Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Thunderbird Lodge
|
Canyon de Chelly National Monument Thunderbird Lodge
News |
|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CANYON
DE CHELLY NATIONAL MONUMENT OFFERS
RICH HUMAN HISTORY CHINLE, Ariz., – Initial impressions of Canyon de Chelly National Monument are usually
related to its spectacular geology followed by feelings of solitude and peace.
It does not take long, however, for visitors to hear the stories and see the
signs of a human history of the region that is poignant, mysterious and, at
times, tragic. As with
other canyons in the Four Corners region, Canyon de Chelly is home to many
Anasazi ruins. The Anasazi – “Ancient Ones” – lived in the canyon for
more than a thousand years and left around 1300 A.D. Their homes were
impressively engineered using timbers and adobe-style bricks. Most of the homes
were built into the canyon walls and faced south to take advantage of the winter
sun. Some contained multiple levels that housed as many as 30 to 40 families.
The most impressive structures are large cliff houses, built between 1100 and
1300, in the Pueblo period. The
Anasazi left the area around 1300. The reason for their disappearance is debated
with the most popular theory being a prolonged drought forced them out. The
people of Canyon de Chelly and other nearby Pueblo centers left their homes and
moved to other parts of the Southwest. Some of the present-day Pueblo Indians of
Arizona and New Mexico are descendants of these pre-Columbian people. The
Hopi and Pueblo Indians are believed to be the most closely related to the
Anasazi. The Hopi lived in Canyon de Chelly at some time between 1300 and 1700. The
Navajo, related culturally and linguistically to the various Apache Indians in
the Southwest, moved from northern New Mexico into the area around 1700. In the
1700s and 1800s they recorded the arrival of the Spaniards and the introduction
of cows, horses and sheep into the area. The
Navajo fought with the Pueblo Indian villages and Spanish settlements along the
Rio Grande Valley. As a result, the Spanish, Mexican, and American governments
conducted their own battles with the Navajo, and Canyon de Chelly, as a Navajo
stronghold, figured prominently. In
1805 Lt. Antonio Narbona, later the governor of the Province of New Mexico, led
a Spanish expedition in an all-day battle with a band of Navajos fortified in a
rock shelter in Canyon del Muerto. At the end of the day, Narbona’s contingent
had killed 105 Navajos, including 90 warriors. Today, the rock shelter is called
Massacre Cave. In 1864 Kit Carson led a
detachment of United States cavalry to Canyon de Chelly. Carson’s troops
defeated the Navajos and forcibly removed more than 8,000 Navajos 300 miles to
Fort Sumner in New Mexico. At the end of the “Long Walk,” an early
reservation that was really a prisoner of war camp was designated. After four
years, however, the Navajos were permitted to return to their homeland. Around the turn of the 20th
century, a trading post was constructed at the mouth of the canyon and is now
the Thunderbird Lodge dining facility. The trading post emphasized the
protection of the canyon and its artifacts and was the main starting point for
those exploring the canyon. Today, some 80 families still live in the canyon where they farm and raise animals. Visitors can see the working farms and the traditional Navajo houses – six- or eight-sided hogans with the doors facing east to greet the sun every morning. Tourism
also plays a significant role in the Canyon’s economy. Thunderbird Lodge
provides the only accommodations in Canyon de Chelly. It features 72 modern
rooms, dining facilities, gift shop, rug room and tours. Of its 90 employees,
more than 90 percent are Navajo. Full-day tours depart at 9 a.m. and return at 5
p.m., taking visitors on a 60-mile round trip through Canyon del Muerto to Mummy
Cave and Canyon de Chelly to Spider Rock. Half-day tours last 3˝ hours, depart
at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and take visitors into the lower halves of both Canyon de
Chelly and Canyon del Muerto. With
the exception of hiking the White House Ruin trail, travel in the canyons is
permitted only with a park ranger or authorized Navajo guide. Thunderbird
Lodge is open year-round. For reservations, call 1-800-679-2473. For online
information on Thunderbird Lodge, go to www.tbirdlodge.com. ### For more
information, contact: Mesereau
Public Relations
(1) 303-841-1511 tom_mesereau@msn.com |
Send mail to webmaster@tbirdlodge.com with questions or comments about this web site. |
