Stranger things
Book details Navajo Ranger's career investigating the unexplained

Stranger things
Missy Votel - 10/10/2024

Strange things are afoot on the Navajo Reservation in Stanley Milford Jr.’s new book, “The Paranormal Ranger.” And by “afoot,” I mean literally, as in Bigfoot, skinwalkers, witches and aliens. But there are plenty of hovering, floating and flying anomalies as well, from UFOs and ghosts to the occasional flying butcher knife or coins dropping from the sky.

Milford

And lest you think these occurrences are all figments of Milford’s overactive imagination, the book is nonfiction, based on Milford’s 23 years in law enforcement as part of the fabled Navajo Rangers. For a good part of his career, Milford, along with his partner Jonathan Dover, were assigned to the Special Projects Unit, which investigated reports of paranormal and supernatural activities. Think of them as the Navajo Nation’s own Scully and Mulder, running to investigate cases that most of us would run far, far, away from. (In addition to the SPU, Milford also worked on the Four Corners Manhunt, a fascinating case in itself that he devotes an entire chapter to.)

Although Milford, an avowed skeptic, saw his job as investigating paranormal happenings, he also saw his role as comforting those traumatized by events such as a Bigfoot staring into their windows or a skinwalker hex. Often ignored or shunned by law enforcement, Milford made it a priority to listen to the victims – many of whom were Navajo elders – assuring them they were being taken seriously and their voices heard.

And he remained unflappable and logical through it all, something he credits to his strict training in the U.S. Indian Police Academy. In addition to encouraging calm under pressure, the training also taught Milford how to tap into his “sixth sense,” that creepy feeling that makes the little hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and tells you something is not quite right.

Speaking of hair standing on end, many of Milford’s detailed encounters will do the same for the reader, and some chapters may not be suitable for late-night reading. Not only has Milford investigated countless paranormal reports, but he has experienced several bizarro events on his own, including a skinwalker run-in that may have you sleeping with the lights on or burning sage before going to bed. 

Milford was raised partially by his Navajo father, spending summers on the reservation, and partly by his Cherokee mother, who sent him to “westernized” schools in Oklahoma. He believes it is this upbringing, with one foot in Navajo traditions and the other in Western culture, that uniquely prepared him – and perhaps made him a conduit – for his future of eerie and often unexplainable work.

Between the chapters on paranormal investigations, Milford weaves in the tale of the Diné creation story. Fantastical in its own right, Milford says it is this belief in other worlds – there  are four in the creation story as well as talking coyotes and monsters – that allows Navajos to be more receptive to other realms of existence. In fact, Navajo lore refers to a monster, Ye’iitsoh, that bears a striking resemblance to modern-day Bigfoot, Yeti, Chupacabra and Sasquatch. 

And while Milford’s own experiences are too numerous to write off as coincidence or late-night hallucinations after a lonely night patrolling the desolate reservation, he is only able to offer theories that raise more questions than answers. It is his belief, due to the ephemeral nature of his paranormal occurrences, that they are not only of another world, but another dimension. Milford postulates that rips in the fabric of the space-time continuum make it possible for such beings and spirits to travel between the various planes of existence. Furthermore, he talks of “paranormal hot spots” – like the haunted government building in Window Rock, a town where there was abject suffering and death through history – that serve as a super highway for hauntings and ne’er-do-well spirits.

Even more unsettling, Milford – who left law enforcement in 2019 and since has been in high demand on the international speaking circuit  – contends there has been an unprecedented uptick in paranormal events in recent years. He credits this to an imbalance in our world – from environmental crises to multiple wars to drug epidemics – with human suffering at new highs. He even sees his own people becoming further removed from their traditions, culture and old ways, like the teachings of the medicine men. It is this turmoil, trauma and detachment, he posits, that can create paranormal “hotspots.”

But all is not lost. While most may consider a visit from a skinwalker, ghost or alien terrifying, Milford regards them with curiosity; their objective is not to hurt us but to serve as a wake-up call for humankind. It is an opportunity to question how we are living and how we can all be better to each other and the planet.

According to Milford, each paranormal event has brought him “closer to the truth and to the deep meaning of the world.”

Whoa.

Truth be told, this may be a little heavy to fathom, even for the biggest mystics, sci-fi nerds or Trekkies out there, let alone a humble occasional book reviewer. But it is intriguing food for thought, contemplating other realms that exist right under our noses. If nothing else, it makes for a good spooky season read. And maybe it will keep you extra vigilant next time you drive across the reservation at night or see an unusual light streak across the sky. After all, the universe’s mysterious, strange and awesome truth is out there, if only we are willing to look for it.

Stanley Milford will be at Maria’s Bookshop from 6-8 p.m. tonight, Oct. 10, to read from and sign copies of his book, “The Paranormal Ranger.”