Where Did The People Go?

The Chacoan people did not just "disappear" when they left the Four Corners area (shared state border area of New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colrado) in the 13th century. They migrated from this area, moving south, east and west to join relatives living on the Hopi mesas, along the Rio Grande and around Zuni Mountain. Today, these people themselves tell stories of migrations from Chaco to their present homelands.

All 20 Pueblos of New Mexico and the Hopi regard the Four Corners area as part of their ancestral homelands. Modern Pueblo peoples retain a strong physical and spiritual connections to Chaco and other Four Corners area cultural sites.

Many clans trace a direct relationship to Chaco. The Pueblos of Acoma, Zia, Cochiti, Laguna, San Felipe, Santo Domingo and Zuni all have oral traditions that tell of clans migrating from Chaco and the surrounding areas. Ten Hopi clans trace their ancestry to Chaco. Chaco is honored in the prayers and songs told in many Puebloan languages.

The Navajo, while not Puebloan people, also have ceremonies, stories and place names relating to Chaco. In traditional Navajo stories, Chaco Canyon is Tse' biyahnii'a'ah, the home of the Great Gambler. The Navajo trace the origins of several of their clans back to Chaco.

The People Never Left!

For Pueblo peoples, Chaco and other cultural sites are sacred places. Rather than viewing them as "abandoned," Pueblo peoples believe that the spirits of their ancestors still inhabit these places. The ancestral homes remain special places to visit, to pray and to honor the spirits of ancestors.

Today, a consultation committee of tribal representatives from Hopi, the Pueblos of New Mexico, the Navajo and other neighboring tribes meet regularly with Chaco Culture National Historical Park staff to assist with many important management issues. They share their knowledge and history, and make suggestions about how to best care for the sites.

Through this sharing of ideas, we have learned that traditional thoughts on preservation often differ from those of the National Park Service. Pueblos peoples believe that these areas are sacred, living places and that all these things -- buildings, rocks, trees, people -- have a time to live, and that when that time is over, they should be allowed to go back to the earth. By excavating and preserving these sites, we have stopped this natural, sacred process. Fortunately, our preservation treatment of backfilling (reburying rooms) is one way in which we can respect Puebloan beliefs and wishes, and preserve sites.

We must all work together to reach a balance that respects the cultural and religious beliefs of Pueblo peoples, and allow us to learn about an important chapter in the history of out nation -- a chapter that is still being written by the descendants and caretakers today.

Updated: May 24, 2000