We Were Taking Care of Ourselves

Teec Nos Pos, AZ 

These younger people don’t always know how it used to be. Back then, winters were heavy. Snow would drift so deep you had to dig your way out. The hills were covered, nothing like what we see today.

There wasn’t really a thing called “emergencies” the way people think of it now. We depended on each other, and everything we needed came from the land.

I remember a big storm in the 1960s in Teec Nos Pos. The snow was so high it shut everything down roads, travel, everything. Our sheep corral had a shade structure, and when the snow came down, it covered the whole area. It looked like we lost the entire herd.

But when we went back, we saw something else. The snow had formed around them like an igloo. There was an opening at the top, and what looked like smoke rising but it was steam from the heat of the sheep. They were alive, safe, and warm.

We made it through that storm because we were prepared. We had our supplies. We knew how to take care of ourselves.

About two weeks later, the government showed up with snowmobiles and helicopters, saying they were there to help. But by then, we were already fine.

That’s something I always remember being prepared is what keeps your family safe. You can’t wait for help to come. You have to be ready.

— Larry Johnson, April 23, 2026, Teec Nos Pos, AZ