According to the Navajo-Churro Association, the Navajo-Churro sheep are descended from the Churra, which was brought to America by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 16th century as both a food and clothing source. As the Churros grew in popularity wit the Spanish settlers, flocks were also obtained by Native Americans through raids and trading. They soon became an important part of the Navajo economy and culture. Unfortunately, due to government sponsored flock reductions and “improvements” the Navajo flocks almost disappeared. Work began in the 1970’s when several individuals began acquiring Churro phenotypes with the purpose of preserving and revitalizing Navajo and Hispanic flocks. In 1986, the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association was formed to preserve and promote this original American breed.The Navajo-Churros are dual coated, meaning they have a shorter, softer undercoat covered by long coarse guard hair.  The fleece is open and has no defined crimp. The inner coat fiber ranges from 10- 35 microns, while the outer coat fiber measures 35+ microns and the kemp (shorter coarser fiber can measure 65+microns. Microns are a way to measure the fleece in terms of softness and fineness. The lower the micron the softer and finer the wool. Because of the microns, Navajo-Churro wool does not work well for “next to the skin” products, but works well for outer ware, rugs and felting projects.See more information about the Navajo-Churro and their characteristics on the Navajo-Churro Association’s webpage.