Canyon de Chelly National Monument

 

Visited: April 2024

Nearby town: Chinle, AZ

In the heart of the Navajo Nation, lies a vast expanse of impressive and unforgiving canyonlands. Three canyons: de Chelly, del Muerto, and Monument canyons, are preserved and protected in Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "SHAY") National Monument. 

These canyons formed millions of years ago, as streams originating in the Chuska Mountains eroded the sandstone bedrock, eventually creating the imposing, stark cliffs that now dominate the landscape.

The canyon was initially inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloans, who the Navajo peoples referred to as Anasazi (a Navajo word meaning "ancient enemy"), from approximately 300 AD to 1300 AD. The remnants of some of these Puebloans cliff dwellings survive today, such as White House Ruin and Mummy Cave. After the Puebloans left this area, the Hopi tribe sporadically occupied the canyons for a few centuries. Starting in the 1700s, the Navajo moved here from other parts of present-day New Mexico and made these canyons and the surrounding area their home.

Spanish explorers first sighted the canyons in the 1600s. They named the canyon "Chelly" a borrowing of the Navajo word for the canyon, Tseyi (meaning "inside the rock"). 

At the outbreak of the US Civil War, the Navajo Nation was the largest remaining tribal nation in the country. With relations between the US and Native Americans at a nadir (largely due to the Sand Creek Massacre/Colorado War between the U.S. Army and the Cheyenne), U.S. Army Colonel Christopher Carson (aka "Kit" Carson) was tasked with forcibly removing the Navajo and relocating them to Fort Sumner in present-day eastern New Mexico (an area known as Bosque Redondo). 

Kit Carson employed a scorched earth policy to capture the Navajo, destroying homes, food and supplies. In November 1863, the Navajo tribes, led by chiefs Manuelito, Barboncito, and Delgado retreated to the canyon for safety and developed a stronghold on the canyon floor to defend against the invasion. In January 1864, Carson launched an attack against the stronghold and managed to lay siege and surround the Navajo encampment. With winter coming and supplies running low, the Navajo decided to surrender. Starting in August 1864, over 10,000 Navajos were forced to march over 300 miles to relocate to Fort Sumner/Bosque Redondo (an event known as "The Long Walk of the Navajo"). 

The Navajo would live in exile in Bosque Redondo for over four years. In 1868, the Treaty of Bosque Redondo allowed the Navajo to return to their native lands and effectively established the Navajo as a sovereign nation. Today, the Navajo Nation covers portions of the present-day states of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. At over 27,000 square miles, it is the largest Indian reservation in the United States, and exceeds the size of 10 U.S. states. It is one of the few Indian reservations whose lands overlap a tribe's traditional homelands.

Canyon de Chelly National Monument was established in 1931. However, none of the land is federally owned. Instead, the monument is entirely owned and operated by the Navajo Tribal Trust, and management of the unit is shared with the National Park Service. This is the only NPS unit owned and co-managed in this manner.

The nearest town to Canyon de Chelly is Chinle (pop: 4,573) which has several hotels. The rim of the canyons are accessed by both the South Rim Drive and North Rim Drive. There are several overlooks along both roads. We took the South Rim Drive first, driving out to its easternmost point, Spider Rock Overlook.

Spider Rock is the park's distinctive geologic feature. It is a sandstone spire that rises 750 ft from the canyon floor. This unique rock formation is at the junction of Canyon de Chelly and Monument Canyon. In Navajo mythology and folklore, the taller of the two spires is home to Na'ashje'ii Asdzaa ("Grandmother Spider"). It is an awe-inspiring vista.

at Spider Rock Overlook, looking towards the west.

We then stopped at other overlooks along both the South Rim and North Rim roads.

Face Rock

the sign's not kidding. Be careful around the cliff edge. 

Antelope House Overlook along the North Rim.

Mummy Cave overlook along the North Rim.

This was an Ancestral Puebloan dwelling, inhabited until circa 1300 AD

Authentic Navajo taco for dinner! 

There are two options to explore the canyon floor: 1) self-guided trail from the rim to the floor at White House Ruin (this is only open seasonally, during the summer months); or 2) a guided tour.

