Sacred Pagan Places, Part 3

Casa Rinocada

Last week we took a look at the sacred places of Arizona. Before we get to the rest of the Southwest, another state deserves a post entirely of its own—New Mexico.

Tsoodzil, or Mount Taylor, is a stratovolcano in New Mexico. Stratovolcanoes are steep volcanoes that are made up of layers and, while they tend to erupt often, their lava cools and hardens quickly before it has a chance to really spread (Mount Fuji is a stratovolcano). The Navajo people say that it is the turquoise mountain, one of the four sacred mountains marking the four cardinal directions. It’s also one of the markers of the Dinetah, which is considered the Navajo homeland. Sacred to the Laguna, Acoma and Zuni people, it is also the home of Black God, Turquoise Girl and Turquoise Boy.

The White Sands National Monument is an entire field of thousands of white sand dunes made up of gypsum crystals.  Previously home to the Mescalero Apache people, Hispanic families began to settle there in the mid-1800’s. Though it was nominated as a World Heritage Site, a state representative declined to approve the idea, saying it would interfere with military operations in the area.

Shiprock, located on a Navajo reservation, is where the annual Northern Navajo Fair takes place each October. A tribal community college, Dine College, and other Navajo campuses are also located there. Many tourists visit Shiprock when traveling to Mesa Verde, the Grand Canyon and Four Corners.

Chaco Culture National Historic Park, a World Heritage Site, is located in northwestern New Mexico. The canyon is home to many ancient ruins, including structures considered to be the largest on the continent until the 19th century. These are believed to have been created to follow the cycles of the sun and the moon. The Sun Dagger petroglyph on the Fajada Butte is also at the Park. These grounds are sacred to the Hopi and Pueblo people, and some of them are no longer open to tourists.

The Bandelier National Monument is a preservation including homes of pueblo peoples. Named after the anthropologist who researched the area, it is the home of many petroglyphs, rock paintings and kivas, or ceremonial structures.

Ku Sehn Pin, the Tewa sacred mountain, is also known as Truchas Peak and is located in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Other sacred Tewa Mountains, including Tsikomo (Chicoma Mountain), Oku Pin (Sandia Crest), and Tse Shu Pin (Mount Conjilon) are also in the state.

The Mescalero Apache people have sacred mountains in New Mexico as well, including Mount Capitan, Mount San Augustin, and Mount Salinas.