The dwindling water levels of Lake Powell are revealing burial sites, pottery and a 900-year-old ancient structure that was once sacred to Indigenous populations.
American Western population growth in the 20th century meant that states like California, Colorado, Arizona and Utah were constantly jockeying for water rights, which resulted in large scale dam projects that transformed western landscapes. The Glen Canyon Dam was among the best known and most controversial dams ever built.
But Glen Canyon wasn’t just an important habitat for native species, it was also sacred to many of Indigenous populations including the Navajo, Hopi, Pueblo and Paiute tribes, as well as many others. The Indigenous people living in Glen Canyon when it was dammed, were forced to relocate, leaving behind archeological sites from people that had been living there for thousands of years.These lands had provided a home to a bustling population a thousand years ago, says Stanfield.
“From a tribal context, the Navajo and Hopis that still live here would want those items to remain where they were found because they’re considered the property of those who lived there before. Moving them is strongly discouraged unless you think they’re going to be destroyed or looted,” says Stanfield.
Many of the rock and mortar structures that survived did so because they were in less traveled areas. Boats and wave action didn’t push against the wall and erode foundations.
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