"mAKING A DIFFERENCE IN INDIAN COUNTRY. ONE NATIVE YOUTH AT A TIME"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seventeen year old Kendel is a member of the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee, Nevada.  Kendel will be a senior in high school this coming fall.  He has been a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) for the past three years.  Kendel attended the 2005 Nevada State FFA conference in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and the 2004 National FFA conference in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Imagine the surprise on Wilbur Shaw and his wife Rosey’s face when son Kendel gave Wilbur a goat for Father’s Day this year.  Kendel Shaw and his family were attending an Agriculture event held at Boise, ID.   Wilbur and Rosey were surprised, but knew this was not at all unusual for Kendel.  Kendel was thinking ahead, this goat would help keep the willows down in the irrigation ditches.  Kendel is always thinking of ways to improve their cattle ranch.

Kendel was four years old when he began his career in the cattle business.  He was given his first calf that year and this calf alone brought him 17 heifers.  Local farmers gave Kendel their lappy (orphaned) calves.  Kendel is a natural when is comes to running a cattle ranch.  He also has a talent for machines and that became apparent when he was five years old and began working on his dad’s farm equipment.  By age seven, he was driving the tractor.  Wilbur laughs about this as the local farmers used to tease Wilbur that there was no one in the driver seat.  Kendel was too small and they couldn’t see him.  Kendel now does all the driving on the ranch, even their cattle truck (a semi truck). 

Seventeen year old Kendel is a member of the Shoshone Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Owyhee, Nevada.  Kendel will be a senior in high school this coming fall.  He has been a member of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) for the past three years.  Kendel attended the 2005 Nevada State FFA conference in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and the 2004 National FFA conference in Louisville, Kentucky.  During his Sophomore and Junior years he has attended the FFA Made for Excellence (MFE) and Advanced Leadership Development (ALD) conferences.  Kendel has received numerous Agriculture related awards such as a FFA Chapter Degree, NV Beef Assurance Quality Level One Certified, etc   He has completed Agriculture and Welding classes in High School.  Kendel also has a flair for welding, a plus for any cattle rancher.  He can and has repaired most of their farm equipment himself. 

Kendel begin the FSA youth loan application process twice in the past, but decided he could take of business himself.  He purchased a swather this summer with his past cow/calf sales.  Kendel’s future plans are to buy a tractor, build a barn and increase his current cattle herd. 

Today, Kendel has thirty head of black and red Angus, seven saddle horses, four goats, two hens, one rooster, and four dogs to push cattle.  Kendel cannot sit still especially when there is work to be done and on a cattle ranch there is always work waiting.  Kendel is a very busy but a happy cattle operator.  Kendel states, “Cattle ranching is in the blood, you never quit”.

In his spare time, Kendel plays guitar and sings at his church.  Kendel has also started riding saddle bronc at the local high school rodeos and this summer he attended a Pack Outfit Camp, which he truly enjoyed.  The American Indian Credit Outreach Initiative program would like to thank Kendel for his enthusiasm and encourage him to keep up the good work.