Native American trip

This weekend several of us visited the Native American sites in New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona; we also visited the Four Corners where the four states of NM, CO, UT, and AZ converge. We also toured Painted Desert and Petrified Forest in Arizona. It was a fun trip besides learing more about the Native Americans here in the Southwest. The picture on the left is the site of Cliff Palace at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Jack Mcatee, a priest from New Jersey, and I walked down to this site along with several other tourists. It was incredible listening to the park ranger explaining the life of the early Anasazi people who are the descendents of many of the Native American people of the region.

Below is the photo of the ruins of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Monument in New Mexico. We left early Friday morning for Chaco in the rain, snow, and sleet. After visiting the Visitor Center and watching a video of the Chaco site, we took a tour by car and walked to this site in the rain; sloshing through the mud we made our way to this historical site. The Pueblo people lived here in this area between 800 AD to 1200AD; leaving this area due to the draught and encounters with their enemies. It is incredible that many of their building were aligned with the sun and moon during the soltice season; there are evidences of kivas - religious ceremonies among them.

On Sunday we visited the Canyon de Chelly National Park in Arizona; below is a photo taken by our guide Adam from the Navajo tribe who was raised in these canyons. Adam took us on a tour of the Canyon on his vehicle riding along the edge of the river and in the river too. He knew the spots where the sand was either hard or soft and made adjustments on his four wheel drive. He showed us his family land which they have owned for hundreds of years. It was incredible looking at the dwellings along the sheer cliffs of the canyon. Notice the ancient house above us that the Anasazi people built during their time in the canyon. There are also many petroglyphs along the walls of the canyon relating stories indicating life in the canyon.

Roland, Madeleine, a Holy Cross sister from Uganda; Marci, Dominican sister of Mission San Jose in California; Jack, Agustinian priest from New Jersey below one of the dwellings along the canyon.