Zuni Monitoring Program in Grand 

Canyon

Prepared by

Kurt Dongoske

and 

Zuni Cultural Resource Advisory Team

Presented at 

GCMRC’s Annual Reporting Meeting 

23 January 2013

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
ZCRAT Members Involved

in Presentation

ZCRAT Member

• Octavius Seowtewa

• George Yawakie

• Ben Kallestewa

• Cornell Tsalate

• Ronnie Cachini

• Eldred Quam

• Harry Chimoni

Religious Affiliation

• Leader Newe:kwe Fraternity

• Koko leader; Small Group Kiva

• Kiva Group headman; 

Shumakwe

• Bow Priest for Ooh’hu’hu’kwe

• Kwa’kwe mo-si, Head Rain 

Priest

• Small Group Kiva

• Head Spokesman Elder 

Upt’sana:kwe

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Purpose of Zuni Monitoring

• Provide opportunity to experience and reconnect 

with place of emergence

• Assess the health and wellbeing of the Colorado River 

ecosystem

• Renew relationship with shrines, springs, and ancestral 

homes (archaeological sites)

• Collect water, minerals, and plants for ceremonial use

• Zuni history written in petroglyphs; river trips 

strengthen Zuni history

• Provide recommendations to BOR and NPS

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni and Grand Canyon Sacred 

Landscape

• Place of emergence; reconnect with underworld

• Place received instructions to search for Middle Place

• Place where medicine bundles created; still in use 

today

• Historical events occurred (relationship with aquatic 

beings; migrations; creation of religious societies)

• Maintain umbilical spiritual connection facilitated by 

waterways and trails

• Central to Zuni never ending ceremonial cycle

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni Traditional Cultural Properties 

in Grand Canyon

• Ancestral homes 

(archaeological sites)

– Are physical manifestations 

of Zuni knowledge

– Represents knowledge about 

how to build and live within 

the Canyon

– Reaffirms belief that Zuni 

ancestors resided here and 

the Zuni heritage

– Demonstrates that Zuni 

religion is as strong now as it 

was back then; Zuni religion 

directed site design and how 

structures built

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni Traditional Cultural Properties

• Petroglyphs & 

Pictographs

– Petroglyphs validate 

and substantiate Zuni’s 

historical and on-going 

relationship to the 

Grand Canyon

– information passed on 

from Zuni great 

grandfathers and 

grandfathers

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni Traditional Cultural Properties 

• Shrines and Offering 

Places

– Shrines on landscape act 

as cognitive maps

– Maintain spiritual 

connection between 

Grand Canyon and Zuni

– Protect individual Zuni on 

river trip; protect all Zunis

– Offering places: river, 

entire canyon, springs, 

collection areas

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni Traditional Cultural Properties

• Trails

– Lead to shrines and 

offering places

– Considered sacred; 

facilitate and 

maintain spiritual 

umbilical connection 

between Zuni and 

Grand Canyon

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni TCPs Continued

• KYA:WE: Water, River, 

Springs

– All water sacred; springs 

most precious thing on 

earth

– Colorado River /K’yawan

A:honanne: sentient 

being. Associated with 

emergence, migrations, 

home to aquatic life 

important to Zuni, and 

water from the river used 

in ceremonies

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni Traditional Cultural Resources 

• Plants

– Used in religious ceremonies

– Indicators of health of ecosystem

• Animals (includes aquatic and 

insect life)

– Assist in Zuni ceremonies

– Indicators of health of ecosystem

– Indicators of a Zuni good year

– Zuni ancestors take animal form 

(visitation)

• Minerals

– Used only in religious ceremonies

– Collecting minerals in canyon since 

time immemorial (Cushing 1890s)

– Continuation of Zuni traditions

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni Monitoring Methodology

• Selection of monitoring sites

– Archaeological sites 

determine if ancestral (NPS 

inventory)

– Shrines always visited

– Collection areas (springs, 

plants, etc.)

