May 11, 2005. Timely through August 1, 2005.
For more information, call 1-800-422-8975, ext. 130. Media photo provided below.

Cortez, Colorado
The sweeping deserts and red rock canyons of the Southwest have been home to people for millennia. For five hundred years or longer, the Navajo people have lived in the Four Corners region. Here they built their homes with rocks and adobe on mesa tops and in cliff alcoves, and they carved and painted meaningful images on canyon walls and boulders. Although most archaeologists believe that the ancient villages and cliff dwellings along the San Juan River, in Mesa Verde, and in Canyon de Chelly, were built by the ancestors of today's Pueblo people, the Navajo have a different view. Join Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, along with scholars Richard M. Begay and Dr. Miranda Warburton on a fascinating exploration of the world of Navajo Legends and the Archaeology of the Four Corners beginning Sunday, September 25, and ending Sunday, October 2, 2005.

Navajo legend connects the ancient villages in a very real way to Navajo life, origins, culture and ceremony. A deep respect for tradition and the beauty of the land is reflected in complex philosophy and remarkable creativity and talent. Navajo legend relates not only the creation of the people and the origin of the universe, but also builds and names the landscape.

This landscape transcends the mythical. It is a place of high mountains and deep canyons, vast sky and life-giving thunderstorms. It has been the inspiration for a dazzling variety of art forms, including silversmithing and weaving. Explore the land that makes up the home of the Navajo Tribe—now the largest in the United States. Numbering almost 300,000 people, about 200,000 live on the Navajo Reservation. Covering about 25,000 square miles, it is roughly the size of West Virginia and includes entire mountain ranges and awe-inspiring red rock canyons.

Begin your journey with a relaxing two-day float trip down the San Juan River. Examine spectacular rock art panels while viewing much of the Southwest's geologic history displayed on the walls of the river canyon. Among the thousands of figures carved into the rock are outstanding examples of styles spanning almost 6,000 years from the Archaic and Basketmaker periods to historic Navajo or Ute.

Then move on to visit Canyon de Chelly—an important location in Pueblo and Navajo histories. From there, you will travel past Ship Rock, a jagged volcanic monolith protruding from the sandstone desert, to a local Navajo trading post for a discussion about Navajo arts and the history and importance of trading posts.

The past will come alive as you tour Crow Canyon's current archaeological excavation site—Goodman Point Pueblo. The Goodman Point Archaeology Project will investigate one of the largest Pueblo sites in the Mesa Verde region and it is the first time Crow Canyon will conduct major excavations in a national monument.

Then discover Mesa Verde National Park—a World Heritage Site. Learn of the types of architecture and artifacts contained in the park, as well as how archaeologists use this information to reconstruct ancestral life and how it may have changed over time.

Conclude your exploration with a visit to the Dinetah—the sacred homeland of the Navajo people. This area is steeped in meaning for the Navajo people. Shallow, winding canyons protect small masonry rooms perched on boulders, and vast galleries of elaborate rock art depicting important deities abound.

Richard Begay holds degrees in anthropology, Native American studies and education. He also has training in Navajo healing ceremonies and origin histories. He currently works for the Native American Community Health Center, Inc., in Phoenix, Arizona.

Dr. Miranda Warburton holds a degree in anthropology and was director of the Northern Arizona University Branch Office of the Navajo Nation Archaeology Department from 1988 to 2002. She remains deeply interested in Navajo culture, traditional history, ceremony, and education.

The cost of the exploration is $1,995 for shared accommodations. A single supplement is available. The price includes most meals, lodging, and local transportation.

Crow Canyon is a not-for-profit organization offering excavation, workshop, and travel programs in the greater Southwest and throughout the world.

The photo below may be used by the media to accompany this press release. No other use is authorized. Photographer credit and copyright notice is required.

White House Ruin in Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Photo by Tom McCarthy. Copyright © 2002 Tom McCarthy.