Go Where the Ancient Ones Lived to Honor the Earth

by Jamie Rhein on

With Native American Day coming up on Friday, September 28 (yes, that’s tomorrow) and National Public Lands Day on Saturday, here are three places you could go to honor both public lands and and the United States’s Native American history. I’m mentioning these three because: I’ve been to all of them; they are national parks, thus public lands; and although there is similarity between them, they are quite distinct. Although, these are the three I’ve chosen, these are not the only places where the Anasazi lived in the U.S. Anasazi means Ancient Ones, by the way.

(The photo, posted by slongtoo on Flickr is from Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico)

Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, is quite the drive off a major highway. The last few miles, are not paved. This means getting there is not a quick, “Let’s go see Chaco Canyon,” but an outing that requires a bit of time. Once you get there, you’re rewarded to experiencing five major dwelling sites of what were possibly Hopi ancestors. Enough of the structures remain that as you walk through them you can get a sense of what life was like here hundreds of years ago. This is my husband’s favorite place in New Mexico. He swears he can feel its spiritual energy. Through October there are Chaco Night Sky programs where you can dabble in astronomy. The view of the sky, of course, is spectacular when you are out in the middle of nowhere.

Although I think Chaco is amazing, Bandelier National Monument northwest of Santa Fe is my favorite place in New Mexico. Perhaps this is because it’s the first place in the U.S. where I saw how Native Americans once lived. When you grow up in Kentucky, New York and Pennsylvania, and trips meant summers at your grandparents, most of what you learn is from history books. (I headed west of the Mississippi after the Peace Corps.) To see the actual place is history up close and personal. Here, on the side cliffs, people carved huge living spaces in the soft rock earth. You can still see the darkened ceilings from the cooking fires. In a couple of spots there are pictographs and petroglyphs that add to the idea that people did indeed live here. My favorite section is where you climb down a long pole ladder into a kiva where the men used to gather and worship. It’s a small adventure. The area around Bandelier is forested and gorgeous. Like Chaco, there is a very well done museum that includes movies, displays with actual artifacts and extensive descriptions.

Of the three, Mesa Verde National Park near Cortez, Colorado is the most commercialized and the most visited of the three. Bandelier is a sweet, cozy, type place in comparison. Going to Mesa Verde reminds me a bit of the experience of going to the Grand Canyon. The scenery is splendid, but RVs on the road sure take up a lot of space. One of the reasons that Mesa Verde has so many visitors each year is because of its stature. Compared to Bandelier’s few cliff dwellings, Mesa Verde is king. It has 600. The entire park has 4,000 archaeological sites. This is where ancestors of today’s Pueblo Indians lived from 600 A.D. to 1300 A.D. If you do go, take one of the tours. You can only get to the Balcony House (only open into the beginning of October), the Cliff Palace (open until the beginning of November) or the Spruce House (open from November to March) this way. The Long House closes after Labor Day.

Geauga Lake Amusement Park Bites the Dust

by Jamie Rhein on

Here are is an amusement park I’ve never been to, but I am sad it is closing. Partly because it holds memories for my husband’s family, and partly because it is an indication of how history does change things. It’s an era gone by.

Geauga Lake, at least the ride section, has seen its last season. Waterparks, like malls that look like small towns, are in in the U.S. (I don’t quite get why people don’t go to a real small town to shop instead of a mall that looks like a town. Pet peeve.)

Wild Water Kingdom that adjoins Geauga Lake has grown and grown in the past few years as the crowds on the coasters have diminished. Too bad. Founded in 1888, Geauga Lake is one of the oldest amusement parks in the United States. It started out as a place for picnics. In 1889, when a steam carousel was added, its role as an amusement park to entertain the masses was on it’s way. In its 100th year attendance was high, but Cedar Point, also in northern Ohio, has been competition it couldn’t keep up with. From what my relatives have said, Geauga Lake was a perfect place to go with kids because lines were not long and the rides were just the right size for the younger set.

I’m wondering what will happen to all the rides? Once when I was writing an article on Christmas light displays in Ohio, I interviewed a man who had bought the huge wooden soldiers from Coney Island (Ohio’s Coney Island) in an auction. Coney Island closed as a major amusement park in the early 70s and Kings Island became home to some of its rides. This photo is from Geauga Lake Today. If you go to the site, you’ll find a gallery of vintage postcard shots.

California Native American Day

by Jamie Rhein on

Native American Day is something the California State University at San Bernadino has taken to heart. When Ronald Reagan signed the resolution in 1968 to make the 4th Friday of September, American Indian Day, the aim was to foster knowledge about California’s Native American population. The university holds a five-day Native American Culture Conference for educators as part of their commitment to honor the resolution’s intent.

The conference started yesterday and will culminate in an evening event that is open to everyone this Friday, September 28. If you go, you can expect Native American music, art, food and Native American bird songs.

Here’s something to know. California has more than 100 recognized tribes. This is more than in any other state. To find out more about California’s Native American history, the 500 Nations Web site seems to be a decent place to start. Here you’ll find links to events, places to visit, casinos and tribes.

Native American Day: Some Ideas to Celebrate

by Jamie Rhein on

The 4th Friday of September is Native American Day. This year September 28 is a day to honor the first Americans of the United States. Here are some suggestions for how to commemorate the occassion. Stay tuned for more. I keep getting ideas, but this will get you started.

Read Catherine’s post “Native Alaskan Languages Not Endangered” for an interesting read about how languages are being preserved where she lives. There is a similar traditions of preserve languages by Native Americans in the Southwest. Here is a Web site dedicated to preserving Native American languages and culture.

Attend the San Geronimo Day at Taos Pueblo in Taos, New Mexico. It’s on September 30, just a couple days after the official Native American Day, but Taos Pueblo is worth a visit anytime. There are festivals throughout the year at one of New Mexico’s 18 pueblos. Visitors are often welcome.

Visit the Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona. There are three locations. The Heard Downtown has an on-going exhibit about Native Americans in the Southwest. The Heard North has an exhibit on textiles and Heard West has an exhibit on Native American art and culture in Arizona. October 12-14, there is a film festival with films about and by Native Americans. By the way, for two wonderful films in this genre, check out Pow Wow Highway and Smoke Signals. For Native American Day, you could watch those.

For an alternative outing, plan to visit a Pow Wow where Native Americans from across the U.S. gather for dancing, celebration and competitions. The link has an map with the various locations. The photo by rromin1 on stock.xchange is from a Choctaw Pow Wow.

Native Alaskan Languages Not Endangered — Yet

by Catherine Bodry on

Last week Martha reported on the shocking number of dying languages around the world, with Australia topping the chart. What surprised me was how many were in the U.S. or near its borders — the Pacific Northwest, including British Columbia, has 54 on the endangered-languages list. I grew up in Seattle and Portland and never even knew any native languages were still spoken in the area. Oklahoma, Texas, and Mexico have got a total of 40 dying languages.

I’m happy to report that Alaska is not listed — near the top of the list, anyway. The majority of the students I teach here are Alaska Natives who are bilingual — some are even ESL, which is an anomaly among U.S.-born citizens — and it’s not uncommon to hear Yupik or Inupiaq spoken around campus. The relative isolation of villages has, thankfully, somewhat preserved what can arguably be called their main cultural identity. That doesn’t mean that their native tongues aren’t in any danger; both Yupik and Inupiaq are considered endangered by some, but with over thousands of speakers of both, the threat of extinction isn’t as immediate as many other languages.

Check out the very cool article from the Associated Press for a more detailed look at some of the most endangered languages. And thanks to Images of Life for the photo of Yupik Alaskans in the village of Chevak.