Dear Elderhostel Friend, It seems that many people are
unaware of the diverse climate of Arizona. Generally, the belief
of those not from this area is that Arizona is desert and heat - all
year long. But in Flagstaff it's very different. In mid-October, we saw our first bit of snow on top of our majestic San
Francisco Peaks, known as a sacred place to 13 Native American tribes. All of us at NAU Elderhostel
welcome that first
snowfall and celebrate the magic of this land!
For
those of you needing a break from colder climates or just a
Southwest getaway, we are offering a wide variety of programs in the
upcoming months to
take you into the warmth of new worlds. Please read below to
learn more about some of these programs.
In this
issue we feature: -
Winter: It's NOT time to hibernate!
-
The Navajo, Hopi and Zuni Reservations -
"My Grandmother's Beauty" - a short story about the importance
of elders
within the traditional Navajo family
- News, Tips & Ideas, and Recommended Reading
As
always we love hearing from you! Please don't hesitate to call or email us if
you have a story or photo you would like to share, or think of a topic you would
like us to cover. Just send an email to:
elderhostel@nau.edu
If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in the future you will
find information on how to unsubscribe at the bottom of this page. Wishing you a Wonderful Holiday
Season, The Staff at NAU Elderhostel
Winter Getaways
Imagine a Sedona
landscape with the red rocks in the background against
a bright blue sky! Plus an average temperature of 62 degrees! What a perfect location for our
Golfing and
Hikingprograms, as well as our
Sedona Traditionaland
Artsprograms.
Phoenix's
warm winter days and bright sunshine help make
every golfer's game more comfortable and pleasurable. Along with
golfing,
"Arizona Landscapes" and
"Great Deserts",
two of our most popular Exploring America programs, begin in Phoenix or Tucson.
In March, while much
of the country is buried in snow under gray skies, join us on
"The Navajo
and Hopi: Indigenous Cultures and Contemporary Issues."
Spend three nights in Cameron, AZ on the Navajo
Reservation and three nights at the Hopi Cultural Center on the Hopi
Reservation. The
majestic views and experiences on these two reservations are sure to
inspire compassion and appreciation for the land and peoples.
Winter and spring truly are great
seasons in which to visit this part of the
country. Come visit our "neck of the woods" and share a unique
experience with fellow Elderhostelers.
Northern
Arizona and New Mexico
- The Navajo, Hopi and Zuni Reservations
While the Navajo, Hopi and Zuni are geographic neighbors, their cultures and
histories tell stories of three very different peoples and cultures.
The Navajo,
so-named by the Spanish explorers, or "Dine", meaning "the
People" and the name they call themselves, have a mysterious beginning. There are many theories as to where their ancient ancestors came from. Today, there are over 200,000 Navajo people and the Navajo
Reservation is the largest of its kind in the United States encompassing
14 million acres within Arizona, New Mexico and Utah and equivalent in
size to West Virginia.
Within this vast area are unforgettable monuments and landscapes such as
Monument Valley, the Painted Desert, Canyon de Chelly, and the Petrified
Forest just to name a few. A traditional Navajo home, or "hogan",
with its usual eight sides, can often be seen throughout the
Reservation. The Navajo people function within a
matrilineal clan system and when two people marry, the husband joins his
wife's family. Whether they are crafting beautiful silver jewelry,
weaving exquisite Navajo blankets, or creating traditional sand
paintings, the Navajo people remain connected to the earth and bringing
life back into balance.
Hopi, which
is often translated as "peaceful people", is the name for the people,
descendants of the Hisatsinom, formerly called and considered "the oldest of the
native people", who have continually inhabited three distinct mesas
in northeastern Arizona for over 1000 years. The Hopi Reservation
encompasses approximately 1.5 million acres and is completely surrounded
by the Navajo Reservation. The Hopi
people, with a population of about 10,000, reside in 12
traditional villages on the mesas, at an elevation of 7,200 ft. Each mesa is recognized for a
variety of arts, like First Mesa's fine pottery and Katsina
dolls. In addition, the Hopi people, like the Navajo, function within a clan system. Clan membership is passed through the mother and the mother's home
village. Each clan has a sign by which it is known, such as the
bear, butterfly, or snake. These signs provide the Hopi evidence
of their ancient migrations and their view of the universe as an
inseparable continuum.
