Grand Canyon

the Watchtower was originally built in 1932 by Mary Elizabeth Jane Cutler.  It was intended to replicate many of the towers that are found in the Southwest.  This is the original tower.  The tower was used as a means of food storage and also for defense from attackers.  By the use of a ladder they would climb up to the several landings and then pull the ladders up after them.  Thus the attacking tribe could not gain access.

 

Inside Looking down from next level

   

There are stairs on the inside that wind around the outside of the tower that allow access to the levels of the tower.  You can go up three levels. The fourth level is the roof.  They will not allow you to go up to the roof.  The picture below is a huge wall Murial the is on the first level of the tower.

This Murial is an attempt to capture the various forms of Native American Art collected from various sources.  The large picture is a depiction of the Kiva.  The tower is constructed  There is a large fireplace on the first level that is the vent for the fireplace in the main store.   The stairs inside are a modern invention that would represent the ladders used anciently inside the structure.  Sister Gardner would not climb up.

Wall Murial

This is the remains of an ancient Kiva or ceremonial circle.  The fire pit can be seen
in the middle of the circle. This is in the Tusayan ruins.

The statue above is Elder Gardner.  I get kidded about the rigid poses that I take when I have my picture taken.  I am in front of an area that is a living quarters.   To the right this is a picture of a series of circles that were used for food storage and living quarters.

 We are allowed to visit the various sites in our mission.  The East Entrance to the Grand Canyon is about 40 miles south of Bitter Springs.

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These are pictures of the Grand Canyon.  In the far distance from where Sister Gardner is standing you can see Echo Cliffs area that runs the length of our branch.  From Lees Ferry to the Gap.

It is amazing to me that is some of the areas the Oriental tourists would crawl over the fences and go to the outer edges to get a better picture.  One can only guess what is in the small cavity called "the brain".           The canyon is immense.  The drop-off in some of the observation areas are over a mile.  One wonders why you would walk to the edge of a point just to get a better picture.

This sweet Native American lady is picking up Pinyon nuts of the ground.  I went over and helped her pick up some nuts and put them in her sack and she offered me a key chain to thank me.  The "season" for Pinyon nuts is in full force.  They are the size of a large watermelon seed.  When the are ripe the cone bursts and the nuts are on the ground.

Our Squashkin

        There are two Banana Winter Squash like these in the mission.  Ours and one at a place called Lukachukai at Inscription House.  The Winter Banana is an open pollinated squash and there is a genetic combination that gives this result.  At Lukachukai there is not a pumpkin within miles according to Brother Seely who is our specialist that teaches at BYU.  We have dubbed this as a Squashkin because it is right next to our Pumpkin plant.

The squash measures 17.5 inches high and is 15 inches across the middle of the plant.  There are only two squash on the entire vine.  The second squash is just a little larger than the one that Lyndy is standing by.  It is covered with vines and leave so it is more difficult to measure and take a picture of that one.                                          The picture on the left is the picture of our Pumpkin.  It is half the size of our Squashkin.

 

Rug Spinning

 

 This is  Geraldine Yellowhair weaving a rug. She is spinning the small strings that form the base of the rug.  (see below)  The strings are the verticle base.  The wool yarn then is placed on the horizontal to form the rug. The pattern is memorized and she visualizes how it should be put on the loom.  The rug Geraldine is workinf on is shown in the background.  It is 4 feet by 6 feet.

Note the small verticle strings.  These
are the strings she is weaving

Legend has it that the partterns that are made were revealed to the men by the Spider Women.  In the past the men were the weavers.  This has now been taken over by the women.
     Geraldine learned weaving from her mother.  She has a 16 year old daughter that she is teaching.


The unit she is using is an old sewing machine
base.  The yarn is spun real tight and then
geathered on the ball at the left.

It is an art that is vanishing from the culture.  The rug shown here will retail in a trading post on the reservation for $6,000.  You can purchase the item from Geraldine for much less.  The have to sell rugs and make various trinkets to survive.