People

Buildings cling to alcove floor inside Betatakin/Talastima.

Marc Steuben

 

Who Was Here?

Descendants of the Hopi people, who built the homes here, are called Hisatsinom. The Zuni also know that several of their clans began in this area. Later, San Juan Southern Paiute, famous for their baskets, moved into this area and lived near the cliff dwellings. Today, this area is surrounded by Dine' (Navajo) families, as it has been for hundreds of years.

The Ancestral Puebloan people of the Four Corners region built the cliff pueblos of Navajo National Monument. Archaeologists refer to the people particular to the Monument as the Kayenta Anasazi of the Western Pueblo Tradition.

 

 

People of the Canyons

Hopi (Hisatsinom)

Ancestors of the Hisatsinom lived here for thousands of years. Trade brought seeds of corn and other crops into the region. Hisatsinom lifeways changed from nomadic hunting-and-gathering to farming. Families began to build multi-storied stone masonry houses clustered in villages in Tsegi/Lenaytupqa (Flute) Canyon, and Nitsin Canyon.

These ancestral lands are very important to the Hopi. Keet Seel or Kawestima (the name Hopi use) was inhabited by Fire, Flute, and Bighorn Sheep Clans. Betatakin or Talastima (Place of the Bule Corn Tassels) was home to Deer, Fire, Flute, and Water Clans. Inscription House or Tsu'ovi is a Rattlesnake, Sand, and Lizard Clan village. These places are active spiritual and physical connections between the past, the present, and the future.

Navajo (Dine')

The Navajo or Dine' migrated into this area around 1800, and changed from hunting and gathering when the Spanish introduced domesticated animals. Sheepherding and farming became central to their lives. The Dine' have a long tradition of using the area around Navajo National Monument for both sacred and economic purposes.

The Navajo Nation surrounds the monument and cliff dwellings. The boundaries of the Dine' homeland are the four sacred mountains: Blanca Peak, Mount Taylor, the San Francisco Peaks, and the La Plata Mountains.

San Juan Southern Paiute

The San Juan Southern Paiute feel a strong connection to these canyons. They lived in Tsegi/Lenaytupqa Canyon and near Inscription House/Tsu'ovi, hunting, gathering, and raising crops. They lived in this area for hundreds of years, with the Hopi and Navajo tribes as their relatives and neighbors.

The largest of their communities are located at Hidden Springs, near Tuba City, AZ, and at Navajo Mountain. The San Juan Southern Paiute are famous for their basket-making skills.

Zuni (A:shiwi)

The Zuni or A:shiwi lived in the southwest for thousands of years and now make their home in New Mexico. They consider the Tsegi/Lenaytupqa Canyon region an essential part of their traditions. It is known as the "northern canyons," from which several of their clans originated. The Zuni traveled through this area on their way to Grand Canyon to mine salt. Betatakin or Talastima is celebrated in Zuni songs, traditions, and lives.