine team that has the heart and attitude."

Kirtland will go up against Class A powerhouse Cliff in the opening round of the Silver City Invitational next Thursday at 3 p.m. Gallup, 2-5 overall, will be off until its own Gallup Invitational, beginning Thursday, Jan. 4 with an opening round game against Grants at 8 p.m.

Gallup coach Earl Diddle said he was"disappointed"with the loss.

"We have a hard time sustaining any degree of effeciency," Diddle said. "We'd go down with a good offensive trip and then we'd go down and give up an easy basket. We have to learn to put plays together offensively and defensively. When we have have a good trip down offensively and then give up an easy basket on defense that nullifies what we just did good. I'm
disappointed with the loss. The kids are playing as hard as they can. I thought at times we had a bounce in our step. We just have a hard time sustaining our effort. Our guys get tired. But Kirtland Central has a good basketball team that's 8-0. They're well-coached and they execute well."

The Bengals have three players, Matthew Warren, EJ Patterson and Nathan Nakai, all out with injuries. Gallup also lost former starter junior Tredell Dawes who transferred back to Window Rock.

Kirtland, which was playing without senior starting forward Dax Crum who is nursing an ankle injury but is expected back next week, broke open a close 11-10 lead early in the second period with a 12-5 run. Devin Manning, who scored 10 points, put in successive scores inside while Tarren Wethington, who added 13 points, scored on a reverse and then came right back to score off a fastbreak. Zach Hohenberg went inside for another score and Pat Crawford, who chipped in nine points, scored on a putback as the Broncos surged to a 23-15 advantage.

The Broncos pushed their lead up to 13 points, their largest of the game at 38-25 with four scores inside by Wethington with a pair of scores, while Hohenberg and Kenny Smith, who led the way with 18 points, each tallied a bucket.

But the Bengals stayed within range as sophomore guard Fermin Gallegos, who came off the bench to pace Gallup with 17 points with a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range, drilled three treys in quick succession.

Both teams spent much of their time at the charity stripe in the fourth period as the fouls came into play.

Kirtland went to a delay game and ran some time off the clock and forced Gallup to pull out of its zone. The Broncos sank 8-of-13 free throws in the final period while the Bengals sank 6-of-7. However Kirtland was still able to hold off Gallup, 56-47.

Gallup's Gallegos and Drew Money each finished with 17 points. Gallegos hit on five three-pointers.

"He's a good shooter," Diddle said of Gallegos. "It was a good break-through game for him."

Kirtland had three players in double digits with Kenny Smith with 18 points, Tarren Wethington 13 and Zach Hohenberg 10.
Pat Crawford chipped in nine points.

Kirtland shot 54 percent from the field, 22-of-41, as the Broncos pounded the ball inside for the higher percentage shots. In the first half, the Broncos scored inside on 10 of the 12 scores, working off fastbreaks. The Bengals shot 52 percent, 15-of-29.

Gallup had the edge from three-point range, hitting on 6-of-10 treys for 60 percent. Gallegos was a perfect 5-for-5 from long range. Kirtland hit on 2-of-6 for 33 percent shooting.

Sports briefs

Turkey shoot

ST. MICHAELS — A turkey shoot-out will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 23 east of Hunter's Point BIA School. Competition will be in 25 yard pistol, 50 yards .22 rifle, 75 yards .22 rifle scope and high powered rifle and 100 yard high powered rifle scope. For more information call: (520)871-2074

Basketball tournament

CHINLE — The 24th Annual Eddie H. Brown Memorial All-American Classic is scheduled for Sunday December 24 through Friday December 29 at the Chinle Community Center. Entry fee for open men and 35 and over men is $130 for both categories. For information call, Tsosie Brown at (520)674-3646 in the evenings and (520)674-9486 in the day.

