Native American Legacy
Journeys 2010 (13 Days)
with Italian Translator

Description:

Dates:
Wednesday, August 15th - Monday, August 27th 2010

Prices:
$4,500 USD - Double Occupancy
$5,100 USD - Single Occupancy

"Exploring the continuity, legacy and innovation of Native American Arts & Crafts"

You are invited to participate in a unique 13 day cross-cultural adventure to learn on-site about the rich cultural legacy of the Navajo, Acoma, Apache, Zuni, Isleta, and Taos peoples of the American Southwest. Journeying through the timeless landscape of New Mexico and southern Colorado, you will glimpse into the distinct worldviews and cosmology of the original peoples. Discover the natural monuments and places of pilgrimage, such as the world famous Mesa Verde National Park and Chaco Canyon site that protect the many ancestral sites that are still revered by contemporary Native Peoples.

Participants will learn of the various arts and crafts both their ancient and contemporary expressions that reveal the Native Peoples' strong sense of place, history and pride. You will learn of the techniques, materials and cultural context of the ceramics, jewelry, textiles, architecture and visual arts created by members of these various communities. Visits will be made to prominent Native American art museums, and you will have the opportunity to meet with acclaimed regional artists. Most importantly you will experience first hand the natural beauty of the southwestern landscape that has been the inspiration and sacred homeland to these tribal people.

Your main Native guide/cultural interpreter will be Mr. John Anthony Reyna, an educator from the Pueblo communities of Taos and Ohkay Owingeh in Northern New Mexico. He has an undergraduate degree in history, art and anthropology and has traveled extensively in the southwest and knows first hand many of the places and peoples of the communities we will visit.

Includes: Fully Escorted 13 day Journey with 2 full-time tour guides (one is Italian translator), with regional guides on-location, Includes 10 hotel rooms, and 2 days in hogans. Includes: 12 Hotel Breakfasts, 2 Picnic Lunches, and 2 Dinners, including the "Welcome Dinner" upon arrival in Albuquerque. All national and State Parks, monuments, museums, cultural centers, pueblo entries, and activities listed are included. Airport shuttle transfer included.

Not Included:
On-Own Meals (at tour participant's expense): 10 Lunches; 10 Dinners Tips & gratuities, Alcohol

Note: Navajo Trails plans to use the hotel accommodations mentioned in the tour itinerary. At times, hotel rooms are not available at time of reservation. If this happens, Navajo Trails will make reservations at another hotel with similar value and facilities.

Itinerary day by day :

DAY 2 - July 15th:
Albuquerque -> Acoma

Our first stop will be to Petroglyph National Monument for a trail hike through sections of Albuquerque's West Mesa escarpment. The monument contains over 20,000 images etched on volcanic basalt boulders from centuries ago. The canyon's extensive petroglyphs vary from geometric designs to visible animal and figurative engravings.

Driving west, will make an overnight visit to the Acoma Pueblo, also known as Sky City. Built atop a sheer-walled, 367-foot sandstone bluff as a defense system against raiders, in a valley studded with sacred, towering monoliths, Sky City has remained suspended in time for two millennia. The mesa-top village is known worldwide for its unique art and profoundly rich culture. The visit will include a guided tour by an Acoma historian. The night will be spent at Sky City Casino Hotel. (Note: Upon entry into Acoma, tour participant will have to pay still camera fee: $10.) (Breakfast included with hotel. All other meals at participant's expense.)

DAY 3 - July 16th:
Acoma -> El Morro National Monument -> Zuni -> Cibola National Forest

During the morning hours we will visit El Morro National Monument, the castle like formation that ascends over the western New Mexico desert on the path of an ancient east-west crossroad. The sandstone formation reveals over seven centuries of human interaction with inscriptions from a legacy of travelers.



Then we will travel to the nearby Zuni Pueblo. The Zuni are a deeply traditional people who live on the western slope of the Continental Divide in a scenic valley, surrounded by the enchanting mesas. Some Zuni still live in the old style Pueblos, while others live in modern flat-roofed houses. The Zuni refer to themselves in their own language as A:shiwi. Life for these Pueblo people revolves around their religious beliefs. They have a cycle of religious ceremonies which takes precedence over all else. The selling of pottery and other traditional arts and crafts is a major source of income for many of the Zuni. They make pottery, clothing, baskets, and Kachina dolls, and most importantly needle point and inlaid jewelry. We will visit the A:shiwi A:wan Museum & Heritage Center. We will then camp and enjoy the tranquility of Cibola National Forest. The evening will be spent around the campfire storytelling and singing. (Breakfast included. Lunch at participant's expense. Dinner included.)

