MESSAGE TO THE MOON |
When NASA
was preparing for the Apollo Project, it took the astronauts
to a Navajo reservation in Arizona for training. One day, a
Navajo elder and his son came across the space crew walking
among the rocks. The elder, who spoke only Navajo, asked a
question. His son translated for the NASA people: "What are
these guys in the big suits doing?" One of the astronauts
said that they were practicing a trip to the moon. When his
son relayed this comment the Navajo elder got all excited
and asked if it would be possible to give to the astronauts
a message to deliver to the moon. Recognizing a promotional
opportunity when he saw one, a NASA official accompanying
the astronauts said, "Why certainly!" and told an underling
to get a tape recorder. The Navajo elder's comments into the
microphone were brief. The NASA official asked the son if he
would translate what his father had said. The son listened
to the recording and laughed uproariously. But he refused to
translate. So the NASA people took the tape to a nearby
Navajo village and played it for other members of the tribe.
They too laughed long and loudly but also refused to
translate the elder's message to the moon. An official
government translator was summoned. After he finally stopped
laughing the translator relayed the message: "Watch out for
these assholes. They have come to steal your
land."
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