Dine' history is kept in stories of creation, in the stories of First Man, First Woman and the Warrior twins. This history ties us closely with the land and there are stories that are associated with different rock formations and areas around our reservation. Ironically, the place that these stories tell where we came into this world, Dinètah, is not within the reservation. Also, the boundaries of the Dine' world are defined by the Sacred mountains in each direction. There is Sis najinni (Blanca Peak, CO) to the east, Tso'dzil (Mt.Taylor, NM) to the south, Dook'o sliid (San Francisco Peaks, AZ) to the west and Dibe ntsaa (Mt. Hesperus, CO) to the north. None of these mountains lie on the reservation.

Shiprock or Tse Bit' a'i' (shown at the top of the page) is one such formation that is associated with old stories. It was the home of a monster bird that was finally overcome by the warrior twins. It is the remnant or neck of an old volcano and is part of the Navajo Volcanic Field. Many of the formations within this volcanic field have stories or are considered mystical places.
What we find during excavations is not the only way we find out about the past history of our land. During surveys we also interveiw surrounding households to find out if any Tradtional Cultural Properties will be affected by the project we are working on. A Traditional Cultural Property or TCP is a place that still holds significance to the Dine' people. It might be a place where plants are gathered that are used for medicine or for ceremonial reasons, or an old sweatlodge that is slowly returning to the earth.

Abandoned many legs hogan with corbelled
roof ca. 1950's (non-burial)

Students on a field trip to Dinètah (the Navajo Homeland) visiting the protohistoric Navajo Site of Shaft Ruin; one of many Navajo Pueblitos. Sites like this are often associated with interesting and early ceremonial rock art.
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