DAY 4 - July 17th:
Cibola National Forest -> Canyon de Chelly

After a leisurely morning at the campground, our first visit will be to the town of Gallup, known to be the Silver Jewelry Capital of the World, a great stopover for those southwest jewelry enthusiasts. Next we will head to Window Rock, Arizona. Visitors will be treated to a scenic drive through the backroads. The stone arch and mystical rock formation that we will visit is an important part of the Dineh cosmology. The town of Window Rock is the site of the Navajo Nation Capital. We will visit the Council Chambers Museum, structured into the shape of a monumental Hogan, the traditional building of the Navajo, which stands as a tangible symbol of modern Indian Tribal self-government. Inside a mural depicts "The history and Progress of the Navajo Nation."

From there we will depart for Canyon De Chelly, once the stronghold of the Navajos during the Indian Wars and once harboring the ancient Pueblo culture. Beautiful canyons with sheer walls of several hundred feet rising from the canyon floor have been the subject of visitors from the world over. Canyon de Chelly encompasses three major canyons now preserved as an archeological sanctuary of 1,500 years of human occupancy, containing early cliff dwellings, pithouses, petroglyphs, and rock drawings of the pre-historic pueblo and historic Navajo periods. The Navajo's enduring traditional lifestyle still abounds within the canyons as the people farm the fertile valleys, occupy traditional hogans, and caretake this sacred monument. A visit into the mystery and spirit of the canyon is to transcend time and ponder Indigenous culture from the Navajo perspective. It is within this canyon that the Holy Ones taught the Navajo how to live. For millennia the Navajo People have been coming to the canyon to receive the great strength and power that is found there. We will setup camp within Canyon de Chelly and then enjoy late afternoon short hikes from the rim, including a hike down to the White House Ruins, a prominent ancient pueblo cultural dwelling site built in the alcove of the canyon walls. From the canyon top we will also view Spider Rock, the spectacular red sandstone monolith, the home of Spider Woman, an honored deity in the Dine' Cosmology. It was she who taught the Navajo the craft of weaving. (Lunch at participant's expense. Camp breakfast and dinner included.)

DAY 5 - July 18th:
Canyon de Chelly -> Pinon

We will rise early for a horseback tour of Canyon de Chelly. Journeying into the heart of the canyon, we will visit many of the ancient ruins, rock imagery and discover the canyon's unique geology with a Navajo guide giving interpretive history. Included will be a visit to the park ranger station for a short documentary film of local sites.

Then traveling further west we will arrive at Pinon, Arizona, site of Navajo Trails community-based tour company and home of Paul Tohlakai, elder, drum-maker and owner of Navajo Trails. You will be introduced to the traditions of the Navajo Nation where cultural norms are still intact. It is "back to mother earth" and transition to the "natural ways" that give us renewed appreciation for the convenience and amenities we so enjoy. Participants will stay in a rustic setting with traditional dwellings of tipi and hogans. Group meals will be shared. Running water, showers, and electricity are available. Upon arrival to camp, we will serve light supper and settle into our sleeping headquarters. The evening will include a stroll to Sacred Mountains Sundance grounds for orientation and introduction to Navajo culture. (Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch at participant's expense.)

DAY 6 - July 19th:
Pinon

The next 2 days are designed to enhance the self-growth and life of the participant by following natural life ways, beginning with rising with the Dawn Star. Throughout the day, there will be a program filled with experiential educational activities. All senses will be employed through projects that bring renewed awareness and appreciation of life. Some of the activities may include tipi set-up, traditional food preparation, the development of sustainable projects exploring alternative energy and traditional ecological and Earth knowledge with the community of Pinon or building corals for a youth horse program along with local residents for a real western experience. Hours are minimal. For those who chose an optional traditional hand-drum making class ($250 -participant's expense - pay in advance) is available with Paul Tohlakai using natural materials and colors. His high quality drums have won numerous awards at national powwows and are used by top singers throughout the U.S. and Canada. Discover your own personal relationship with the natural world through the heartbeat of the drum.

The rest of the group will travel to Dine College. The college provides a balance between traditional Navajo and Western Education. The institution is grounded in the philosophy and principles of S'ah Naagh Bik'eh Hzhn, the Diné traditional living system which places human life in harmony with the natural world and the universe. We will take a tour of the college and examine the collection of sandpaintings displayed at the college. A Dineh guide will introduce the group to the Navajo Sandpainting tradition and its various components. For the Díneh, the sandpainting is a sacred healing art linked to the time of myth and memory. The term for sandpaintings translates as "place where the gods come and go." Sandpaintings are gifts from the Holy People. They help restore hózhó, an idea related to such concepts as "beauty," "blessing," "holy," and "balanced. The evening will be spent preparing and sampling native food, storytelling, singing Dineh songs and drumming, and learning Dineh star knowledge as well as discussing future cross-cultural involvement. Evening dinner with locals. (All meals included.)

