Page 12 - The Noise September 2016

HOMO’LOVI: VAST PUEBLO OF LORE
J ust north of winslow, on Highway 87 lies Homolovi State Park. The 19-acre park protects more than 300 Ancestral Puebloan archeological sites, including four main ones referred to as Homolovi I, II, III, and IV. The oldest , Homolovi IV is gener- ally closed to the public but the park regularly offers ranger-led tours. There are also several petroglyph sites with depictions of Hopi katsinas, or spirit beings, as well as a
small petrified forest.
Homo’lovi — pronounced huh-MAH-low-vee — is a Hopi word that means “place
of the little hills.” This was the traditional name for what is now Winslow. In the 1960s, the many sites that are now in the park were being ransacked by treasure hunters. This illegal collection of artifacts employed the use of a backhoe at one of the main ruins sites. A cooperative effort between the Hopi nation and people of the sur- rounding communities resulted in the protection of the sites as a State Park in 1986.
The park was originally called Homolovi Ruins State Park, but in 2011 the Hopi suc- cessfully petitioned the government to have the word“ruins”removed from the name. In addition, the tagline “ancestral Hopi villages” added as well. The tribe thought this was necessary to better reflect the ongoing connection the Hopi people have with the site. To the Hopi, Homolovi is a living, breathing part of their culture, and people still visit the site to conduct culturally significant ceremonies. The ancestral villages at the site play a prominent role in Hopi oral tradition.
During the 14th Century, these lands along the Little Colorado River were occupied by the Hisat’sinom, which means “long-ago people” in Hopi. Archeologists know them as Anasazi, which is a Navajo word that means “enemies of our ancestors.”
Eventually, the Hisat’sinom left the area to join others occupying the mesas to the north and became part of the modern-day Hopi nation. Archeological evidence has shown that the people of Homolovi had established trade with the Hopi prior to join- ing them on the mesas to the north.
The dwellings at Homolovi date from three main time periods: AD 620-850, AD 1050-1225, and AD 1260-1400. The villages were located along a flood plain of the Little Colorado River that provided fertile ground for agriculture. The area’s inhabit- ants grew cotton, corn, beans, and squash, and one pueblo is estimated to have had around 1200 rooms.
STOry by cindy cOle PhOTO by Phil GOldblATT
The park’s visitor center displays a collection of artifacts from the Winslow area and the pueblo sites, including potsherds, baskets, and tools made from stone and bone. Interpretive signs provide an historical view of the occupancy of the villages and the history of its people.
Several hiking trails are available for self-guided exploration of the park. The nusungvö (“place of rest” in Hopi) Trail leads from the Visitor Center to the camp- ground 1.2 miles across the high prairie grassland. The Tsu’vö trail, of “path of the rattlesnake,” is a half-mile loop between two buttes in the park where visitors can see milling stone areas and some of the park’s petroglyphs.
The Homolovi I and II sites are easily accessed from paved parking areas within the park. Homolovi I is an easy quarter mile walk up an old dirt road to the site with a short hiking trail that meanders around the archeological remnants. Homolovi II is a half mile paved trail that is wheelchair accessible. It offers access to the largest archeological site in the park.
Every year on the first Saturday in August, Homolovi SP hosts suvoyuki Day. In Hopi, suvoyuki means “joint effort” or to accomplish work through cooperation. The celebration is an open house for the park and free admission is offered. There is a tra- ditional Hopi corn roasting and demonstrations by tribal artists. Hopi pottery making is demonstrated in detail, from the creation of the clay and its shaping, to the open pit firing of the finished pieces which are offered for purchase right out of the pit. Visi- tors can enjoy traditional Hopi dances as well as ranger-led hikes and presentations.
If you’re thinking of visiting Homolovi, consider camping there for a day or more. The state park has a modern campground that includes both tent and RV sites with water and electricity. There is also a restroom and showers for campers. The camp- ground is peaceful and quiet and sits on a vast plain that offers incredible views of the surrounding geography. An evening of monsoon cloud-filled skies can offer a spectacular Arizona sunset.
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