Mesa Verde National Park

„Hopi people believe that ancestral sites are never ‚abandoned‘ because we have ongoing spiritual and living connections to these places. The spirits of our ancestors are still here.“ - Stewart B. Koyiyumptewa, Hopi Tribe

The park protexts the rich cultural heritage of 27 Pueblos and Tribes. Mesa Verde's cliff dwellings evoke images of bustling communities, but they are only part of the picture. Most ancestors of today's Pueblos and Tribes lived in mesa-top villages near their farm filds. Others, who came before and after, left few signs of their presence. Fertile soils and abundant resources have always drawn people to this place. As the people developed strategies to farm in this arid environment, communities grew. People hunted deer and raised turkeys. Yucca fibers were woven into twine to make turkey-feather blankes, ropes, and sandals. In the late 1'200s people (near to 40'000) began to move from Mesa Verde area. Oral history teaches that the ancestors of Pueblos and Tribes were meant to be here for a time, and once they learned what they needed, they continued their journey.

Wir fahren den Mesa Top Loop und haben ihn zu dieser Jahreszeit fast ausschliesslich für uns. Leider werden keine Touren mehr in die Häuser angeboten, und der Cliff Palace Loop zum Balcony House ist ebenfalls bereits geschlossen. Wir geniessen daher die Stille des Parks & die Word Heritage Site aus der ferne.Read more