Elijah Blair

Celebration of Life for local resident, Elijah Blair, will be at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 16, 2019 at Gone West Restaurant, 679 S. Lake Powell Blvd., Page, AZ. Service conducted by Dr. Pamela F. Brown with memories contributed by Paul Begay.
Elijah was born November 28, 1927 the son of James Lee & Maggie (Ison) Blair in McRoberts, KY. He passed away on Friday, November 23, 2018 at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, UT at the age of 90.
Elijah lived a full life. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather & great-grandfather. He was also proud to be known as a hillbilly, friend, adventurer, storyteller, businessman, realist, veteran, philosopher, Indian Trader, and, of course, fisherman. Elijah’s rich memories began with happy childhood antics in the hills of the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky. While attending high school at the Hindman Settlement School Elijah met the love of his life, Claudia Nell Caler. Upon graduating, Elijah enlisted in the Army toward the end of World War II. At the time of his discharge in January 1948, his brothers, Raymond & Brad, arranged for him to travel to visit them at the trading posts they were operating in the Four Corners area. Elijah recognized the adventures possible and the opportunity of trading with the Native American people on the reservation. Thus, began his association, acceptance and appreciation of the Navajo and other Native American people. For over 60 years, he learned from, traded with and promoted the lives and artistic abilities of his customers, his friends on the Reservation.
On June 24, 1948, Elijah was able to travel to Brinkley, Kentucky, to marry Claudia. They returned to Toadlena Trading Post to work at their first job at a trading post. Later he and Claudia worked, owned or were partners in Mexican Water, Aneth, Kayenta and Dinnebito Trading Posts over their years on the Reservation. As times changed the life and business of the stores on the reservations, Elijah expanded his entrepreneurial spirit and in the 1970s built the building now known as the Blair Building in Page, AZ. In 1991, Elijah completed moving his reservation business to Page.
Elijah & Claudia had 3 daughters, 1 son, 6 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandchild whose lives were warmed by family time spent together and Elijah’s never-ending stories. The family established their home in Cortez in 1960 so the children could attend school. Elijah traded Navajo saddle blankets for flying lessons and bought his first plane to commute from the trading posts to Cortez to be with his family. Weekends were filled with trips to the nearby mountains and deserts, camping, fishing, picnicking & exploring. The family established their second home in Page in 1968 and more adventures on Lake Powell and the area continued.
While family time was treasured, Elijah never lost sight of the opportunities, importance and even responsibility of promoting entrepreneurialism in general and the acceptance and acknowledgement of the Navajo people and culture. He was proud and honored by many opportunities to speak and serve as an advocate for such interests. Some of his honors were as follows: He was a judge at the Miss Navajo Pageant in Window Rock. He was a board member of Dine Cooperative Inc. in Chinle. Elijah was a board member and chairman of the 1st National Bank in Cortez.
He was a board member and then president of the United Indian Traders’ Association (UITA). He testified at the FTC hearings in Washington D.C. on behalf of the UITA and Native American people. He was instrumental in UITA funding historical projects at Cline Library Special Collections & Archives at NAU. These included an oral history project, physical exhibit, web-site and a CD-ROM documenting the history of the association, a book about the history of Indian traders in the Southwest by Dr. Willow Roberts Powers, a business school scholarship and child development program funded at San Juan Regional College, a scholarship at the University of New Mexico, Gallup and a third business scholarship at Northern Arizona University, and a replica trading post built within the library & museum in Farmington, NM.
His interview was filmed for the documentary “Old West Trading Posts, 100 Years of Barter and Trade” and the film “Weaving Worlds”. He was a participant in the Traders’ Rendezvous at the Cortez Cultural Center. Elijah was a speaker at the event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Rainbow Bridge National Monument. He provided memorabilia and merchandise for a two-year exhibit honoring Navajo weaving at the John Wesley Powell Museum in Page. In 2014, Elijah’s book “From Hoot Owl Holler to Indian Country” was published. Most recently, Elijah helped establish the Trading Post exhibit at the Powell Museum showcasing memorabilia, merchandise and art from Elijah’s years of trading.
Elijah and Claudia were avid travelers, spurred by their adventurous spirits and natural curiosity and interest in people and cultures. They visited every state, most often pulling their camper and exploring every little side road, small town, lake, river or stream where they could cast a line. Other travels they enjoyed were to Switzerland, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, the British Isles, a Panama Canal cruise, Jamaica and Fiji.
Surviving Elijah are his daughters, Kathy Ann Blair (Bob Ingeholm) of Page, AZ and Vonda Lynn Garland (Bill) of Arriola, CO; his son, James Caler Blair (Sandy) of Page, AZ; his 6 grandchildren, Greg Havran, Curtis Havran, Sarah Mauger, Kelli Garland, Chris Garland, & Eric Lewis and by his 14 great grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild. Elijah was preceded in death by his wife Claudia; his infant daughter, Sandra K. Blair; his parents; and by his siblings, Denver Blair, Hazel Tolliver, Raymond Blair, Pauline Forrester, Bradley Blair, Marian Morrison and Serena Blair.
Memorial contributions may be made in Elijah’s name to Dolores State Bank, PO Box 848, Dolores, CO 81323 for the United Indian Traders Entrepreneur Scholarship at N.A.U. School of Business.