DAY 7 - July 20th:
Pinon

In the morning participants will complete their hand drums and package them for travel. In addition, you will have the opportunity to participate in one of the sacred ceremonies given to the Lakota people 19 generations ago, referred to here as a Stone People's Lodge (Sweat Lodge). Those who choose to partake will help with the preparation by gathering materials and setting up the structure for the evening. The day will also be spent hiking and identifying natural food and medicinal plants, visiting local historic areas and engaging in Native American teachings. During the afternoon, local artisans will display their crafts and provide demonstrations of workmanship. (All meals included.)

DAY 8 - July 21st:
Pinon -> Hopi (Second Mesa)

Departing Pinon, we will head south along the back road to Hopi Land. The name Hopi means "peaceful ones." They speak a language of the Uto-Aztecan stock. The Hopi are closely knit together by clan relationship. They are considered the "oldest of the native people" and reside in 12 traditional villages, home to a total population of about 10,000. Each village is self-governing and members of the tribe identify themselves with their village and clan. The Hopi Villages are located at both the base and the top of three mesas that dominate the expansive landscape. The Hopi are noted for their dry-farming techniques, rich ceremonial life, and international acclaimed artists. We will visit the Hopi Cultural Center at Second Mesa. We then check into the Hopi Cultural Center Hotel and relax the rest of the afternoon and evening. (Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner at participant's expense.)

DAY 9 - July 22nd:
Hopi (First Mesa) -> Grand Canyon

Early morning we will take a tour of First Mesa with a Hopi guide. First Mesa rises to an elevation of 6,000 feet. Walpi, the oldest village on First Mesa, is widely considered the most spectacular of the Hopi Villages as it is terraced into a narrow rock table. Residents still live as in the old-ways without such modern conveniences as running water and electricity. The old stone houses attest to the enduring earth-based culture of the Hopi people. Visitors also have an opportunity to observe artisans at work and may purchase art directly from them. First Mesa is known for its pottery, Second Mesa for coiled basketry and Third Mesa for wicker basketry. Weavers, kachina doll carvers and silversmiths are also found within each village.

Then we will head out to the panoramic Grand Canyon. Unparallel throughout the world, the Grand Canyon has been carved and shaped mainly by the Colorado River, flowing almost a mile (5,000 vertical feet) below our stop at the south rim. We will experience one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World with short hikes along the rim. Participants will set up camp at Mather Campground within the national park. There are also many fine restaurants to select from for dinner. (All meals at participant's expense.)

DAY 10 - July 23rd:
Grand Canyon

Participants will have the option of hiking into the Grand Canyon via Bight Angel Trail or Kaibab Trail, or walking along the west rim trail. Other options include, visiting the historic restaurants, hotels, and shops, or view the canyon from the sky with an exhilarating helicopter flight. Mule rides into the canyon may be available depending on when reservations are made. (Breakfast and camp dinner is included. Lunch at participant's expense.)

DAY 11 - July 24th:
Grand Canyon -> Crow Canyon, Cortez

After breakfast, we will travel to Kayenta and visit the famed Navajo Code Talkers Museum and from there we will head northeast into Colorado to spend the night at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. Crow Canyon is dedicated to understanding, teaching, and preserving the rich history of the ancestral Pueblo Indians who inhabited the canyons and mesas of the Mesa Verde region more than 700 years ago. The area has one of the densest concentrations of well-preserved archaeological sites in the world. Particiapants will spend the night in hogans. (Breakfast is included. Lunch & Dinner at particpant's expense.)

DAY 12 - July 25th:
Crow Canyon -> Mesa Verde

We will visit Mesa Verde, Spanish for "Green Table" with a ranger guided tour to some of the ruins. Mesa Verde was the home of the ancestral Pueblo People for over seven centuries, from AD 600-AD 1300. To date, the park protects over 4,000 most notable and best preserved archeological sites in the U.S., including 600 imposing cliff dwellings as well as village remains on the mesa top. We will camp right in the Mesa Verde Park. (Breakfast and lunch at participant's expense. Dinner included)

DAY 13 - July 26th:
Mesa Verde -> Pagosa Springs

Next we will travel to Pagosa Springs where we will enjoy relaxing in the therapeutic mineral-rich waters. The Great Pagosa Aquifer is the world's largest and deepest hot mineral spring. Pagosa Springs is nestled at 7,000 feet (2,100 m) on the Western Slope of the Continental Divide. The Utes called the sulfur-rich mineral springs "Pah gosah" meaning "healing waters" and visitors from all over the world come to enjoy its hot baths. The town is located in the upper San Juan Basin, surrounded by 3 million acres of the San Juan National Forest, and adjacent to the largest wilderness area in the nation, the Weminuche Wilderness. The remote territory is a Mecca of majestic alpine scenic peaks, placid lakes and trout-filled streams. We will complete the day with an evening of dining out and then rest comfortably at a local hotel. (Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner at participant's expense.)

