Archive of Past Programs

Note: This program is no longer available. Please see Domestic Trips and International Trips for currently available programs.

Chaco and the Hopi Pueblo World

Explore Chaco-era archaeological sites and visit the Hopi mesas

May 13–19, 2012

$2,495 (member*)
$2,620 (nonmember)

Deposit: $400
Balance due: March 13, 2012

*Minimum $100 level
(see Membership)

From the mid-eleventh through the mid-twelfth centuries A.D., Chaco Canyon in northwestern New Mexico was the center of the ancient Pueblo world—the bustling hub of a vast regional system marked by extensive trade, distinctive architecture, and a remarkable network of roads. Today, the Hopi people of northeastern Arizona refer to Chaco Canyon as Yupqöyvi, or "the place beyond the horizon," where the spirits of their ancestors still dwell.

Join Chaco archaeologist Gwinn Vivian and Hopi anthropologist Micah Loma'omvaya on this fascinating educational tour that examines cultural continuity through time and across space. Together, we will draw on the archaeological record and native oral history to discover possible connections between ancient Chaco and today's Hopi.

Explore ancestral Pueblo (Anasazi) archaeological sites at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Salmon Ruins, and Canyon de Chelly National Monument

Discover the richness of Hopi oral tradition, and learn how clan migration stories might shed light on possible connections between Chaco and today's Hopi people

Learn about farming techniques used by ancestral Pueblo Indians, and discuss how ancient principles of sustainability are manifested at Hopi today

By special permission, visit significant historic and cultural sites on the Hopi mesas and elsewhere on the Hopi Reservation

Scholars

Dr. R. Gwinn Vivian, curator emeritus at the Arizona State Museum, grew up in Chaco Canyon from the late 1930s to the early 1950s, where he developed an intimate understanding of Chaco archaeology that shaped his professional theories. Gwinn has conducted extensive research at Pueblo sites throughout the Chaco world and published the results in numerous books and journals.

Micah Loma'omvaya, anthropologist and Hopi tribal member of the Bear Clan, is from Songoopavi Village on Second Mesa, Arizona. He is currently a consulting anthropologist specializing in cultural and natural resource management; one of his goals is to establish a community-based center to promote Hopi land stewardship through traditional knowledge and language programs for Hopi and Tewa youth.

Summary Itinerary

A detailed itinerary is available in the program brochure (PDF). Itinerary subject to change.

Sunday, May 13
Arrival in Durango, Colorado; introduction; lodging in Durango (D)

Monday, May 14
Drive to Chaco Canyon National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico; tour Pueblo Bonito, Casa Rinconada, and Tsin Kletzin; lodging in Farmington, New Mexico (B, L, D)

Tuesday, May 15
Tours of Chaco outlier sites at Salmon Ruins, Aztec Ruins National Monument, and the Point site (all in New Mexico); lodging in Farmington (B, L, D)

Wednesday, May 16
Drive to Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona; hike to White House Ruin; lodging at historic Thunderbird Lodge at Canyon de Chelly (B, L, D)

Thursday, May 17
Travel to Hopi mesas, Arizona, and tour site of Awatovi (contingent on road conditions and tribal permission); lodging on Second Mesa (B, L, D)

Friday, May 18
Hopi Reservation: Explore Taawa Park and the village of Oraibi; return to Durango; lodging in Durango (B, L, D)

Saturday, May 19
Departure from Durango (B)

B = breakfast, L = lunch, D = dinner

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center's programs and admission practices are open to applicants of any race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, gender, or sexual orientation.

Registration as a seller of travel does not constitute approval by the State of California
CST 2059347-50