If one came upon a family cooking dinner and were invited to stay, he would receive as a sign of honor the delicious ribs of the sheep cooked slowly over the open fire. A rack of lamb and pungent camp coffee from a blue enamel pot, enjoyed in the ambiance of Monument Valley surely surpasses any five star restaurant's dinner in the world. Kneel down corn, corn taken off the cob and mashed and placed in husks and baked under the coals, might be offered as the complementary vegetable, accompanied by a delicious pan-fried blue corn cake. Home-grown watermelon is a frequent dessert. The camaraderie shared by the diners is often enhanced by an anecdote or joke played on the outsider to draw him into the family.
Grandpa asks with a very stern face for the guest to go out and get the sheep.
Navajo people thoroughly enjoy life. They are intensely honest and loyal once befriended. It is a great spiritual experience to be among people who honor mother earth and father sky. It is refreshing to be among those who have protected their humanity from the erosion of modern sophistication and alienation. The Navajo quest to preserve their way of life and language is being continued through their education systems and government.