Petroglyph

Petroglyph Petroglyph National Monument New Mexico National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Petroglyph of macaw parrot, Boca Negra Canyon NPS / DANIEL LEIFHEIT Bird petroglyph, Rinconada Canyon NPS / DANIEL LEIFHEIT Each of these rocks is alive, keeper of a message left by the ancestors. William F. Weahkee, Five Sandoval Indian Pueblos, Inc. Bird painted by Romando Vigil (Tse Ye Mu), Pueblo of San Ildefonso, 1920–30 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN Some petroglyphs depict winged dancers, connecting them with celebrants of traditional dances. Left: Eagle Dancer painted by Joe Hilario Herrera (See Ru, or Blue Bird), Pueblo of Cochiti, ca. 1950 A Place of Power Petroglyph National Monu- They leave cornmeal offerings and dance and pray ment belongs to a landscape sacred to the Rio Grande in ceremonies. Both the land and the petroglyphs and Western Puebloans of northern New Mexico. It is continue to guide, heal, and connect people with also significant for Hopi, Navajo, Comanche, and their ancestors. Apache peoples. All have distinct traditions, dialects, and languages. Yet collectively they are one culture Nineteen Pueblos and ten Tribes maintain that acknowledges the power of this landscape and historical, cultural, and spiritual connections the petroglyphs carved in its volcanic rocks. to this landscape. Celestino Gachupin, Pueblo of Zia, describes the tradition of The landscape is important for the continuity of use as a “right … with the people of many Native cultures. For centuries Native people have different communities sharing the area, come here to see the petroglyphs and collect plants, performing ceremonies there, and respecting soil, rocks, and minerals for use in prescribed ways. one another’s privacy to do what was needed.” A map of the Rio Grande Valley, Petroglyph National Monument, and the location of associated tribes in New Mexico and Arizona. Red arrows depict the movement of people toward Petroglyph from the cardinal directions. Associated Tribes of New Mexico and Arizona are identified by modern and traditional names in parentheses: Pueblo of Cochiti, New Mexico (Ko-Tyit) Pueblo of Zia (Tsi-ya) NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN— © JOE HILARIO HERRERA Zuni Tribe of the Zuni Reservation (Ashiwi/ She-We-Na) San Carlos Apache Tribe of the San Carlos Reservation (N’dee) The Hopi Tribe of Arizona (Hopituh Shi-nu-mu) Pueblo of San Ildefonso (Po-Woh-Geh-Owingeh) Jicarilla Apache Nation (Haisndayin) Ohkay Owingeh (Ohkay Owingeh) Pueblo of Laguna (Ka’waika) Mescalero Apache Tribe (Shis-Inday) Pueblo of Sandia (Na-Fiat) Associated Tribes not shown on the map include: Nambé Pueblo (Nambé Oweengé O-ween-gé) Pueblo of Santa Ana (Tamaya) Comanche Nation, Oklahoma (Numunuu) Pueblo of Santa Clara (Kha’p’oo Owinge) Navajo Nation (Diné) Santo Domingo Pueblo (Kewa) Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma (Chiricahua Apache) Taos Pueblo (Tuah-Tah) Pueblo Yof sleta Del Sur (Tigua) Picuris Pueblo (Pin, wel, ene) Pueblo of Acoma (Haak’u) Pueblo of Tesuque (Tet-Sugeh) Pueblo of Isleta (Tue-I) Tonto Apache Tribe of Arizona (Dilzhe’e Te-go-suk) Pueblo of Jemez (Walatowa) Pueblo of Pojoaque (Po-Suwae-Geh) White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation (Dził Łigai Si’án N’dee) Pueblo of San Felipe (Katishtya) The landscape that surrounds the petroglyphs forms a spiritual world with profound value for Indigenous communities. Not only the basalt boulders inscribed with petroglyphs, but the volcanoes, lava flows, grasslands, canyons, plants, and animals are alive with the spirits of the ancestors. Plains prickly pear NPS Many mountains and canyons bear names assigned in the Spanish colonial era, when Spaniards and Mexicans added images to the boulders. In 1692 Spain claimed the area on the west bank of the Rio Grande, calling it Atrisco (or Near Water), and granted lands to settlers. According to Atrisco heir Rudolfo Anaya, they “learned from their Native American neighbors that the symbols carved