Thursday, May 23, 2013

the Grand Canyon

The Havasupai and the Grand Canyon - Hopi

"The Hopi's legend that all Hopi's came from the Grand Canyon is very touching to me. Does everyone know about that? .. I found it fascinating that originally it was thought the cliff people just disappeared off [the] Earth, but only by studying the buildings the Hopi made, did they realize that they are INDEED the descendants and thus the Hopi have lived longer where they are at than any other race of people on our Mother Earth." - ILB. 


The Grand Canyon.

Tourists flock to the Grand Canyon National Park, but few realize that when they descend upon mules to the canyon floor, they descend into Havasupai land. Over the years, cattlemen, miners, and tourists have claimed this country for themselves, assuming that the Havasupai have willingly accepted a few small acres of canyon land in lieu of the country they once held dear.

"Our case is clear and undeniable. We are the people of the Grand Canyon. Our legends say the Havasupai were created on these lands of the Grand Canyon's South Rim....prospectors invading our area had hopes of getting rich....Soon we were crowded from all our ancient lands, viewed as intruders.... We never agreed to the situation we find ourselves in...."
Havasupai nation.
"Not too many of you would stand the humiliation we stand every day. We live in a Park Service zoo....We are the only ones who don't seem to matter, and we are human beings who have to support ourselves on this land. And we used to own it."Augustine Hanna, Havasupai.





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