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New Mexico
Vista Clara Ranch Resort & Spa, Galisteo
In a small desert community just a rock’s throw from Santa Fe, the newly renovated Vista Clara Ranch rises above the cactus sprinkled landscape like a mythical oasis. Scheduled to reopen in 2006, the resort boasts eco-friendly features including solar powered lights, water recycling, a new free-standing spa built around a mineral spring, forty additional rooms, a yoga kiva, and a host of programs and therapies rooted in Native American customs. Sweat lodge ceremonies, basket weaving, ceremonial drumming, and starlight storytelling sessions seek to help guests reconnect with the natural world.
Dining: The new menu will feature organic fruits and vegetables from the resort’s own gardens and greenhouses.
Spa: Cornmeal was an important food to the Native American population of this area, providing sustenance and nourishment in a climate where many other crops failed regularly due to harsh environmental conditions. The Cornmeal Exfoliation treatment pays tribute to corn’s essential role in this culture. Pamper yourself with a Hopi Rainbow Therapy raindrop treatment, or the Bones of the Earth hot stone therapy. The use of stones in massage plays upon cultural reverence and respect for all parts of the natural world, including rocks and stones—the bones of the Earth, which house powerful spirits.
Contact: (505) 466-4772, www.vistaclara.com
Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, Santa Ana Pueblo
Named for the Tamayame people native to this land, the resort is situated on 500 acres of protected land within the Pueblo of Santa Ana, close to both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Guests can participate in pasana bread baking in traditional Huruna ovens, ceremonial dancing, and moonlit forays to learn aboriginal star legends.
Dining: At the Santa Ana Café, try the Wild Mushroom & Duck Enchilada—or book a table at the Corn Maiden restaurant and sample the Black Truffle Gnocchi or Lobster & Butternut Squash Bisque with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.
Spa: Central to this space is a kiva pool replicating a ceremonial bathing pool. A full range of therapies using local wild herbs harvested seasonally include the K’awina Facial, Native Blend Herbal Wrap, Pueblo Dry Brush Therapy, and the signature Spirit Path body therapy.
Contact: (505) 867-1234, www.tamaya.hyatt.com
The Pima Legend of Bluebird and Coyote
There was a time long, long ago, when the poor Bluebird was a dreary gray color, and his feathers were dull and boring. Bluebird lived at the edge of a wide lake and much admired the beautiful sapphire blue of the water. He decided to wade into the lake to bathe. As he splashed about, happy to be in the water, he sang this song: There’s a blue water, it lies there. I went in. I am all blue. From nearby, Coyote heard the singing. For three days, he sat among the grasses at the water’s edge, watching Bird. On the fourth morning, Coyote saw Bird emerge from the water completely naked, his drab feathers left behind in the depths of the lake. On the fifth morning, he was astonished to see Bird return from the water covered in beautiful blue feathers. “Bird!” cried Coyote. “How is it that you have left your dull feathers behind and become such a beautiful shade of blue? You are the most beautiful of all the birds that fly through the air. I, too, wish to be blue!” So Bird taught Coyote the words to the song. For four days, Coyote bathed in the blue waters of the lake. On the fifth day, he came out of the water as blue as his friend. Coyote was very proud, and walked along with his head held high, hoping that everyone would notice how lovely and blue he had become. He began to look for his shadow, to see if it had become blue as well. So intent was Coyote on finding it, that he stumbled and tripped on a tree stump. He fell to the ground into the dirt, and became covered in dust. To this very day, all coyotes are the color of dirt.Immerse Yourself
When on Native American lands, be prepared to slow down. Being a good guest entails showing respect for the cultural rhythms and nuances of daily life. Aboriginal lives were patterned around seasons, harvests, and the daily cycle of sunrise and sunset—not clocks and dinner reservations. Take a long, deep breath and enjoy the slower pace.
Celebration of heritage—While the Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art in Phoenix is home to one of the most extensive retrospectives of Native American life in North America, it also boasts rotating exhibits and installations by some of today’s most important contemporary Native American artists. Space has also been devoted to the story of abuses suffered by native peoples, including the suppression of their spiritual and healing traditions as well as the resulting cultural generational gaps. Videography and film have been used to record the memories of elders from myriad nations, documenting the long-term effects that were the outcome of the federal boarding school program instituted by the U.S. government in an attempt to eradicate what was viewed as “Indianness.” Stunning displays of kachina dolls, basketry, pottery, and masks highlight the permanent exhibit. Contemporary works include glass, weavings, photography, and large-scale installations. Each summer, the Heard Museum Indigenous Film Festival showcases films by emerging indigenous filmmakers, actors, directors, writers, and producers. For more information visit www.heard.org.
Live the Navajo way—at least for a few days. Grace Marks, project director at Northern Arizona University, offers customized cultural immersion tours exploring various aspects of Navajo life, including authentic song, dance, storytelling, ceremonies, and spiritual healing traditions. (928) 523-4289, www.nau.edu/hrm/tours/index.html
Four states at one time—at Four Corners Monument and Navajo Tribal Park, you can place one of your four limbs in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona at the same time. Finally, all that yoga pays off. www.navajonationalparks.org
Explore the Anasazi Ruins in Mesa Verde, Colorado, where archaeologists continue to speculate on why the cliff-dwelling people abandoned their amazing homes, carved into the rock of the mesa walls. (800) 449-2288, www.visitmesaverde.com. Plan a stopover at the Anasazi Heritage Center and learn about the artifacts collected from this important site. (970) 882-5600, www.co.blm.gov/ahc/hmepge.htm
Adventure opportunities—The Four Corners Outdoor Programs Association offers educational adventure opportunities throughout the year, ranging from a River Adventure & Writing Workshop to Native American culture and archaeological excursions. Canyonlands Field Institute, (435) 259-7750, www.canyonlandsfieldinst.org; Kelly Place & McElmo Canyon Research Institute, (800) 745-4885, www.kellyplace.com; Plateau Restoration & Conservation Adventures, (866) 202-1847, (435) 259-7733, www.plateaurestoration.org.
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