For several years I have wanted to see the Anasazi (Hisatsinom) ruins in Chaco Canyon. This is a remarkably advanced society of people who lived there and flourished for about 300 years. See this site if desirous of more information: http://www.nps.gov/archive/chcu/home.htm. I have studied the Hisatsinom extensively. Hisatinom is the Hopi name for the people who lived in the Four Corner Region and thousand years ago and is the preferred term compared to the more commonyly used term Anasazi. Anasazi is a Navajo word and is considered to be a slur by the Hopi. Navajo did not arrive on the scene until 1200-1300 A.D. and possibly could have played a role in the demise of the Pueblo and Hopi ancestors... the Hisatsinomon. Chaco Canyon is remote--the road is over half dirt and is sometimes too muddy to travel and sometimes water is rushing through the washes making the road impassable. The road keeps out a lot of tourists so only those who really want to go there show up. That is good, but the downside is that only a few Americans, probably more Europeans than Americans, know of the remarkable people who once lived at Chaco Canyon and the surrounding region. Chaco Canyon is the center of about 120-180 pueblo villages (archaeologists are still looking--I had a Navajo-Paiute student whose Navajo grandfather owns land on which one of the outliers is located near Houk, AZ, but he won't let anybody in to look at it. The grandkids can't touch--only look. There are problably several like that that the archaeologists can only guess at.) in the Four Corners Region.
To view this area takes some days. We spent two nights and two days and I could easily have spent a week. So J had to camp. Some of her family doubted that this would happen, but, alas, I have the picture to prove that J did indeed camp. I think she may have even liked the experience. We had the best campsite in the primitive campground. We had relatively cool weather and a very cool second evening, but the down sleeping bags were perfect cover. We had to drive two miles to the Visitors Center to get water. We were about 75 feet from the WC and had a rock over hang for shade--the only campsite with such a nice amenity. We packed the cots and foam pads and put those in the tent. Actually, I think we slept pretty comfortably. And. was it ever neat to see the Milky Way so clearly. The skies at Chaco Canyon are still very bright due to a lack of light pollution, but the area is affected by Southern California pollution blowing in.
We did get robbed by the ravens while away from camp. They made off with 8 packets of instant oatmeal, opened the cooler and got out the lettuce, but left it in the dust, and opened up a packet of port-a-potty chemicals. They left that. Haha. I bet that ruined their taste buds for a day or two. J was less than charitable hoping that they would have a big tummy ache when the instant oatmeal expanded.
The first picture is the campground. Kind of fits the stereotype that some may have of the New Mexican countryside. The other pictures of camp life are self-explanatory. The butte is Fajada Butte and therein lies the key to the remarkable story of the Chacoans. If one wishes to take the time, one can learn a lot by going to this site and studying what Anna Sofaer and associates have put together about their remarkable archeoastronomy findings: http://www.solsticeproject.org/ I have used the video "Sun Dagger" in my Native American class for the past several years. I bought the Solstice Project's latest video at the Chaco Canyon Visitors' Center. I also bought a book published by the Solstice Project on Chaco Canyon archeoastronomy. The findings are incredible. I had one student a few years ago remark after studying the Chacoans, "Where did we white people get off thinking that we were some how superior in intellect to Indians?"
More about Chaco Canyon and my visits with Taos, San Ildefonso, and Zuni artisans in upcoming posts. Yeah, I bought some of their pots.
Time for this Papa Coyote to climb the nearest ridge and howl--metamorphically-- that is.
Love you all,
Papa Coyote
4 comments:
Hmmm. very interesting. We are off to Colorado for granddaughters birthday... maybe close enough for a first time visit to the 4 corners area. I taught a few lessons to 7th graders once about the Anasazi
Troutbirder: While you are in Colorado you might wish to drop into the SW Corner of the State to visit Mesa Verde. These ancient cliff dwellings are located between Durango and Cortez. Actually, there are many Hisatsinom ruins in that area. Further to the south you will find Aztec (nothing to do with the Aztecs of Mexico--just some confused early settlers in the area thought that these ruins must have been created by a great society and "naturally" that left out any of the area Indians who were viewed as vermin hardly worthy of the lead to terminate their existence). Aztec is one of the larger Hisatsinom villages. It is interesting that Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico; Aztec, Colorado; and Casa Grande, Mexico all lie on the 108th longitude. Accident? Not likely. Have fun. If you have not seen these, you will be amazed, even more so if you do some reading about them before your visit. Hovenweep is almost on the Four Corners and is worthy of a visit, also.
Is that really Jane in the shade of a tent ?? I thought she never ever was planning on camping. What did you promise her Bill ? New fabrics or something else that is precious to her ?
I enjoyed the picture.
Love Ria
Ria, Jane went camping out of the goodness of her heart. She knew how much it meant to me to see the ruins at Chaco Canyon, so she was willing to camp because there really are no other alternatives. One could drive an RV, but that is a little rich for our income. So, we camped.
Post a Comment