The Hogan is the sacred, ancient home of the Navajo (Dine) people. This page displays images of
traditional Navajo Hogans, Summer Shelters and outbuildings. It also displays images of the ancient
Anasazi Petroglyphs located under the Eye of the Sun Arch and on the Petroglyph Wall opposite the
Eye of the Sun Arch, and finishes with a number of images of the most famous of the Navajo people:
Susie Yazzie, celebrated Navajo weaver, author and Tribal spokeswoman who just passed (2/2013).

Click an image to open a larger version.
Use your back button to return to this page.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 14 Sections in the Photoshelter Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection

Direct Links to the Monument Valley images:

Monument Valley Scenics
Monument Valley: Hogans and Petroglyphs
Susie Yazzie Monument Valley

Indian Lands Select (150 Selected images)
Anasazi and Fremont Petroglyphs

Monument Valley Navajo Hogans at The Hub X9937

The quintessential Navajo pastoral scene.

On the plain in front of the butte called The Hub is a set of Navajo Hogans.
On the left are two dome-shaped Female Hogans and a Summer Shelter.
To the right of them is a Male Hogan, and to the right of center is a corral.

Navajo Dog Monument Valley X9933c

A Navajo Dog guarding the entrance to the ranch at The Hub.

Monument Valley Female Hogans X1593

A Summer Shelter and two Female Hogans.

The dome-shaped circular Female Hogan is made of wood, packed earth and mud.
Cribbed logs are placed in a roughly circular pattern, gradually stacked to create a frame.
Smaller logs are then used to support the domed roof, similar to the interior of a Kiva.
Earth is then packed on the outside and reinforced with insulating layers of mud.
This is the traditional style of Female Hogan. Since about 1900, railroad ties
have been used to create taller square, hexagonal or octagonal walls.

Monument Valley Female Hogan X1597

The door to a Hogan faces East towards the rising sun. The Female Hogan was the Navajo home, and played a significant
role in the religious life as well as the secular life of the Dine. All Navajo ceremonies and rites are performed in Hogans.

Monument Valley Female Hogan X1565

If a death occurs inside a Hogan, either the dead person is buried in the Hogan and it is sealed, or the body is extracted from a hole knocked in the Hogan in the North side and the Hogan is then abandoned (and sometimes burned).

Monument Valley Navajo Hogans X1573

Three traditional Navajo Hogans and a Summer Shelter standing below a Mesa.
At the far left is a Male Hogan, the earliest form (also called a forked-pole Hogan).
At left and right center are the Female Hogans seen earlier, and the rear of the
Summer Shelter is on the right. Note the smoke holes on the Female Hogans.

Monument Valley Male Hogan X1568

The Male Hogan (forked-pole Hogan), with its vestibule.
This is the earliest traditional type of Hogan (Hoogan), usually
formed of three forked poles at the North, South and West, with
the forked tips interlocked at the top. Two poles are then laid
against the forked tips from the East to form the entryway.
Poles are laid between the forked and entry poles to
fill spaces, then the assembly is covered with earth.

Monument Valley Navajo Outbuildings X1578

Navajo outbuildings near the corral. On the right is a traditional high desert wood stack, an efficient method of keeping the wood dry yet readily accessible.

Monument Valley Navajo Outbuildings X1583
 

Monument Valley Navajo Outbuilding and Wood Stack X1585

The traditional stacked-log style of outbuilding (as opposed to the plank
or plank-and-tarpaper construction of the other two seen in the images above).
Detail of the traditional high-desert wood stack can be seen on the right.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 14 Sections in the Photoshelter Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection

Direct Links to the Monument Valley images:

Monument Valley Scenics
Monument Valley: Hogans and Petroglyphs
Susie Yazzie Monument Valley

Indian Lands Select (150 Selected images)
Anasazi and Fremont Petroglyphs

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun X1546

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Monoliths X1528

Eye of the Sun Arch is deep in the backcountry of Monument Valley and you have to have a Navajo guide to get there. The formation is quite interesting (the base of the arch is about 80 feet up), but the real prizes are the petroglyphs on the surrounding rocks. The monolithic rocks shown in the image above are at the base of the formation to the right of the arch.

While the overcast was unfortunate for scenic shots, the flat light provided the best conditions for shooting the petroglyphs. Although exposures were long (1/5 second with an 85mm lens is a good recipe for a marginal shot yield), I was able to extract excellent detail. Shooting petroglyphs in full sunlight often results in low contrast on the petroglyphs, and too much contrast on the surrounding rock, making processing difficult.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1521
(683 KB)

In a niche below the Eye of the Sun Arch in Monument Valley are a group of Bighorn Sheep.
Light was low in the niche. This shot required a 1/4 sec. at f/8 exposure. The dark desert varnish
gives excellent contrast though, making these sheep petroglyphs far more legible than many others.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1531
(629 KB)

Unlike most Bighorn petroglyphs which are depicted static or with limited motion, the top right petroglyph shows the Bighorn leaping, its motion accentuated by the static sheep below.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1531 inversion
(560 KB)

The darker desert varnish on these rocks provided a good substrate for the petroglyphs, allowing them to stand out well. I have still provided grayscale inversions of many images.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1527
(513 KB)

Detail of the Bighorn Sheep in the center of the Eye of the Sun group. These show the more typical static position and walking movements seen in zoomorphic petroglyphs.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1527 inversion
(422 KB)

A channel-balanced grayscale conversion and level-adjusted inversion. These inversions allow better examination of low contrast detail, and also define the pecking detail better.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1525
(749 KB)

Detail of the leaping Bighorn Sheep at Eye of the Sun Arch. Note the deeply rounded bellies of these Anasazi petroglyphs.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1525 inversion
(623 KB)

While the inversions are less necessary for the high contrast petroglyphs, they also look neat as an artistic presentation.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Petroglyph Wall X1551
(723 KB)

On the cliff wall opposite Eye of the Sun Arch are numerous Anasazi petroglyphs.
This image is an overview of the major section of the wall, showing several figures
of Anthropomorphs (Shamans and others), Zoomorphs (Pronghorn Antelope, Bighorn
Sheep, Snakes, and others), numerous symbols and the story of a Shaman or Chief
who was struck by Lightning. Detail images and an Inversion are shown below.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Petroglyph Wall X1551 inversion
(555 KB)

A channel-balanced grayscale conversion and level-adjusted inversion of the
Petroglyph Wall opposite Eye of the Sun Arch in Monument Valley. The inversion
is far more useful in bringing out the faint, lower-contrast detail in this scene.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1554
(964 KB)

One of the two stylized, triangular anthropomorphic figures, this one with nine dots
in the headdress. Its location in a streak of dark desert varnish makes it easy to see.
The shape of this Shaman is similar to the other triangular anthropomorph shown below.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun
Petroglyph X1557 4x5
(776 KB)

This Anasazi Anthropomorph is most often interpreted as a Shaman. Note the triangular body and the horned headdress, reminiscent of the Fremont style of petroglyphs.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun
Petroglyph X1557 inversion 4x5
(604 KB)

The grayscale conversion and level-adjusted inversion brings out the lower-contrast detail. Anasazi anthropomorphs most often had elongated, rounded or square bodies.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Petroglyph X1536
(879 KB)

The rounded belly of this Bighorn Sheep is similar to those in the group at Eye of the Sun Arch, displayed before this section. Your imagination may supply an identification of the pecked dots below the rump of this Bighorn Sheep.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun
Petroglyph X1536 inversion 5x4
(655 KB)
 

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyph X1560
(1002 KB)

On the right side of the wall is this unusual representation of a Pronghorn Antelope standing between two spirals. It appears as if the Pronghorn is riding a bicycle.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun
Petroglyph X1560 inversion
(776 KB)

This appearance may not be far off, as the generally accepted meaning of the spiral is “great journey”, although they are also used to depict galaxies, solstice maps, whirlwinds and water.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyph X1561
(735 KB)

This faint figure has been interpreted both as a Turtle and as a Shield Figure. The image was extremely difficult to process. The inversion to the right allows easier examination of detail.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun
Petroglyph X1561 inversion
(515 KB)

Note the fields of dots running above, through and below the figure. The pattern on the shield itself is quite similar to the plates on a turtle shell, but the feet are anthropomorphic.

Monument Valley
Eye of the Sun Petroglyph X1563
(630 KB)

Detail of the Shaman or Chief being struck by Lightning. Note the necklace or chest-plate decoration, the enormous hands, feet and scrotum, and the tiny head. The full context is below.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun
Petroglyph X1563 inversion
(604 KB)

The grayscale conversion and level-adjusted inversion brings out the lower-contrast detail. The Shaman or Chief figure is standing directly above a Snake petroglyph (note the head).

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1556
(864 KB)

The section of the Petroglyph Wall depicting a Shaman or Chief being struck by Lightning.
On the left is a Pronghorn Antelope standing on a field of dots. Above the field of dots and
below the Shaman or Chief is a long, sinuous snake petroglyph, with the head below the
anthropomorph’s foot on our left. Above the Shaman or Chief are the lightning bolts and
the doubled wavy line representing the thunderclouds. To our right of the anthropomorph
is another smaller snake just above and to the right of an undecipherable petroglyph.

Monument Valley Eye of the Sun Petroglyphs X1556 inversion
(737 KB)

A channel-balanced grayscale conversion and level-adjusted inversion of the image above.
Note the square body of the Pronghorn on the left, reminiscent of Fremont zoomorph body shapes.
Compare this to the shape of the Bighorn Sheep petroglyphs shown earlier at the Eye of the Sun.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 14 Sections in the Photoshelter Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection

Direct Links to the Monument Valley images:

Monument Valley Scenics
Monument Valley: Hogans and Petroglyphs
Susie Yazzie Monument Valley

Indian Lands Select (150 Selected images)
Anasazi and Fremont Petroglyphs

Susie Yazzie
display composite
(no linked image)

Susie Yazzie, at nearly 100 years old, was the Matriarch of the Navajo Todicheenie Clan and a
famous Navajo weaver, author and tribal spokeswoman who appeared in several John Ford films.
She lived a traditional Navajo life, raising sheep and weaving prized Navajo rugs, and appeared
in nearly every film, documentary photo book, newspaper and magazine story about the Navajo
which was made for generations. She had greeted visitors to Monument Valley since Harry
Goulding started bringing tourists to her in the late 1920s. She worked as an extra in
Stagecoach, My Darling Clementine and Cheyenne Autumn, three of Ford’s films
which made Monument Valley famous, and also appeared in The Searchers.
Her rugs are featured in museums and art collections around the world.

Susie Yazzie passed on at age 98, on February 3, 2013.

Susie Yazzie HS8327

Susie Yazzie HS8329

Susie Yazzie HS8331

Susie Yazzie HS8335

Susie Yazzie HS8343

Susie Yazzie HS8346

Susie Yazzie HS8350

Susie Yazzie HS8359

Susie Yazzie HS8360

Susie Yazzie HS8417

Susie Yazzie HS8376

Susie Yazzie HS8423

Susie Yazzie HS8460

Susie Yazzie Loom HS8356

Susie Yazzie Hands HS8443

Susie Yazzie Weaving HS8379

Susie Yazzie Bow and Arrows HS8381

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

There are 14 Sections in the Photoshelter Indian Lands & Anasazi Sites Collection

Direct Links to the Monument Valley images:

Monument Valley Scenics
Monument Valley: Hogans and Petroglyphs
Susie Yazzie Monument Valley

Indian Lands Select (150 Selected images)
Anasazi and Fremont Petroglyphs

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Monument Valley Scenics page.

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Mesas and Buttes page.

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Mystery Valley and Arches page.

Click the Display Composite above to return to the Indian Lands and Anasazi Sites Index page.