Winter youth run

FT. DEFIANCE — The Department of Youth/Community Service-Fort Defiance will sponsor a youth 2-mile fun run at the following site: December 27 in Ganado; December 29 in St. Michaels; January 3 in Houck and January 5 in Tohatchi. Registration will start at 2 p.m. with a $5 fee and the race will start at 3 p.m. For more information call, (520)729-4336.

Mens basketball tournament

FLAGSTAFF An open men's basketball tournament will be held December 28-30 at the Flagstaff High School at 400 W. Elm Ave. The entry fee is $175 per team with an eight player roster limit and a double elimination format will be in effect. For more information call, (520)525-2707.

Memorial basketball tournament

GYLAS, Ariz. — The 5th Annual John "Pete" Hinton Memorial Golden Ball Basketball Tournament will be held January 3-6 in Bylas, Ariz. at the Stanley Hall. There is a non-refundable $165 entry fee. This is an men's open, 12 team, double elimination tournament. For more information call Althea Steele at (520)475-4203 or Louie Lorenzo at (520)475-2986.

3-on-3 basketball tournament

GANADO The Toyei Industries, Inc., a non-profit organization, will sponsor an open's men 3-on-3 basketball tournament January 6-7 at the Toyei Police Academy gym. There will be a 12 team bracket with five players per team and double elimination. The entry fee is $75. For more information call Khandi or Frienda at (520)736-2417 or (520)736-2418.

Boys & girls basketball tournament

LAGUNA — The Laguna Recreation Department and Laguna Middle School will hold a boys and girls basketball tournament for seventh and eighth graders. Entry fee is $75 per school. For more information call (505)552-6651.

Basketball tournament

NAVAJO — A double elimination men's open basketball tournament will be held January 18-21 at the Navajo Recreation Center. The entry fee is $135. For more information call, (505)722-9667 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

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Yazzie says Council leaves court alone

Jim Maniaci
Dine' Bureau

WINDOW ROCK — For economic development to occur on the Navajo Nation, there must be an obviously independent and competent Judicial Branch and the Chief Justice believes the Navajo Nation Council honors that principle.

This is what Robert Yazzie concluded in an interview Wednesday.

"If a corporation wants to establish a business on Navajo land, for sure the corporation will send out its assessment people,
namely the lawyers, to say 'Is it feasible to establish a business on Navajoland?' They're talking about 'Is it safe? Is there law and order?' For purposes of economic development, the question would be, 'Are the laws clearly written? If so, are they easy to find? What are the protocols? If I have a dispute, who do I go to? And what can I expect as a result? How are the judges, are they trained? Are they like what public opinion says? Are they competent? Does the tribal council make their decisions? Do they have judicial independence? Are the decisions entered free of harassment, political interference?"

Yazzie said the Navajo Nation Council has given that deference to the courts, left them alone and honored judicial independence...

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Bush ponders Gorton for Interior

Larry Di Giovanni
Staff Writer

GALLUP — American Indians are expressing deep concern that formerU.S. Sen. Slade Gorton of Washington could be named as the Interior Secretary nominee of President-elect George W. Bush.

Native American groups, such as The Morning Star Institute of Washington, D.C., and National Congress of American Indians are fearful that Gorton as Interior Secretary would attempt the same things he did as a Washington senator and attorney general.

That is, they contend, to severely limit tribal sovereignty and federal treaties that the United States has fashioned with 558 federally recognized tribes. Gorton was defeated in his November bid for senate re-election by former Washington
Congresswoman Maria Cantwell.

Gorton, however, is viewed by the Bush camp as a moderate Republican who has gleaned major appropriations in housing and other areas for Indian tribes...

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Deaths

Herman K. Bennett

MARIANO LAKE — Services for Herman Bennett, 62, will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 23 at the Rehoboth Christian Reformed Church. Rev. Bob Jipping and Pastor Jerry Yonnie will officiate. Burial will follow at Rehoboth Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at 3-5 p.m., today at Cope Memorial Chapel.

Bennett died Dec. 20 in Crownpoint. He was born June 10, 1938 in Mariano Lake into the Red Streak People Clan for the Mudd People Clan.

