This fresh interpretation of the history of Navajo pastoralism chronicles the government's 1930s failed policy to preserve grazing lands by eradicating livestock on the Navajo reservation, with particular focus on women, the primary owners and tenders of the animals. "With great sensitivity and insight, Weisiger evocatively demonstrates why stock reduction continues to be indelibly seared into Navajos' collective memory." -American Indian Quarterly "The history of Navajo livestock reduction in the 1930s is well known, yet Marsha L. Weisiger offers a sophisticated reevaluation that is satisfying in both its telling and its complexity." -The Journal of American History "Those of us who love to examine history will recognize that this heartbreak could surely have been avoided through understanding, communication, and respect for nature and for the culture that thrives within it." -Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot Marsha L. Weisigeris associate professor of history at the University of Oregon.