Day 15 Monday May 20; Canyon de Chelly AZ 
Part 2: View From the Top

Thomas elected for some R&R this afternoon while I took my camera and the truck and headed out to drive the south rim with the final goal of “Spider Rock”.

Shopping Opportunities

Craig’s Rock: I met Craig overlooking the canyon as he was telling other tourists how his family farmed in the canyon. We struck up a conversation and before I knew it I had bought a rock he painted for $30 (original price $40)! It is a cool rock with various Navajo symbols on it including Canyon de Chelly corn, the morning star, the 4 directions, antelope, Kokepelli the flute dancer, canyon energy, canyon water, the sun, a pueblo dwelling and pottery and healing hands: what a bargain!

Nancy’s jewelry: Nancy had set up her vending area in a viewing parking lot and was actually making her jewelry. She uses a variety of items including juniper berries, and spiny oyster shells. Accompanied by her two cute daughters Deana and Alesha, how could I resist!

                                                                 

Note: I was somewhat surprised by the English first names of all the Navajo. Don’t know if they have more traditional names they use among themselves.

 

Free range horses; this dun colt was adorable:

 

Juniper and sage landscaping; wish I could convey the wonderful aroma:

Looking into Canyon de Chelly:

White House Ruins: Another Perspective

Spider Rock

At 800 feet tall, Spider Rock is the most prominent landmark in this area and a place of much spiritual significance to the Navajo.

Spider Woman: The Navajo believe that Spider Woman, the deity who taught the Navajo women how to weave, lives atop Spider Rock. It is also believed that once Face Rock informs Spider Woman is told about naughty children, she carries them to the top of Spider Rock. That would be a major incentive to not be naughty! 

A question of names:

As I walked up the path to overlook this special place, I passed two men talking and went further to avoid their conversation. I spent quite some time in awe of my surroundings, at one time even shutting off my camera and sitting on a rock to absorb and experience all the majesty and wonder. On my way back, the men were still deep in debate and I took a few more photos, trying not to disturb them. I could not help but hear what they were saying. It was a case of man vs. artist and I paraphrase their words here: One, the man, had asked the artist, to describe his work. From the artist: “Listen, beyond the click of the camera shutter, to the silence, then give me a name for that silence.”  The man tried some adjectives to describe the quietness and finally gave up. The artist continued: “Everything does not have to have a name; a name only detracts from the moment. You spend your life living up to a name, expectations of a name, it’s essential to have things without a name. Such it is with my art and this silence and this moment.”

I’ll leave you here in the silence, at this sacred place, with no more descriptions or history lessons, only these words which are found on a sign overlooking Spider Rock. With the photos, nothing else is needed:

 “ … with beauty all around me, I wait”  

                                           Navajo Night Chant

Listen.

Smell the evergreen juniper.

Feel the gentle power of beauty.

Ancient black rock hunches on the distant horizon.

A dark cloud above means rain will soon be upon us.

The awesome monolith at your feet is Tse’ Na’ashjee’ii: Spider Rock.

Holy Spider Woman is an important deity in Navajo mythology. It was she who taught the People how to weave.

 

There is purity and strength here.

And places sacred to The People.

Places strong in the oneness of

earth and sky and of all things.

“I am indeed its child

        Absolutely I am earth’s child.”

                                Navajo Song of the Earth