Bennett attended Albuquerque Indian School and graduated in 1947. He was employed with the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Facility Management as a broiler technician and retired in 1993. He served as a member on the school board for the Crownpoint Christian School and the senior program board for the Mariano Lake Chapter, a volunteer firefighter and served in the National Guard. His hobbies included hunting and livestock raising.

Survivors included his wife, Anita Bennett of Crownpoint; sons, Bruce Bennett and Ronald Bennett both of Continental Divide and Aaron Bitsuie of Crownpoint; daughters, Rebecca Begay of Gallup and Alvera Bitsuie of Crownpoint; brothers, James Bennett and James Roger Bennett both of Mariano Lake, Nelson Bennett and Rosston Bennett; sisters, Alice Begay of Albuquerque, Marie Antonio of Crownpoint, Lorenda Joe of Canoncito, Grace Begay and Terrie Bennett, Anna Martinez,
Martha Williams, Lucy Bennett and Edna Thomas all of Mariano Lake, and 12 grandchildren.

Bennett was preceded in death by his parents, John and Tonabah Bennett and brothers, Jones R. Bennett, Ernest Bennett and Sonny Bennett.

Pallbearers will be Aaron Bitsuie, Nathaniel Etsitty, Anthony Begay, Andy Begay, Johnathan Moss and Ronald Morgan.
The family will receive friends and family after the burial services at the Mariano Lake Chapter House.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.

Theodore Lolo Grano

GALLUP — Services for Theodore Grano, 71, will be held at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 23 at Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Father Diego Mazon will officiate. Burial will follow at Hillcrest Cemetery.

Visitation will be held at noon to 7 p.m., today at Rollie Mortuary-Palm Chapel.

Grano died Dec. 20 in Albuquerque. He was born April 1, 1929 in Dawson.

Grano was a 3rd degree member of the Knights of Columbus, and the Legion of Mary and the Guadalupana.

Survivors include his wife, Pasquala "Pat" Grano of Gallup; sons, James Grano of Gallup and Ted Grano Jr. of Corrales;
daughters, Patricia Barraza, Linda Grano-Vasquez and Kathryn DeLaTorre all of Gallup, and Renee Grano of Rio Rico, Ariz.;
brother, Frank Grano of Gallup; sisters, Epifiana Grano and Victoria "Vickie" Leyba all of Las Vegas, Nev. and Antonia
Vargas of Gallup; 16 grandchildren and one great-grandchildren.

Grano was preceded in death by parents, Encarnacion and Guadalupe Grano; son, Charles Grano; brothers, Albert Grano, Ernest Grano and Jos "Joe" Grano, Nick Grano and Primo Grano.

Pallbearers will be Erick Barraza, Charles DeLaTorre, David Grano, Gerald Grano, Gilbert Ramirez and Jos Vasquez Sr.

Rollie Mortuary is in charge of arrangements.

Ruth Arthur Moore

CRYSTAL — Services for Ruth Arthur Moore, 91, will be held at 10 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 23, at the Navajo Baptist Church,
Crystal. Pastor Raymond Mollahon will officiate. Burial will follow on Family Land, Crystal.

Moore died Dec. 19 in Albuquerque. She was born March 4, 1909 in Whiterock into the Tewa for the Towering House Clan.

Moore was a life resident of Crystal. She was a traditional rug weaver and homemaker. Her hobbies were sewing and cooking.

Survivors include her daughters, Alice M. Yazzie of Black Rock, Ariz., Ella M. Mose and Julia M. Mose both of Crystal; 12 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchildren.

Moore was preceded in death by her husband, Guy Pete Moore and brother, Harry Arthur.

Pallbearers will be Myron D. Moore, David Mose, Leonard Mose, Jadrian Kraft, J.R. Hunt, and Aaron Yazzie.

The family will receive friends and family after the burial services at the Crystal Chapter House.

Cope Memorial Chapel is in charge of arrangements.