Season 4 // Episode 5: Where Did They Go?
/Spoiler Alert: They Did Not Vanish Without A Trace.
In season 4, we’re digging into some of the most commonly asked questions at Mesa Verde National Park.
“If populations are going to move, they’re not going to move somewhere blindly. They’re going to move somewhere that is familiar with them. And, somewhere that if there’s people already there, they’re friendly.”
In this final episode of season four, we're going to talk about the myth that first drew explorers, archaeologists, and tourists to these desert canyons just a few centuries ago. Where did the Mesa Verde people go? Why did they move on? And, why is this myth that they vanished from their ancestral homelands so damaging to descendant communities today?
We’ll hear from Donna Glowacki, Archaeologist and Associate Professor in the Anthropology Department at the University of Notre Dame; Patrick Cruz (Ohkay Owingeh), Archaeology Graduate Student at the University of Colorado; Ranger Jill Blumenthal, Education Coordinator and Volunteer Program Manager at Mesa Verde National Park, as they explain some of the current theories as to why the people left Mesa Verde, and perhaps how this movement happened over time. And, finally, TJ Atsye (Laguna Pueblo) and Stewart B. Koyiyumptewa (Hopi) share their knowledge of their ancestors’ time at Mesa Verde, and what may have led to the decisions to move on.
Additional Resources
Diversity within the Mesa Verde Region
Thousands of people trace their heritage back to the canyons, mesas, and alcoves of Mesa Verde. Before Spanish conquest, over 300 tribal groups called this region their ancestral home, today there are 27*.
You can learn more about these descendant communities by visiting their websites and seeking out information and resources written from their perspective. Below are links to each nation’s website, organized by state.
NOTE: These tribes are sovereign nations with their own laws and guidelines for tourism and visitation. If you would like to visit these communities, please refer to their respective websites and always visit with respect.
*As of 2025, there are 27 tribes with sacred connections to the Mesa Verde region, with the addition of the Mescalero Apache Nation. This episode names 26.
NEW MEXICO
NPS Image
ARIZONA
TEXAS
UTAH
MULTIPLE STATES
Diné/Navajo Nation (Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico)
Ute Mountain Ute Tribe (Colorado and Utah)
INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN NEW MEXICO
SOURCE: UNM TRIBAL EDUCATION STATUS REPORT 2014;
IMAGE FROM SANTA FE REPORTER, APRIL 22, 2020, “NATIVE VOICES VS VIRUS”
Languages are an essential piece to every culture and many of the descendant communities of Mesa Verde share common language roots, while branching off with their own dialects. You could compare these dialects to American, British, and Australian dialects of the English language. Native speakers of English can understand each dialect but some words and phrases differ in meaning.
NOTE: The Tewa language also had different dialects in each Pueblo, most notably the Khapo Tewa dialect.
Additional Reading/Listening
Living and Leaving: A Social History of Regional Depopulation in Thirteenth-Century Mesa Verde (2015) by Donna Glowacki
Mesa Top Loop Audio Tour by Mesa Verde National Park