Paleo aka Ancient Ones or Old Ones

[r6r6]

I may be the ypical white gringo whose ancestors are from Europe.

Hope I dont have to do the longest swim back.

Putting aside a few of my direct and indirect associations with various North American and Central America indigenous peoples over last30 years, I'm interested in those old ones and to experience a little of the scenery of Colaraod Plateau

My wife and I visted Hopi Mesa 15 years ago and my bought Kachina from the house near the public tourist store, tho the lady there told us not too. The people invited us inside while they brought out a few Kachina dolls for her to choose from. These people had almost no furniture in there house. Extremmely poor! Probably alcholics.

We went to Shiprock, 4 -corners an then to Blanding Utah and go to climb into and original kiva, and visit the dinosaur museum.

10 years later years we made it back out to visit the most interesting Chaco Canyon in central New Mexico. Rough drive but well worth it for us.

This year we hope to go to Chinlee's Canyon de Chelle, the Old Ones( Anizazi ) Museum just north of Cortez CO in the Colarado Plateau.

Then Mesa Verdea, then Aztec NM to see great Kiva. Then to Bandelior caves south of Los Alamos.

Ive been to Montanna's open sky country and glaciers, but for me, when were in blanding Utah, I felt I was in Gods country and told wife bury me their if she had the means. Not really but that is how I felt.

What the Indians/Indigenous peoples mean to me, even with all that I found outdated, is that they and their ways are the keepers of the environment that sustains humanity.

The way we treat the Earth is reflective of the way we have treated Indigenous peoples around the planet. Many Indian teachings are exactly about respecting our environment in a respectful way if want flourish on earth with happiness.

That said, I will be the tourist passing through to attempt to experience the beauty of the Colorao Plateau, and perhaps learn a little from those experiences even as add carbon to the atmosphere from burning of fossil fuels.

It is selfish of me, but I so much want to have that experience. If I'm lucky then I may see a jack rabbit for 2nd time in my life.

r6

[Star Wolf Medicine Woman]

Well you certainly seem to have been to some great places, a lot of which I too have experienced.. I was touched deeply by certain places and I was impressed by the Kiva and how advanced they were, how they lived, stored their foods and protected their community from dangers..

I still have a few places I didn't get to and Canyon De Chelle is one of them.. I was lucky to make several visits..
A part of me is still there, even though I live across the big pond..

[r6r6]

Hopi Mesa was special but just a brief side attraction on a drive west to see family.

Utah was its own vacation trip and each place was just a stop on the road, then keeping moving to next place. Blanding was Gods country experience.

Chaco Canyon was our main attraction so maybe 3-4 hours there.

Looking forward to the Old Ones( Anazazi ) museum just north of Cortez NM. So much in Colorado Plateau would love to see and experience but time and money do not allow.

We have a indian friend in Sante Fe and her ancestors were those who lived in the Banderlier Caves. So my significant indigenous connections are mostly behind me.

Pine Ridge area is in back of mind cause I have relative in Iowa...but....

7 Nations in NY also as have relatives kinda of that direction.

r6

Originally Posted by Star Wolf Medicine Woman

Well you certainly seem to have been to some great places, a lot of which I too have experienced.. I was touched deeply by certain places and I was impressed by the Kiva and how advanced they were, how they lived, stored their foods and protected their community from dangers..

I still have a few places I didn't get to and Canyon De Chelle is one of them.. I was lucky to make several visits..
A part of me is still there, even though I live across the big pond..

[Seekerofsolace]

Wow, I would like to visit some of those places in the Southwest. As for me, I have been to Macchu Picchu in Peru. How those people built a large stone city on top of a mountain peak, using no mortar for their stones was amazing. The bricks are cut to fit so perfectly you can't even fit a card into the cracks. The city even had running water! The Priests altar was aligned to the sun and the stars.

The second place I've visited was the Chichen Itza in Yucatan Mexico. The large Pyramid was very well made, and if you stood near the steps at the base of the pyramid and clapped, the echo made the sound of their sacred bird calling. Also, on the solstices, the shadow of the pyramid steps forms a serpent, slithering down to the base of the pyramid. This symbolizes one of their gods coming down to earth.

[Thunder Bow]

I am in the Center of all this. I live near all this. This where I am.

[r6r6]

Originally Posted by Seekerofsolace

Wow, I would like to visit some of those places in the Southwest. As for me, I have been to Macchu Picchu in Peru. How those people built a large stone city on top of a mountain peak, using no mortar for their stones was amazing.

Yeah my step son visited there. Saw PBS or History channel were some dude had done more inspection of hows and whys they did that.

It is way cool to hear from someone--- Snow Thunder --- who lives in Chaco Canyon area. Ive seen many of those lighting storm photos from western states.

I first time passing by entrance to Chaco--- no time to stop on that vacation --we went on to Cuba to get motel room and eat out at restaurant that since burnt to ground and reopen across the street.

So at old place I went into adjoining bar, where two young bucks were playing pool. Told how we were sad that we didnt have time for Chaco. They said your come out to see some indians?

I had to think for a 2nd, then Yeah, are you guys indians. Yeah we are then they put hands over mouth making the steortypical whoop whoop whooping sound..ha has.

So I said cool!, what tribe are part of and then they went into telling me about themselves. Was nice interaction with local native peoples.

Paleo > Archaic > Chacoans > Publeo > or something like that is kinda of the linage goes. With branches of those Publeos branching off into 3 main branches of tribes and those having other sub-branches.

I believe the newest old ones find is higher in the elevations of Utah or Colarado. Saw the show only briefly but apparrently on some privately owned land they have found these caches these cahes in hard to get places, inside what could almost be likened to a rock outhouse hole.

So they showe the dude looking into one saying that know what has really done the archalogical explorations into these caches. Wish I could remember more about where this was at.

Probably could find out the net with some effort.

r6

[Seekerofsolace]

Thunder, how do you take pictures of lightning like that? Occasionally here in Arkansas we will get a gnarly storm, but alas my camera skills are rudimentary at best...

[Makoiyi]

Great Photo's Thunder Bow! I've not been to the Southwest or the Four Corners for many years , mostly because my people came from the Plains and mountains in the north from Alberta n Montana. So that will always be my sacred land where ever I am in the world. But I find the indigenous history down in the South west fascinating.

Makoiyi

[Thunder Bow]

Originally Posted by Makoiyi

Great Photo's Thunder Bow! I've not been to the Southwest or the Four Corners for many years , mostly because my people came from the Plains and mountains in the north from Alberta n Montana. So that will always be my sacred land where ever I am in the world. But I find the indigenous history down in the South west fascinating.

Makoiyi

Of course you know I am a Navajo, and we are in N. Arizona. Thus I am of the Southwest. It is good to be taking with you.

[Thunder Bow]

Originally Posted by Seekerofsolace

Thunder, how do you take pictures of lightning like that? Occasionally here in Arkansas we will get a gnarly storm, but alas my camera skills are rudimentary at best...

The photos you see here, I used a 35mm film camera, not digital one. These are long exposures done at night using a tripod. I painted the sign and foreground with light using a flashlight and hand held photo flash. You can see my hand holding the flash unit here.

With the digital camera you can use the movie setting to catch the flashes. Some of the more advanced digital cameras have longer exposure settings. Below is a link to one of my YouTube videos where I used my video digital movie lightning photography.

http://youtu.be/Ik7hc0wz9RU

"Spirit Lightning Mystery"