The mystery of Tahoma’s family ties haunted us for years. He told everyone during his lifetime that he had no family.  Some people we talked to believed very strongly that he was raised by non-Indians. Partly they believed that because he had a damaged (or perhaps withered) arm. Since Tahoma never talked about his arm–in fact went out of his way to hide it–most people assumed it was a birth defect.  We were told in no uncertain terms that Navajo families would not adopt a child with a birth defect like that. In fact, if a child had been born back early in the twentieth century with a birth defect he would be put out to die.

Some of our interviewees were adamant on this fact, and anthropological books from the time seemed to bolster that opinion. A woman who had overseen the government nurses who served reservation communities told us that a nurse had rescued a Navajo baby whose family had put him out to die. A part-Navajo woman told us that her mother (a full-blooded Navajo) and her mother’s friends believed that had been Tahoma’s fate until someone rescued him.

Other people, however, were not so sure, and some even had examples of children who had born with defects who were raised by their own families.

The one thing that kept nagging at us about the theory that Tahoma had non-Indian adoptive parents, was the fact that many told us how steeped in the Navajo Way–Navajo beliefs– Tahoma was throughout his life.  He reportedly carried a pollen bag (popularly called medicine bag). We were told that he believed in witches and spirits and the power of evil forces to change from human to animal form.

How could he have such strong beliefs in Navajo ways if he was not raised by Navajos? Eventually we found two surprising answers to our questions.

Do you know someone who held on to his traditional beliefs, even when raised in a different culture?