• Monitoring activities

– First make offering

– Assess health of 

environment (qualitative 

assessment)

– Discuss condition among 

Zuni monitors at site/end of 

day/share with NPS 

representative 

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni Monitoring Methodology 

• Evaluation of condition

– Resource(s) 

dwindling / 

degrading = negative 

consequences at 

Zuni 

– Resource(s) 

flourishing/ stable = 

positive sign for Zuni

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Summary of 13 Years of 

Zuni Monitoring

• Zuni Monitoring Trips

– 1997

– 1999

– 2001

– 2007

– 2010 *

• Total 61 sites 

monitored

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
2010 Monitoring Results

• 31 TCPs monitored during 2010

• 21 are Zuni ancestral archaeological sites

• 8 Zuni collection areas

• 7 contain Zuni springs

• 6 contain Zuni shrines that require protection 

and spiritual attendance by Zuni religious 

practitioners

• 3 places contain resources of Zuni importance

• 1 is consider a uniquely sacred place (LCR 

confluence)

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
Zuni 2010 Recommendations to 

Bureau of Reclamation

• cease mechanical removal

• consider funding a Zuni educational program 

for implementation at Zuni

• with NPS to design and fund educational 

program that utilizes the ZCRAT to inform 

river guides, NPS personnel, boatmen, and 

researchers about the importance of the 

Grand Canyon and Colorado River to Zuni

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
2010 Zuni Recommendations to 

National Park Service

• Consult ZCRAT prior to issuing research permits 

for work at Zuni ancestral sites

• monitor recreationist impacts at AZ:C:9:32

• Protect shrine at AZ:C:9:1 (Nankoweap)

• Protect shrines at Kwahgunt

• Facilitate privacy for Zunis visiting Duton Spring

• Restrict public visitation to Lava Rapids 

petroglyphs.

• Plant cacti in front of pictographs at AZ:A:16:01

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
13 Years of Zuni Monitoring

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013

Table 9. Summary of Zuni River Trip Monitoring Observations From 1997 to 2010

1997 1999 2001 2007 2010

Place V E V E V E V E V E Impacts

AZ:C:6:3(SoapCreek) X D X D X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam

AZ:C:6:5 (Supai Man Petroglyph) X D X D X D X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam

AZ:C:5:5 (rock shelter) X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam

AZ:C:5:35 X D Human vandalism

South Canyon Site/Stanton’s

Cave

X I X I X I X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam

Vasey’s Paradise X I X I X I X I X I No serious threats

Quartz Crystals X I X I X I X D Human caused impacts

Saddle Canyon X I Human caused impacts

AZ:C:9:28 X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam

AZ:C:9:32 X D Erosion and climate

AZ:C:9:50 X D Erosion and human

AZ:C:9:54 X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam

AZ:C:9:1(Nankoweap Granaries) X I X I X I X I X D Human caused impacts

Kwahgunt Site X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam

AZ:C:13:365 (Malagosa Canyon) X D X D X D X D Erosion, human, climate

and dam
Results of 13 Years of Zuni Monitoring

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013

erosion, human, climate and dam

erosion and human

erosion and climate

human

vandalism

erosion and dam

erosion, human, and dam

climate and human

erosion, climate, and dam

erosion, climate, and human

stable

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Results of 13 Years of Zuni Monitoring

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013

34

33

19

24

Sources of Effects

Human

Erosion

Dam

Climate
Results of 13 Years of Zuni Monitoring

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013

Human

48% Natural

52%

Human versus Natural Impacts
Closing Comments from ZCRAT

• Zuni environment management philosophy: Do no harm; Allow 

Nature to take its course; Maintain mindfulness of Stewardship

• Continued manipulation of canyon resources (aquatic, biological, 

and physical) by resource managers and researchers will result in 

Negative effects on Canyon and ultimately on Zuni

• Supai man, petroglyphs at Lava & Whitmore are specifically Zuni

• Petroglyph boulders at Tanner: figures with intertwined tails; 

specifically mentioned in all Zuni prayers

• Petroglyphs and ancestral sites validate and substantiate Zuni’s 

historical and on-going relationship to the Grand Canyon

• Zuni long term monitoring: like reading a book more than once; 

Zuni achieves more information and understanding each 

monitoring trip

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013
THANK YOU

FOR 

YOUR ATTENTION

QUESTIONS?

ZCRE:Zuni Monitoring in Grand Canyon. 

Presented at GCMRC's Annual Reporting 

Meeting, 23 Januay 2013