4 October – Canyon de Chelly

We spent the day doing the 2 driving tours of the Canyon – the North Rim and the South Rim. Both have many overlooks where you can walk to the edge of the canyon and look at the stunning views. 

 The canyon was occupied by the Ancestral Puebloans from round 2500BC until 1600AD when they simply vanished. They left behind them their legacy of the many cliff dwellings and petroglyphs.

The Navajo people arrived in the area around 1700 and took advantage of the canyons water supply and sheltered sites to grow crops and farm sheep and goats. Sadly, their tranquil life didn’t last long with war breaking out in the late 1700’s between the Navajo, other tribes and the Spanish settlers. The Navajo built fortresses atop the bluffs and in the caves, including a fortress on top of this massive pillar of rock, but to no avail and the Spanish wiped out their settlements in 1863/64. The Navajo who were left were forced by the Spanish to walk to Fort Sumner in New Mexico, with many dying along the way and at the Fort from disease and starvation. In 1868 they were freed to return home, but with their crops and flocks gone they had to adopt the Spanish and Mexican model of Trading Posts to trade jewellery and rugs for supplies. Today, Canyon de Chelly remains the epicentre of the Navajo culture and the Navajo Nation.

We had a truly great day – the canyon is so beautiful, with its colours and the contrast of the green valley floor against the reds and oranges of the rocks. Unfortunately it was cloudy most of the day, so the photos are not as good as we would have liked. However, we have booked a 4WD tour tomorrow morning, so fingers crossed for sunshine!