NAVAJO WISDOM

TRUE STORY OF INDIAN HUMOR

This is apparently a true story. I heard it originally from some NASA
people when I was working for Rockwell some years ago.

When NASA was preparing for the Apollo Project, it took the astronauts to a
Navajo reservation in Arizona for training.
One day, a Navajo elder and his son came across the space crew walking among
the rocks. The elder, who spoke only Navajo, asked a question.

His son translated for the NASA people: "What are these guys in the big
suits doing?" One of the astronauts said that they were practicing for a
trip to the moon. When his son relayed this comment the Navajo elder got
all excited and asked if it would be possible to give to the astronauts a
message to deliver to the moon. Recognizing a promotional opportunity when
he saw one, a NASA official accompanying the astronauts said, "Why
certainly!" and told an underling to get a tape recorder.

The Navajo elder's comments into the microphone were brief. The NASA
official asked the son if he would translate what his father had said. The
son listened to the recording and laughed uproariously. But he refused to
translate. So the NASA people took the tape to a nearby Navajo village and
played it for other members of the tribe. They too laughed long and loudly
but also refused to translate the elder's message to the moon. Finally, an
official government translator was summoned. After he finally stopped
laughing the translator relayed the message:

"Watch out for these pricks. They have come to steal your land."