Toledo, Frederick John 1996-03-19
Mr. Toledo is a Jemez/ Santa Clara Pueblo Indian and was a competitive runner in jr. high and high school
General Interview Information
Interviewee Name: Frederick John Toldeo
Additional Parties Recorded:
Date: March 19, 1996
Location: Amarillo, Texas
Interviewer: Brenda L. Haes
Length: 00:59:49
Abstract
Freddy J. was born June 3, 1947, in his mother's pueblo. His family farmed, as all families did. Freddy J. began his education at a reservation school, Jemez Day School. The school was government run and was strict about the English language, only English was to be spoken on school grounds, but the school allowed Indian culture to be represented-- a few days a year, the school would hold picnics and allow Indian dancing. The kids were fed a large breakfast at school, consisting of beans and dessert, were allowed 1 hour to go home for lunch, and were served snacks in the afternoons. The kids were required to shower at school every day. Freddy J. didn't see the showers as punishment, but as the government teaching them cleanliness and hygiene. The school held grades K-6 with an emphasis on arts. The school employed 2 Kiowa teachers who were artists and were husband and wife, who lived at the school, and a cook, a Jemez woman. There were no organized, competitive sports at the school. The boys would hold foot races, with the 2 different clans attending school there competing against one another. Once a year (?) the Indians on the reservation had to clean out miles and miles of irrigation ditches. Each day when they were done, they would race back home. They called them Kick Stick Races. They were running for fun, but Freddy J. sees it as training now, "No one taught running, you grew up doing it. It was like dancing, you learned it by watching." In the 3rd grade, Freddy J.'s mother passed away and he moved in with his sister and attended the Laguna Day School, which combined Indians with other races- Spanish, White, other Indians. Freddy J. went back to Jemez in the 4th grade. He skipped the 6th grade and went on to 7th grade. In junior high he became involved in competitive athletics, he enjoyed training and competing. He realized he had a special ability - running. 1962 - 1966 In high school, the entire track team was made up of Jemez kids, the track coach was also Jemez, so the coach trained them in a more traditional Jemez way and in the competitive way. Freddy J. enjoyed competing and going to different towns to compete, meeting new people. He ran every where he went and would train, by himself, sprinting in sandy, dry creekbeds. Soem of the boys would train by running up the mountains, to the west. Every Father's Day they would hold the All Indian Track Meet, began in the 50's. Freddy J was on the 2-mile relay team and his team set the record that still stands. Freddy J would drink herbs every morning to purify his system- couldn't remember the names of the herbs.
Access Information
Original Recording Format:
Recording Format Notes:
Transcript: No transcript available
Thank you for your interest in this oral history interview. Our oral history collection is available to patrons in the Southwest Collection's Reading Room, located on the campus of Texas Tech University. For reading room hours, visit our website. Please contact Reference Staff at least one week prior to your visit to ensure the oral history you are interested in will be available. Due to copyright issues, duplications of our oral histories can only be made for family members. If an oral history transcript has been made available online, the link will be provided on this page. More information on accessing our oral histories is located here. Preferred citation style can be found here.
