Canyon de Chelly: A Cultural and Natural Treasure in the Navajo Nation

In the remote northeastern corner of Arizona lies a place where towering red sandstone cliffs cradle thousands of years of human history. Known as Canyon de Chelly (pronounced “de SHAY”), this national monument is more than a natural wonder—it is a living cultural landscape, continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years and still home to Navajo families today.

With its dramatic walls, ancient ruins, and enduring stories, Canyon de Chelly stands as a rare intersection of natural beauty, archaeological richness, and Indigenous presence that continues into the present.

Sacred Ground with Ancient Roots

Long before the arrival of the Navajo, the canyon’s fertile floor and protective cliffs drew early settlers. Archaic peoples, dating back to around 2500 BCE, hunted and gathered here. By 200 CE, Ancestral Puebloans (Anasazi) were farming the canyon, building pit houses, and eventually constructing multi-story cliff dwellings in alcoves high above the canyon floor.

These structures, such as Mummy Cave and White House Ruins, were built between the 11th and 13th centuries, featuring masonry and plaster that have survived centuries of erosion. Their creators cultivated corn, squash, and beans, and they traded with other Southwestern cultures, as evidenced by pottery and tools found in the canyon.

Around the 1300s, the Ancestral Puebloans began to leave the region, likely due to a mix of drought, resource depletion, and cultural shifts. In the late 1600s, the Diné (Navajo) began settling in the canyon, integrating the ancient ruins into their own spiritual and agricultural lives.

The Navajo Era: Resilience and Return

For the Navajo people, Canyon de Chelly is a sacred homeland—Tséyiʼ, or “within the rock,” in the Navajo language. Here, they raised sheep, planted orchards, and passed down oral traditions connected to the land and its spirits.

But the canyon's serenity was violently interrupted in 1863, when Colonel Kit Carson, under orders from the U.S. government, launched a scorched-earth campaign to subdue the Navajo. This forced evacuation, known as the Long Walk, led thousands of Diné to Bosque Redondo in New Mexico, where many died from hunger and disease.

After four years of exile, a treaty allowed survivors to return to their ancestral lands—including Canyon de Chelly. To this day, Navajo families live, farm, and herd within the canyon, maintaining traditions that have endured despite centuries of disruption.

National Monument with a Living Community

Recognizing its combined natural and cultural value, President Herbert Hoover designated Canyon de Chelly National Monument in 1931. Uniquely, the land within the monument is not federally owned but remains Navajo tribal land, managed in partnership between the Navajo Nation and the National Park Service.

This collaborative stewardship model respects both archaeological preservation and the rights of the Indigenous community that continues to live within the canyon.

Visitors can explore the rim drives and view points like Spider Rock, a towering 800-foot spire believed to be the home of Spider Woman, a key figure in Navajo mythology. Only one trail, the White House Ruin Trail, allows self-guided access into the canyon; all other visits require a Navajo guide, ensuring respect for both the landscape and its people.

Echoes Through Stone and Story

Canyon de Chelly is not a relic—it’s a living narrative, carved into sandstone and sustained by generations of human experience. Its towering walls bear witness to triumph, tragedy, and continuity, while its sheltered farms and seasonal homes serve as reminders that this place is still home to those who have loved and tended it for centuries.

Here, history is not merely preserved—it lives, woven into the canyon floor and carried in the voices of those who call it Tséyiʼ.