Stop 6: Waavema

The view of Redondo Peak from the Pueblo of Jemez

Courtesy of Pueblo of Jemez

One of the most sacred places in the Hemish universe is Waavema, known to most visitors as Redondo Peak. Waavema is critical to the story of Hemish migration to the mountains of northern New Mexico. The eagle created by the aspen trees, meadows, and mixed conifers on the South aspect of Waavema signaled that this place would be the home of the Hemish people. The Thompson Ridge fire of 2013 significantly damaged this motif. As Chris Toya says, “Redondo is life.”