By Stacy Thacker, University of Montana

This week the Navajo Cops take a break from hunting “The Howler" and take on a possible homicide case in a two-hour special. They leave you hanging on through out the first episode trying to figure out what happened and the only clues they give you is a shallow grave, a bag containing gloves and blood. Oh, and not to mention a cop finding the head of something right before they cut to a commercial break.

After sitting through what felt like hours of commercials I waited to see what was buried in the shallow grave but the show had other things in mind. They took viewers to Window Rock, Ariz., where Officer Holgate arrested a suspect who was tackled after he refused to drop a beer once the vehicle was pulled over. The suspect was tased after refusing to enter the police unit. I guess if you're drunk enough rebellion just comes easy.

After yet another commercial break I'm ready to see what the bloody bag of gloves was all about but then the show decides to take another turn to Steamboat, Ariz., where an illegal wild mustang roundup is taking place. The "Navajo old timer," as the show calls the head of the round up, is told that all 150 horses have to be checked for brands. It became a task that almost wasn’t worth it while the camera took us into the corral and dust is blocking the view of any person or horse. In the end 90 horses were released to freedom and the “Navajo old timer” was left contemplating how the traditional cowboy ways have been taken over by modern law.

As we continued the journey around the Navajo reservation we come across the many dangers that people face who live in the desert, getting lost in the vast area of nothing but sand and sage brush. A missing man had taken three bottles of pills and ran away after a domestic dispute. Officers spent the afternoon combing the area only to find out that the man was picked up by the county deputy. The cops however are good sports about spending their afternoon in the hot, dry reservation heat searching for a found man. This is yet another reason as to why I am not a cop, me and searching for something that has been already been found do not mix well. Especially if it is hot out.

When the show returns from another commercial break I hold my breath and prepare myself for what lies in the shallow grave but that's not what I see. What I see is an almost destroyed car being driven down the road. The car is almost as smashed as an aluminum can after all the soda is gone and before it goes into recycling heaven.

The driver however has no intention of recycling his vehicle because he plans to get every last mile out of it. When he is pulled over and arrested for drinking and driving he doesn't realize he's driven his car in that bad of shape. While denying any type of accident the cops break him down and he finally admits to rolling his vehicle but sadly remembers that he had two passengers that weren't found with him. The cops go into an automatic search for two missing persons and just when it’s starting to look bleak they come across a couple walking down a dirt road that seems to go on forever.

Thankfully everybody is okay but drunk driving is a serious issue that plagues Indian Country and most times not everybody survives the horrible accidents alcohol causes. Another issue seems to be livestock on highways. For Officer Toddy it becomes a hard night after he learns there was car accident that involved a horse. Everybody inside the vehicle came away in good condition but the horse did not. Suffering a broken leg and not being able to walk, Officer Toddy has the unfortunate task of putting the animal down.

Finally after one more commercial I learn what is buried! The storm raging in the sky and the rain falling makes the scene even more spooky as an FBI forensic agent begins to dig up whatever is in the ground. As he chips away at the hard packed ground he starts to reveal some hair. At this point I'm not sure I can watch and I'm also wondering if they're allowed to show a dead body on Navajo Cops. Being around death is a taboo for many Navajos so this doesn't seem likely to me. As I sit there biting my nails they unveil the buried corpse from the ground and we finally get to see that it’s a dog. A dog! I can't believe it!

The Navajo Cops hit some cases that had potential to be deadly and unfortunate but luckily every case took a positive turn. A horse lost its life in this episode and while I cried at the sight of it hopping around with one broken leg I am glad to know that no other lives were lost.

Stacy Thacker (Navajo) is from Navajo, N.M.