Pictures of the Week 2008-19
Hello All,
Our next venture out of Gallup, NM was to Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeast Arizona. Enroute we stopped at the Hubbell Trading Post which is a National Historic Site located on the “Navajo Nation” Indian Reservation. To give some perspective, the Navajo Nation, which extends into three states, is larger than the State of West Virginia.
Reservation trading posts were often the only direct point of contact between Native and non-Native Americans until well into the 20th century. Traders facilitated rapid changes in the material culture of American Indian communities.
John Lorenzo Hubbell’s contribution as a trader was significant. During his half century on the reservation, he was known for his honesty in business dealings, for his hospitality, and for his wise counsel to the Navajo. When smallpox struck the reservation in 1886, he worked night and day caring for the sick and dying, using his own home as a hospital.
The Trading Post, Hubbell’s home, barn, bunkhouse, and guest Hogan are open to visitors under the guise of the National Park Service. All the buildings are constructed of blocks.
Our next venture out of Gallup, NM was to Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeast Arizona. Enroute we stopped at the Hubbell Trading Post which is a National Historic Site located on the “Navajo Nation” Indian Reservation. To give some perspective, the Navajo Nation, which extends into three states, is larger than the State of West Virginia.
Reservation trading posts were often the only direct point of contact between Native and non-Native Americans until well into the 20th century. Traders facilitated rapid changes in the material culture of American Indian communities.
John Lorenzo Hubbell’s contribution as a trader was significant. During his half century on the reservation, he was known for his honesty in business dealings, for his hospitality, and for his wise counsel to the Navajo. When smallpox struck the reservation in 1886, he worked night and day caring for the sick and dying, using his own home as a hospital.
The Trading Post, Hubbell’s home, barn, bunkhouse, and guest Hogan are open to visitors under the guise of the National Park Service. All the buildings are constructed of blocks.
Authentic Native Arts and
Crafts are available for sale in the trading post. Barb fell in love with this blue and white
basket in the center of the photo below.
However, the $1,300 price tag curbed her enthusiasm!!
The following two photos are of the Guest Hogan
and the barn.
We found Canyon de Chelly
National Monument to be spectacular. The labyrinth called Canyon de Chelly
(pronounced d’SHAY) is really several canyons, which include Canyon de Chelly
and Canyon del Muerto. At the mouth of the canyon rock walls are only 30 feet
high. Deeper into the canyons the walls
rise dramatically until they reach more than 1,000 feet above the floor. The cliffs rise straight up, overshadowing
the streams, cottonwoods, and small farms below. Many of the overlooks have little or no
safety railings. Warning signs are clear
and to the point!!
Archeological evidence shows
that people have lived in these canyons for nearly 5,000 years. The first residents built no permanent homes,
but remains of their campsites and images etched or painted on the canyon walls
tell us their stories. Later, people we
call Basketmakers built household compounds, storage facilities, and social and
ceremonial complexes high on ledges in the walls of the canyons.
They lived in small groups,
hunted game, grew corn and beans, and created paintings on the walls that
surrounded them. The ancient Puebloan
people followed. Predecessors of today’s Pueblo and Hopi Indians, they are
often called Anasazi: a Navajo word meaning ancient ones. About 700 years ago most of these people
moved away, but a few of them remained in the canyon.
Later, migrating Hopi Indians and other tribes spent the summers hunting and farming here. Finally, at the end of a long journey, the Navajo arrived. They built homes in the canyon, learned new crafts and new ways of farming, and added their own designs to the walls of this ancient gallery.
Later, migrating Hopi Indians and other tribes spent the summers hunting and farming here. Finally, at the end of a long journey, the Navajo arrived. They built homes in the canyon, learned new crafts and new ways of farming, and added their own designs to the walls of this ancient gallery.
Spider Rock is an 800 foot
sandstone spire that rises from the canyon floor. As you can see in the following photos it
doesn’t look anything like a spider. A
young Indian couple at the viewpoint advised us that an old Navajo myth is
about an ancient goddess called spider woman, who lived on top of the
rock--hence the name Spider Rock.
Canyon de Chelly National
Monument is a site we would highly recommend seeing. It is off the beaten path but worth the
effort to see it.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns