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.”
— Patrick Cruz, Ohkay Owingeh

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.

Looking for more?

Well, you’ve come to the right place.

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 groups called this region their ancestral home, today there are 26.

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: Indigenous communities across the world have been some of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Please, reference these websites for current safety restrictions before visiting any of these communities and always be respectful of the laws and safety measures put in place by these sovereign nations.

NPS Image

NPS Image

NEW MEXICO

ARIZONA

TEXAS

UTAH

MULTIPLE STATES

SOURCE: UNM TRIBAL EDUCATION STATUS REPORT 2014; IMAGE FROM SANTA FE REPORTER, APRIL 22, 2020, “NATIVE VOICES VS VIRUS”

SOURCE: UNM TRIBAL EDUCATION STATUS REPORT 2014;

IMAGE FROM SANTA FE REPORTER, APRIL 22, 2020, “NATIVE VOICES VS VIRUS”

INDIGENOUS LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN NEW MEXICO

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.

Mesa Top Loop Audio Tour

Check out the Mesa Top Loop Audio Tour, put together by Mesa Verde National Park, to follow the footsteps left behind by the Pueblo ancestors.

Download or stream this multi-part tour now on Apple Podcasts or visit Mesa Verde National Park’s website to find a transcript.

NPS PHOTO: Ranger TJ ATSYE (Laguna pueblo)

NPS PHOTO: Ranger TJ ATSYE (Laguna pueblo)

Living and Leaving by Donna Glowacki

To learn more about Ancestral Pueblo People’s migration out of the Mesa Verde region, check out Donna Glowacki’s book, Living and Leaving: A Social History of Regional Depopulation in Thirteenth-Century Mesa Verde (2015).