Ya'at'ééh – Welcome im Canyon de Chelly

On Saturday morning we joined a Grand Circle tour operators' fam tour in Canyon de Chelly, which Donovan was accompanying.
Canyon de Chelly is a Nation Monument and Tribal Park which can only be accessed by the Navajos, who live in the canyons, usually seasonally (in summer) in hogans, let their cattle and sheep grass and plant their beans, corn and squash. The land is still used in the traditional way and therefore individuals are not allowed in the canyon, only groups with Navajo guides. Which is unusual. The only hike everybody can do is the one to the White House Ruin, for the rest, it's tours, which are offered in abundance, e.g. from the Thunderbird Lodge, but also there are several stables which offer tours on horseback.

The National Monument consists of two canyons: in the South the Canyon de Chelly, in the North the Canyon del Muerto. The whole area was populated by Ancestral Puebloans and several ruins - cliff dwellings - are to be seen. Later the Navajo inhabited the place. Petroglyphs of Indians on horseback are proof for that. The canyons are a sacred place for the Navajo still today, because they were rounded up in the valley by Colonel Kit Carson in 1863 and, as a consequence, deported to Eastern New Mexico in the so-called Long Walk. 1868 Chief Manuelito succeeded in stipulating a contract that allowed his people to return to their homeland.


After a short bus ride, we hiked down the White House Trail to White House Ruins (approx. 1,5 mi/2,5 km), down into the lush and beautiful Canyon de Chelly, with its trees glimmering bright yellow in the sun. The dwellings to be seen in an alcove are remains of a prehistoric Indian settlement and petroglyphs. Also, Navajo vendors were offering their jewellery down there and made good business with the group.



With an Austrian military jeep we drove East, from the valley bottom (see pics below) to the mouth of the canyon, passing Junction and First Ruins - also remains of prehistoric settlements. After a 2-hour whirlwind tour we got back to the hotel and bid farewell to the group. After lunch with Donovan - great posole (a Mexican stew of hominy - soaked white corn -, pork and chile peppers) and lamb stew - sheep/mutton is very important for the Navajo and a main ingredient in their nutrition - we continued our exploration of the park on the North Rim Drive with Donovan, with stops at Canyon del Muerto: at Antelope House Overlook - again, ancestral pueblons dwellings, see picture - and at Mummy Cave Overlook, the place where the conflict between soldiers and Navajo took place. It shows the caves where the Navajo hid and sad things happened.

Continuing on to Dine College, the only college, which is operated by a tribe in the U.S. It focuses on the Dine culture and language, which is a fully recognized language in America and still spoken widely on the reservation. The campus is architecturally interesting as well and is proud of its Cultural Center/Museum. About 2,000 students are enrolled.

Landscape changed on the way to Wheatfields Lake - a man-made reservoir -, and it ressembled a landscape in Colorado with forests and hills. Along the border to NM we continued to Window Rock, our final destination of the day.






Window Rock is the "Navajo Capital", the administrative center and seat of the Navajo Nation Council Chamber (pic). Lots of government buildings around and we sort of passed Joe Leaphorn's office, the main character of Tony Hillerman's mysteries. The main feature of Window Rocks, however, is the Navajo Tribal Park, where the famous rock formation is standing. A trail wound up to the arch's top and we climbed it with Donovan at sunset. What a spectacular finale of another interesting day!