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The other day at work was a particularly bad one. It was about 3pm and I was ready to lock the office door, put my head down and cry when Amy (one of our technicians) came back from the mail room. She had a package from a medical supply distributor. Inside the package was the highlight of my day (which also turned out to be the highlight of my week, and subsequently one of my favorite Navajo words).

Na-a-ho haih (sounds like "Na Ho Hey"). Chicken.

Yes, a chicken pen made my day!

My co-workers, Shirley, Amy and Terry then told me about an old rodeo event that is now illegal. The Chicken Pull.

This is one of the less gruesome descriptions I found online:

Navajo horsemen engage in the exciting sport of trying to pull chicken out of the ground, after which there is a race to catch the successful contender for the prize. The Navajo Indians are unexcelled as horsemen and engage in many exciting sports, among them the chicken-pull. A chicken is buried in the sand, the head projecting above the ground. The horsemen ride past at top speed, leaning from the saddle in an effort to capture the prize. The winner is then chased by the other riders who strive to take "Chicken" from him.

Apparently the Rodeo is still called "chicken" in Navajo after this famed event!