The Navajos Look Ahead (1959) -- Journey Travelogue Series

Summary: 
Journey travelogue film on leasing land to oil companies as a social and financial benefit. Calvin Clauschee and his uncle Bill Draper visit oil rigs, Areth (Utah) Trading Post, Window Rock, the Navajo Tribal Fair, the Clauschee family home, and more.
Cultural Narrative: 

Caleb Clauschee reports: "the young man in the movies name is Calvin Clauschee. He passed away in February 2012. His father is named Guy Clauschee and was a Navajo Code Talker. He also passed September 2014. His wife Lois (Laguna-Acoma) passed in November 2012. She was a founder of the Navajo Nation library. They met at Ganado Mission School and lived in Window Rock, Arizona. Calvin was a preacher and a silversmith.  Patricia is currently retired and living in Window Rock, Arizona. She was an OB nurse at the hospital in Ft. Defiance for 30+ years.  Mr. Draper was Calvin's uncle and has also passed.

--Caleb Clauschee, 2016 https://aifg.arizona.edu/film/navajos-look-ahead

A photo of Calvin Clauschee presenting the first print of the film to Tribal Chairman Paul Jones in Tulsa Daily World, September 19, 1960. Standard Oil produced a series of "Journey" travelogues. The Navajos Look Ahead is one in the series.

Tulsa_Daily_World_Mon__Sep_19__1960_.jpg

Tulsa Daily World, September 19, 1960.

 

Description: 

