Contested Landscapes of Navajo Sacred Mountains

Abstract

Sacred mountains are integral to the Navajo worldview, yet their land use is often incongruous with their spiritual significance. Nearly all of the land of the six massifs that are deeply symbolic within Navajo origin stories is located beyond the Navajo Reservation on federal land. This paper compares Navajo symbolism to land use at Blanca Peak (CO), Mount Taylor (NM), San Francisco Peaks (AZ), Hesperus Mountain (CO), Huerfano Mountain (NM), and Gobernador Knob (NM). Each mountain has mullicul/ural symbolism and land use that imprints several layers of meaning upon the peaks. Non-Navajo uses include transmission towers, ski areas, mineral development, and mountaineering, whereas Navajo use includes visits to collect plants and soil for ceremonies and to connect with spiritual powers. Public land management allempts to balance contrasting environmental perceptions, but competing resource demands and mountain aesthetics often create contested landscapes.