Dozens of books have been written on Chaco Canyon, a 34,000-acre National Historical Park and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in northwestern New Mexico. Scholars continue to debate the nature of the various Ancestral Puebloans that inhabited the area c. 850–1250 CE, what it was used for, and what caused it to be abandoned. Renowned visual artist Judy Tuwaletstiwa visited Chaco in 1984 while on a trip through the desert canyons of the Southwest. Over the next several years, she created artworks based on her deeply personal, experiential reactions to this ancient and mysterious archaeological site that remains sacred to contemporary Pueblo people.
Throughout the book are Tuwaletstiwa’s own words—lyrical, deeply philosophical, and poetic—that unify the material into a uniquely provocative and beautiful work of art. Diana Gaston’s essay provides context on Tuwaletstiwa’s process and inspiration while Philip Tuwaletstiwa provides the archaeological and anthropological background of the place and what is known about its original inhabitants. Of special interest are the astronomical alignments of the built environment and roadways that were designed with religious, mystical, and divine significance to his ancestors from the area.