<Begin Segment 25>

MN: Now there were Hopi and Navajo draft resisters also at camp.

HY: Yeah.

MN: And can you tell me about the Navajos first, your friendship with the Navajos?

HY: Yeah. Those Indians used to call us, call us the "Sharane." We thought 'cause that meant bad words, they're callin' us. And I asked this Hopi guy, he says, "No, that means 'brother' in Navajo." [Laughs] Well, you look from the back, you can't tell the difference.

MN: And tell me about this hogan they had.

HY: Huh?

MN: The hogan.

HY: Oh, yeah. They had this Indian, authentic, they made it themselves, with a round hole in the center. And I think once a month I think it was, they'd go in there and whoop it up. The guards let 'em do that, I think some religious, there... yeah, they're whooping it up [imitates sound] you know. Build a fire inside.

MN: Now, how about the Hopi? You learned how to weave.

HY: Yeah. One of the fellows that was making those belts, so one day I was, I looked at it and said, "Gee whiz, I think I could do that." So I asked him if he would show me how to do it. He said, "Yeah, I'll show you, but don't ever show this to a white man, otherwise I won't show you." Then I thought, "No, I wouldn't show it to anybody." And he showed me how to make the belt. I was getting pretty good at it, too. I made about dozens of, other a dozen sold. But most of it I gave it away. I think Emi got one, big one I made. I gave most of 'em away. Oh, I gave one to Mary Veril, you know, one of those belts I made.

MN: She's with the Forest Service.

HY: Yeah, Mary, yeah. She says she's gonna put it in the museum.

MN: Would you know how to make one now?

HY: [Shakes head] I forgot. I only had two, I don't know what happened to my two, all gone.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 2010 Densho. All Rights Reserved.