THIS IS INDIAN LAND: ARCHES NATIONAL PARK

By Jessica Mehta

The Arches National Park rocks have been a major draw for over 10,000 years. The original inhabitants arrived at the end of the Ice Age, comprised of hunter-gatherers, and were the first to explore the Salt Valley and Courthouse Wash region. Here, they found two types of microcrystalline quartz that were ideal for crafting tools. Chert and chalcedony have been used to make scrapers, points, and knives. To this day, there remains evidence of the first inhabitants—and it is another major draw for today’s visitors.

However, these hunter- gatherers were not the only Indigenous inhabitants of what is today called Arches National Park. Approximately 2,000 years ago, the Puebloans started harvesting key plants and became settlers of Four Corners. Their primary crops included beans, squash, and maize (corn), also known as the “Three Sisters” collection of vegetables. You can still see the types of villages they lived in at Mesa Verde National Park. According to historians, prime farming eras spanned from 500 CE – 1,300 CE until climate changes made farming increasingly difficult in the area.

Life Amongst the Arches

Many visitors ask why there are virtually no dwelling remains in Arches National Park, which is located on the far northern rim of the Puebloan ancestral territory. It is theorized that the Indigenous settlers only visited the area seasonally—of course, it is also possible that there were dwellings here but they have vastly deteriorated. However, what is still visible are many drawings on what has been dubbed “rock art panels.” These panels are a major attraction for visitors, but there is also the appeal of lithic scatters close to waterholes. The latter was likely a space for sharpening tools and simultaneously scouting game to hunt.

The Fremont are the Puebloan descendants to some degree, considered their “contemporaries” by researchers, and they called the region slightly northwest home. Direct Puebloan descendants include the Acoma, Cochiti, Hopi Mesas, Santa Clara, and Taos. There is a lot of overlap between Puebloan and Fremont cultures, but it is clear in Fremont art and artifacts that in some regards the two communities were very different. This is especially true when it comes to remains of traditions and technologies.

Indigenous communities started to leave the area circa 700 years ago for a number of reasons. As they departed, the Shoshonean arrived. These nomadic peoples were comprised of the Paiute, Ute, and others—it was these Indigenous communities who first encountered Europeans in the area. Close to Wolfe Ranch, you can find a petroglyph panel that depicts what researchers believe to be Ute images featuring horseback riding. Shortly after the Spaniards introduced horses to the area, the Utes adopted horses as tools as well as transportation.

A Powerful Place

Much research has been undertaken in recent years regarding the art and artifacts at Arches National Park, with an increasing number of Indigenous input. For example, in 2017 Richard Stoffle began a years long study that included collaboration with five Indigenous groups with strong connections to the area including the Pueblo or Zuni (Ashiwi), Hopi, Southern Ute, Ute Indian Tribe: Uintah and Ouray, Paiute, and Kaibab Band of Paiutes. While each tribe had a different perspective on the various flora, fauna, art, and archaeological features of the park, they agreed that the region is a powerful space.

The Indigenous leaders also agreed that Arches National Park was a place of ceremony for those in the Moab valley. The valley is the sole crossing point for the Colorado River, making it an integral place for trade and travel. The park’s namesake arches were describe as being portals capable of manipulating time and space, and in turn were crucial for many Indigenous ceremonies. The rock spires were described as sentient and helpful. The La Sal Mountains were defined as a home for spirits.

The Start of the Park

Unlike many other national parks, no Indigenous communities were displaced when Arches National Park was designated. Featuring over 2,000 sandstone arches, such as the famed Delicate Arch, in 76,679 acres, the area was largely uninhabited when it garnered the interest of prospectors. Frank Wadleigh of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad notified the National Park Service about the area when he visited in 1923 after being invited by Alexander Ringhoffer. Ringhoffer, a Hungarian prospector who settled in the Salt Valley, reached out to Wadleigh after realizing what tourist potential the site held. Wadleigh suggested that the area be named a national monument, and this recommendation was further supported by a University of Michigan graduate student, Laurence Gould, who was at the La Sal Mountains studying geology.

After a few years of government examination, the National Park Service agreed to the national monument idea in 1926. However, President Calvin Coolidge’s Interior Secretary, Hubert Work, disagreed. It was not until April 1929 that President Herbert Hoover signed the presidential proclamation that named the region Arches National Monument. Future presidents made adjustments to the proclamation, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower. Lyndon B. Johnson enlarged the Arches designated space in 1969, and Richard Nixon declared the area to be a National Park in 1971.

Visiting the Arches

Today, Arches has become a reclaimed space by a number of Indigenous communities with ties and ancestral lineages associated with the region. It has also become one of the most popular national parks—and many are surprised to learn that climbing some of the rocks is allowed. According to the park’s regulations, rocks with an opening smaller than three feet can be climbed if the rules are followed. Any named arches do not allow climbing. However, tourists can enjoy hiking, biking, auto tours, camping at Devils Garden, and canyoneering.

Arches National Park is a hub for those interested in outdoor adventures, but increasingly it is the art and artifacts from the original inhabitants that brings millions of people to the park every year. A tour that focuses on the Indigenous history of the park is an authentic way to fully experience what the area has to offer.

Jessica Mehta is a multi-award winning Aniyunwiya (citizen of the Cherokee Nation) writer and artist. Born and based in Oregon, she takes advantage of her beautiful backyard of the Pacific Northwest on a daily basis. Learn more at www.thischerokeerose.com.