Day Nine- Wednesday 23rd April

Wupatki National Monument 

Throughout the Navajo owned land, commercialised places are present. Fast food restaurants seem to be everywhere and Tuba City advertised these areas more than any cultural areas for people passing through. However historical areas such as the Wupatki National Monument and Moenkopi Dinosaur Tracks are present and are unique experiences to see what the area was like before introducing new roads and buildings. However, the dinosaur tracks were discovered as the Highway was being built. This area is important for the Navajo community as it is a source of income, albeit not a substantial amount to live off.

The Hopi land is very interesting as the people live on Mesa’s, they are important to the Hopi as “they defined themselves by the land and sacred places, and recognized a unity in their physical and spiritual universe”.¹¹ The importance of their land is indescribable to the Hopi people and it proves how much they love their home as they it has spiritual significance. Spending the whole day in both reservations gave a unique insight into the communities and the way they live. Dwellings were interesting as the both the Navajo and Hopi shared similar houses; mainly trailers with propane tanks, cars and junk on the property. It was obvious that they were able to move whenever they pleased and were more interested in good cars than good houses.

¹¹ David R. Lewis, Native American Environmental Issues, Native America in the Twentieth Century: An Encyclopedia, (Mary B. Davis, New York: Garland Publishers, 1994)