 No ovine species native to the Americas has ever been domesticated , despite being closer genetically to domestic sheep than many Asian and European species . The first domestic sheep in North America — most likely of the Churra breed — arrived with Christopher Columbus ' second voyage in 1493 . The next transatlantic shipment to arrive was with Hernán Cortés in 1519 , landing in Mexico . No export of wool or animals is known to have occurred from these populations , but flocks did disseminate throughout what is now Mexico and the Southwest United States with Spanish colonists . <unk> were also introduced to the Navajo tribe of Native Americans , and became a key part of their livelihood and culture . The modern presence of the Navajo @-@ Churro breed is a result of this heritage . 