Opening titles over up shot of Navajo man in red velveteen shirt, necklace, head scarf, clouds in sky; titles continue over medium shot of a younger woman in blue velveteen shirt, necklace, blanket folded over her arm, landscape and clouds behind; titles continue over wide panning shot of desert landscape and sky; wide shot of Southeastern Utah desert landscape (near Four Corners) and sky; series of wide shots of Paradox Basin; wide shot of same, panning over to a man (identified as the boy's uncle, Bill Draper) in jeans, collared shirt and white hat, and boy (Calvin Clauschee) similarly dressed looking through binoculars; medium shots of Bill, in Navajo Ranger uniform, and Calvin looking through binoculars, white and yellow jeep and landscape behind; closer shot of Calvin lower binoculars and smiling; similar shot of Bill looking back and smiling; back to medium shot of both, Calvin pointing; wide shot of an oil derrick in desert landscape; medium-close shots of them smiling at each other, Bill nodding; medium-wide shot of them turning around walking towards camera; then shot of them getting into jeep; medium and wide shots of the jeep coming down a hill and then driving on a dirt road, derrick and White Mesa in background; upshot of top of derrick; medium-wide shot of yellow metal steps, a sign that reads "The Carter Oil Co., Navajo Tract 106, Well 7, SW SW Sec 26 415 24E, San Juan Co. Utah", and rig foreman, identified as Archie Browning, in a hard hat handing one to Calvin and Bill as they go up the stairs; upshot of a man in hard hat riding the traveling block up to the top of derrick; medium shot of two male oil rig employees looking up; three employees working and looking up; close-up of Calvin smiling as we watches; upshot of the traveling block/shaft coming down towards camera; shot of the men's feet placing the drill bit into a hole in the floor; medium shot of men working on the derrick floor; medium shot of Archie, Bill and Calvin watching; close-up of Calvin smiling; series of medium shots of men adjusting the drill including shots back to Calvin and him with Bill and Archie; wide shot of the traveling block going down; wide shot of San Juan Bridge on the Navajo Reservation; closer shots of Bill's jeep driving on bridge; wide shot of Archie and Calvin inspecting an oil field and its automatic custody transfer unit of huge metal tanks, etc. in desert landscape; wide shot of an oil well atop a ridge with pipes running downhill; closer shot of metal towers; wide shot back to Bill and Archie next to huge tank; then they walk past a very large black metal structure identified as a circuit-board run series of valves; medium shot of Archie filling an empty tin can from a valve with oil as Bill walks up to join them; close-up of Archie's hand holding the can under the spout; back to medium shot of Archie showing the can to Calvin who sticks his finger in and holds it up to his nose, and they smile at each other; wide shots of the group, oil field valves, tanks and landscape behind as they walk off towards another piece of equipment; wide shot of the three walking towards a white building identified as a "dog house", tanks in background; medium interior shot of the building, Calvin and Archie walk up to tall metal electronic control panel; close-up of Calvin listening; medium wide shot of Bill filling a plastic bag at a skinny pipe over a long cement trough of water; wides shot of same as sheep (dibé) walk towards the trough, Calvin sits on the jeep's hood and a tank of water and windmill in the background; back to medium shot of Bill and then the sheep drinking from the trough, and back to Bill rising and carrying bag of water; medium wide shot of him walking to the jeep as Calvin jumps down, they both get in; wide shot of the jeep driving down a dirt road past a the San Juan River; close-up of a burning campfire; medium wide shot of Bill and Calvin seated rocks near blankets and tending to the fire under a large tree, jeep, San Juan River, and cliffs/hills in background; medium shot of the two seated, river behind, Bill points to landscape behind; close-up of Calvin smiling; fade to close-up of sign "Window Rock Tribal and Administrative Headquarters For the Navajo Reservation" and an arrow pointing right; wide shots of Window Rock and then with building and road in foreground; wide panning shot of the headquarters, rock faces behind; shot of wooden signs "United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Navajo Agency" hanging from wooden entryway; wide shot two Navajo men, Tribal legislative secretary Manuel Begay, and Executive Secretary of the Navajo Tribal Council, J. Maurice McCabe, and both in dark trousers and white shirts walk from the entryway down the sidewalk towards the camera, and stop to talk; close-up of McCabe talking, and then Begay; wide shot of the Navajo Nation Council Chamber exterior, group of Navajo walk past; wide shot of Window Rock, and then it's base where Calvin begins to climb up; medium shots of Calvin climbing, stopping at a high point to look around; wide shot from the top looking through the rock "window" at the buildings below, Calvin walks into view the the base of the look-out; medium shot of him looking at the view through his binoculars; back to wide shot of same; close-up of Calvin; white wooden sign "Windowrock School, District No. 8" and building, parking lot behind; wide shot of yellow school bus driving down school road towards camera, and turns to pull up to school; medium-wide and closer shots of students filing off the bus into the school building, including Calvin; white wood sign "13th Annual Navajo Tribal Fair, Sept. 10-11-12-13", rock faces behind and pan of Calvin riding by on a bicycle; wide shot from a Ferris Wheel of a fairgrounds; up shot of Calvin on the ride; medium-wide shot of rides and people walking around; one of Calvin walking towards the camera eating a hot dog, people all around; medium shot of him playing a ring toss game as others watch; medium shots of a marching band in Navajo-type uniforms playing, the drum major sporting a headdress and twirling a baton; wide shot of people standing outside and entering the Window Rock Civic Center; wide pan of the interior full of people, set up as an exhibit hall; medium shot of a Calvin stopping at a "Navajo Arts & Crafts Guild exhibit; and then passing various displays of crafts and framed paintings on display; medium shot of Calvin riding on a carousel, then viewing a rodeo through a wooden fence upon which others sit and do same, then walking towards camera eating cotton candy with the fair in background; wide shot of Calvin riding his bike on the road, holding fair swag, rocks and cliffs in background, then rides up to his home where people are relaxing on a grassy, fenced-in back yard, car parked nearby; medium shot of Calvin greeting his mother and toddler sister Patty to whom he gives a doll; medium close-up of his mother (identified by the Clauschee family as Lois) in sundress seated in a lawn chair, and then of his father (identified as Guy) kneeling nearby, then of Calvin smiling; fade back to campfire burned down to ashes then pan up to the jeep driving back the other way on the road next to the river; medium wide shot of the jeep pulling up to a building with sign "Aneth Utah, Aneth Trading Co., Aneth School, Aneth Chapter" on a building where a woman sits out front and a man arrives on horseback, Bill and Calvin jump out of the jeep and head towards the door; interior of the trading post with shopping carts, fabric, canned goods, gifts, a woman behind the counter assisting a woman customer and a man at the cash register assisting a man as Bill and Calvin walk in; medium shot of the shop woman holding up a turquoise brooch to the woman's dress front; close-up of brooches on the counter; pan of clothing handing on racks, shirts on shelves, fabric, shoes, etc., Calvin and Bill look at the shelves of shoe boxes; then they go to dry goods area to inspect a yellow bowl and mug set; wide shot of kids playing in a school yard, "Aneth Community School" sign over gate in foreground; jeep pulling up to a large building identified as a Navajo chapter house with flag pole and American flag; wide pan of long pipes and large metal tanks on another oil field in Chimney Rock, New Mexico; medium shot of Bill and Calvin squatting and pointing at things; wide shot of an oil well and desert cliffs in far background; back to wide shot of the two walking towards tanks; medium wide shot of them walking towards and wave at a man, identified as the production superintendent, E.D. Wolcott, descending stairs from top of tank, a sign that reads "Humble" (Humble Oil and Refining) nearby; medium shot of the two walking up and shaking hands with Wolcott, jeep and cliffs in background; shot from above Calvin as he climbs the stairs; back to well drilling; upshot of oil derrick from earlier; closer shot of the oil well digging; shot of the Navajo administrative buildings from Window Rock; exterior of the Navajo Nation Council Chamber; McCabe and Begay walking towards camera; wide shot of administrative buildings, Window Rock in background; wide shots of the desert landscape; close-ups of Guy and Lois and Patty Clauschee; medium shot of Calvin smiling waving from the back of the jeep as Bill drives away from the camera, to reveal an oil well behind; wide shot of the oil field; closing credit.


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