Looking to get in touch with your Native American roots? Check out these three great places to honor Native American heritage in the United States!
Native Americans are an oft-forgotten group of peoples in the United States today, despite the fact that they played an important role in the country’s early history, as well as its development as it is today. However, there are several places around the country where you can go to learn more about Native American heritage, and get a better idea of what life was like in the past—without having to journey back in time yourself! Here are three such places to visit if you want to explore Native American history on your next vacation or weekend getaway!
Navajo Nation, Southwest, USA
The Navajo Nation, which includes portions of Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, is the biggest reservation in the US. The desert's vast gorges and buttes are home to the Dine people. Visitors are led by guides through Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly. Seeing some of the most spectacular vistas on earth may be just what you need to reconnect with a cultural history.
Mesa Verde National Park, Southwest, USA: Located at 8600 feet above sea level in southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde was inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans for nearly 400 years before they mysteriously abandoned it around 1200 AD. The cliff dwellings still stand today–giving visitors a glimpse into ancient life as well as one of America's best preserved archaeological sites.
Chaco Culture National Park, New Mexico
The greatest pre-Columbian historical site in the nation, Chaco Culture National Historical Park was once a city of thousands between 850 and 1250 CE. Climate change forced the city to be abandoned by 1300 CE, but the descendants of the people who lived there still recall it thanks to oral histories that have been passed down over the last 800 years. Visitors can learn about their culture at this fantastic park where you can take guided tours or explore on your own.
The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona
Native American art and culture are celebrated at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, with a particular emphasis on the tribes of the Southwest. Pottery, carpets, and a collection of Hopi katsina dolls are on display. The space also features changing exhibitions that explore tribal identity in modern society. The National Congress of American Indians website: You don't have to travel very far at all to find the National Congress of American Indians website, which is home to a wealth of information about America's indigenous peoples, from how much land they had before Europeans arrived through current issues such as casinos and treaties.