DAY 14 - July 27th:
Pagosa Springs -> Great Sand Dunes National Reserve

Leaving Pagosa Springs, we will travel through the magnificent Southern Rockies to the Dine' Eastern Sacred Mountain of White Shell Mountain (Tsisnaasjini') otherwise called Mount Blanca. This sprawling mountain is a site of significant importance to many regionally Native American tribes. We will take a short hike up to Zapata falls to cool off and then set camp at the Great Sand Dunes National Park, where alpine tundra, ancient forests, grasslands, wetlands, and massive golden sand dunes meet. The sand dunes are the tallest in North America, rising to almost 750' above the valley floor. In dramatic contrast to the rugged and enduring Rocky Mountains, the dunes are continually being re-sculptured by the wind. Participants will have great fun hiking and sliding down the dunes. The evening display of stars is especially brilliant here. (Breakfast and dinner included. Lunch at participant's expense.)

DAY 15 - July 28th:
Great Sand Dunes -> Taos, New Mexico

After breaking camp, we will head south to charming Taos, New Mexico, a town rooted in both the Pueblo and Spanish cultures where we will visit the town's prominent feature and origins, the historic Taos Pueblo. The Taos Pueblo People live at the foot of the majestic Taos Mountains, towering 14,000 feet over the Rio Grande River Valley in Northern New Mexico. The Taos Pueblo, "The Place of the Red Willows," is an internationally renowned Native American community and has been designated both a World Heritage Site and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for hundreds of years. The people of the Taos Pueblo are called the Red Willow people and speak their native Tiwa language as well as English. After checking into our hotel accommodations, we will take a tour of the Pueblo. Camera fee $5 at pueblo. (Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner at participant's expense.)

DAY 16 - July 29th:
Taos, New Mexico

Today will consist of an optional Art Workshop ($150 participant's expense - pay in advance) at the Taos Pueblo. Participants can choose from Jewelry or Leather and beadwork, taught with one of the master craftsman of the Taos Pueblo. Or participants can explore the many delightful attractions of Taos: art galleries, quaint shops and café's. Another choice is a visit to the largest earthship community in the world (participant's expense), the most unusual completely off the grid sustainable housing community. (Breakfast included. All Lunch and Dinner at participant's expense.)

DAY 17 - July 30th:
Taos -> Chimayo -> Santa Fe, New Mexico

After rising early, we will make our way south along the twisting Rio Grande River, through scenic canyons and the enchanting countryside of New Mexico to the tiny Hispanic town of Chimayo. Each year its main attraction, El Santuario de Chimayó, a Roman Catholic church and a National Historic Landmark, is said to contain healing powers in its soil and receives over 300,000 pilgrims. Many visitors to the church take a small amount of the "holy dirt", often in hopes of a miraculous cure for themselves or loved ones. El Santuario de Chimayó has been called "no doubt the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States." Prior to the town the area was also a holy site during aboriginal times.

After breakfast at one of the cafés, we will continue on to the hub of Southwest Culture to Sante Fe, New Mexico. The town is celebrated for its world class art galleries, museums, exquisite architecture and its dynamic blend of Native American, Americana and Hispanic cultures. We will check into one of the charming hotels right in the historic section of old Santa Fe, then participants will be given a museum pass for tours of the Wheelright Museum, Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Palace of the Governors and the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum to be used at your leisure for the next 2 days. Visitors can choose from its varied restaurants and cafés for lunch and dinner. Santa Fe is ranked as one of the nation's leading culinary capitals. (Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner at participant's expense.)

DAY 18 - July 31st:
Santa Fe -> Albuquerque

At your leisure, you can further explore Santa Fe and the many museums and galleries on your own. Mid-afternoon we will depart for Albuquerque where we will check into our hotel and then visit the nearby Isleta Pueblo for a pottery demonstration by one of their talented artisans. (Breakfast included. Lunch & dinner at participant's expense.)




DAY 19 - August 1st:
Albuquerque

Hotel Breakfast and then depart hotel via shuttle to airport at designated time of flights.

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