We took a 4-hr guided tour of the canyon floor. Our Navajo guide's name was Richard. It was just Tara and me on the tour. We took an SUV to drive through the riverbed on the canyon floor. A rough drive, but adventurous and fun. It was very neat to get such a personalized tour and to get up-close to the ruins. Richard kept us entertained with lots of tales and stories of the history of the area. I recommend taking a guided tour.

the Chinle Wash, on the western end of Canyon de Chelly

lots of pictographs on the canyon walls

our trusty vehicle for the tour

me and our tour guide, Richard

Richard checking the water depth to make sure we can go through

ancient cliff dwellings known as "First Ruin"

First Ruin

White House Ruins. Ancestral Puebloans lived in these dwellings on the canyon floor and the cliff side from approximately 1070-1300 AD. 

a Hogan, a traditional Navajo dwelling

approximately 40 Navajo families still live on the canyon floor.

Ledge Ruin

We had a great time exploring Canyon de Chelly.

More info here: https://www.nps.gov/cach/index.htm

Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site

Visited: April 2024

Nearby town: Ganado, AZ

At 27,413 square miles, the Navajo Nation is the largest Indian Reservation in the United States. This vast land stretches over northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and a small portion of southeastern Utah. In the town of Ganado, which lies near the center of the Navajo Nation, you will find the Hubbell Trading Post.

Established in 1878, it is the oldest continuously operating trading post in the Navajo Nation. Trading posts served a vital role in Navajo society, particularly during the late 19th - early 20th century. Hubbell Trading Post was an important financial and commerical hub. It functioned as a store, post office, and a bank (where natives could pawn silver and turquoise, etc.) The trading post acted as a conduit between two cultures: native Navajo and Anglo-American settlers. In the days before cash, Navajo people bartered wool, sheep, rugs, jewelry, baskets, pottery in exchange for the trader's goods: flour, sugar, coffee, tobacco, baking powder, canned goods. 

The Hubbell Trading Post was established by John Lorenzo Hubbell. 

J. Lorenzo Hubbell

Born on November 27, 1853 near Albuquerque, New Mexico to an Anglo father and an Hispanic mother, Hubbell moved to St. Johns, Arizona at 23-years old to work as a clerk in a trading post. He began operating what is now the Hubbell Trading Post on the Navajo Nation in 1878. He homesteaded the acerage and lived in a home adjacent to the trading post. He spoke English, Spanish, and quickly learned Navajo. Hubbell was instrumental in making Navajo crafts, such as concho belts, turquoise bracelets, and traditional blankets (dubbed "Ganado blankets"), popular among Anglos in the U.S. Southwest and the rest of the country. He married a Hispanic woman, Lena Rubi, in 1879 and they had 4 children. Hubbell expanded his trading business, eventually owning 30 trading posts throughout the Navajo Nation and the neighboring Hopi Reservation. Hubbell served as the Apache County Sheriff in the 1880s and served a term in the Arizona State Senate from 1912-1914.

Hubbell was popular among the Navajo people due to his honesty, integrity, fair dealing, and knowledge of Navajo language and customs. He became good friends with tribal leaders, including Manuelito and Henry Chee Dodge. The Navajos called him Nak'eznilih ("double glasses"), and Naakaii Saani ("old Mexican"). Many visitors also called him "Don Lorenzo" due to his reputation for hospitality and generosity. A prominent Republican, Hubbell hosted former President Teddy Roosevelt at his ranch in Ganado in 1912. Hubbell passed away on November 12, 1930, at the age of 76. 

Hubbell's family continued to run the trading post until 1967, when they sold the land to the National Park Service. The trading post is still active, operated by a non-profit organization, the Western National Parks Association, as a partner with the NPS. The NPS also preserves the Hubbell family home, guest hogan, barn, blacksmith shop, and the small family farm on the grounds.

 

Start at the Visitor Center to learn about the history and importance of this site. Then visit the store and the grounds. If you have time, you can take a ranger-led tour inside the Hubbell family home. 

entrance to the trading post

chicken coop

covered patio of the family home

Hubbell hill. Hubbell and his wife are buried on this hill

guest Hogan. Hogans are the primary and traditional dwelling of the Navajo people.

They are usually circular or octagonal in shape. 

barn and blacksmith shop

Head inside the trading post and step into the past. 

the squeaky planks of the wooden floor greet you as you enter the trading post.

We concluded our stop at the Hubbell Trading Post with a picnic lunch on the grounds. 

For more info: https://www.nps.gov/hutr/index.htm