The Zuni Reservation, home to the Zuni people,
or A:shiwi, the name they call themselves,is located 150
miles west of Albuquerque in McKinley and Cibola counties of western
New Mexico and covers approximately 450,000 acres. Zuni
Pueblo, nestled in a scenic valley along the Zuni River, a tributary of
the Colorado River, has a population of about 12,000
people and is the location for the tribal government. It is
believed that the Zuni people are direct descendants of the Anasazi, or
ancient pueblo people. They believe that they came up from a place
they call the underworld and have settled in where they are now, which
they call the center or middle place. Their language is only
spoken by them and bears no resemblance to the languages of any of the
other surrounding tribes. It plays a major part in their religion
because they believe it is the most direct way for them to communicate
with their ancestors. Zuni fetish carvings, a unique expression of
the Zuni culture, are used as messengers in communicating with spirits
and deities, and a reminder of one's relationship with the organizing
force of nature.
Winter/spring programs that visit the reservations of Arizona and
New Mexico:
One of a series of short stories
by Ray Baldwin Louis - "he
takes the reader from the Hogan — a traditional Navajo dwelling — to the importance
of family and elders; the role of the woman, wife and mother; responsibilities;
survival; the clan system; the land; the medicine man and more."
"Although it is not so prevalent today as it
was in years past, grandparents are the teachers of the Navajo youth. They make
young people aware of life at an early age. The parents grant them the privilege
of teaching the children, and the grandparents take great pride in raising or
having part in raising the children.
Young children often stay with their grandparents for
years at a time. They help to bring vitality and vigor into the lives of their
elders. During this time of companionship, a closeness and trust develop to bind
them as one. During the development of this close relationship, the grandparents
tell many legends and teach principles of life, emphasizing cultural orientation
and the preservation of traditions.
My Grandmother and I used to plant corn and squash every summer. They never grew
big enough to feed us, but we planted them anyway. I asked Grandmother why we
did so, because all I could see were green plants dying in the hot sun. She
said, “Grandson, our plants will be far more beautiful than that flower outside
the fence.” I did not understand at the time, but one day when I came over the
hill with a bucket of water for the plants, I saw beauty and asked Grandmother
why it was so. She said, “Anything that is a part of you is always far more
beautiful than that which you pass by.” We had some beautiful years together. I
am glad she is a part of me and I a part of her."
"Series of articles originally published in Lummis' magazine Out West
between April and October, 1903, recounting the attempt of the U.S.
government to forcibly "civilize" the Hopi Indians of Arizona. The book
not only makes accessible the brilliant journalistic record of Lummis'
campaign against the Indian policies of his day, but also reveals fresh
research on Lummis' personal relationship with Theodore Roosevelt and
his influence upon the President's views concerning the American
Indian." Recommended by
Field
Coordinator Ray Coin
Navajo
Poem "Sit on Mother Earth,
like a child in a mother's lap.
We are made from her, Mother
Earth. No matter what tribe or nation, we are from the earth and we will
be coming part of her again."
Sam Benally, Navajo
Wishing you a Wonderful Holiday
Season,
Imagine a Sedona
landscape with the red rocks in the background against
a bright blue sky! Plus an average temperature of 62 degrees! What a perfect location for our
The Navajo,
so-named by the Spanish explorers, or "Dine", meaning "the
People" and the name they call themselves, have a mysterious beginning. There are many theories as to where their ancient ancestors came from. Today, there are over 200,000 Navajo people and the Navajo
Reservation is the largest of its kind in the United States encompassing
14 million acres within Arizona, New Mexico and Utah and equivalent in
size to West Virginia.
Within this vast area are unforgettable monuments and landscapes such as
Monument Valley, the Painted Desert, Canyon de Chelly, and the Petrified
Forest just to name a few. A traditional Navajo home, or "hogan",
with its usual eight sides, can often be seen throughout the
Reservation. The Navajo people function within a
matrilineal clan system and when two people marry, the husband joins his
wife's family. Whether they are crafting beautiful silver jewelry,
weaving exquisite Navajo blankets, or creating traditional sand
paintings, the Navajo people remain connected to the earth and bringing
life back into balance.
The Zuni Reservation, home to the Zuni people,
or A:shiwi, the name they call themselves, is located 150
miles west of Albuquerque in McKinley and Cibola counties of western
New Mexico and covers approximately 450,000 acres. Zuni
Pueblo, nestled in a scenic valley along the Zuni River, a tributary of
the Colorado River, has a population of about 12,000
people and is the location for the tribal government. It is
believed that the Zuni people are direct descendants of the Anasazi, or
ancient pueblo people. They believe that they came up from a place
they call the underworld and have settled in where they are now, which
they call the center or middle place. Their language is only
spoken by them and bears no resemblance to the languages of any of the
other surrounding tribes. It plays a major part in their religion
because they believe it is the most direct way for them to communicate
with their ancestors. Zuni fetish carvings, a unique expression of
the Zuni culture, are used as messengers in communicating with spirits
and deities, and a reminder of one's relationship with the organizing
force of nature.