into the rocks were part of the continuous spiritual history of the valley.” Soapweed yucca ADOBE STOCK / MELASTMOHICAN Puebloan pottery, formed from clay given to the artist by Mother Earth, also belongs to the spiritual world. It is often painted with designs of birds. Brooch with thunderbird figure, The Hopi Tribe of Arizona, ca. 1960 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN Collared lizard © SIMON SCARPETTA Butterfly Dance performed by the Pueblo of Acoma at Petroglyph National Monument, 2002 NPS Jar by Rosalia Medina Toribio, Pueblo of Zia, ca. 1925 NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN Visit Petroglyph National Monument A map of Petroglyph National Monument, surrounding roads, and nearby Open Space Visitor Center. The park is located approximately 1-2 miles west of the Rio Grande in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The park has an information center and four main trailheads. The information center is located off Unser Boulevard and has a picnic area, restrooms, and information for visitors. The Volcanoes trailhead is located off Atrisco Vista Boulevard and accesses trails around J A Volcano, Black Volcano, and Vulcan Volcano. The trailhead has parking, a restroom, allows dogs, and has no petroglyphs or water. South Point is located off Mirehaven Parkway and accesses trails with 200 petroglyphs. The trailhead has parking, allows dogs, and has a restroom, but no water. Rinconada Canyon is located off Unser Boulevard and accesses the Rinconada Canyon Trail with 300 petroglyphs. The trailhead the Rinconada Canyon trail to has parking, allows dogs, Walk and has a restroom, but no water. Boca Negra Canyon is located off Unser view the hundreds of petroglyphs Boulevard, north of the information and acesses 100 petroglyphs via three short trails; Cliff concentratedcenter, here. Enjoy a beautiful Base Trail, Macaw Trail, and Mesa Point Trail. The area has view of the Sandia Mountains at sun-parking, a picnic area, and restrooms, and doesn’t allow dog walking. Piedras Marcadas Canyon is located off Jill Patricia Street and accesses set, when the mountains take on a pink hue. Trail. The trailhead allows dog walking but has no water or rest400 petroglpyhs via the Petroglpyh rooms. The Open Space Visitor Center is located off Bosque Meadows Road and has restrooms, a picnic area, and information for visitors. Macaw parrots native to Mexico and Central America were brought up along trade routes long before Europeans came to the area. Their brilliant plumage is used in modern Puebloan dances and ceremonies. ADOBE STOCK / PASSAKORN Rinconada Canyon Trail NPS / BETSY EHRLICH Protect the Petroglyphs Petroglyphs are fragile, irreplaceable cultural resources important in our collective human history. Organized efforts to protect them began in the 1970s with the establishment of Indian Petroglyph State Park at Boca Negra Canyon and Volcano Park in Albuquerque. In 1986 the 17-mile escarpment was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Friends of the Albuquerque Petroglyphs and other groups led the effort to create Petroglyph National Monument, which was established by Congress in 1990. We ask you to respect and help protect this sacred place. Federal laws protect all natural and cultural features in the monument. Violations are punishable by fines and/or imprisonment. Gunshot damage NPS / DANIEL LEIFHEIT To report vandalism call Petroglyph National Monument (505-899-0205), the Archaeological Resources Protection Act Hotline (800-227-7286), or Grand Canyon Dispatch (928-638-7805). What is stored in the petroglyphs is not written in any book or to be found in any library. Roadrunner Herman Agoyo (Kaafedeh, or Blowing Leaf), San Juan Pueblo ADOBE STOCK / DENNIS DONOHUE For trail details, visit the information center at the intersection of Unser Boulevard NW and Western Trail NW. Open 8:30 am to 4:30 pm except Thanksgiving, December 25, and Jan­uary 1. Get information, brochures, and trail maps, and watch the 20-minute park film. You’ll also find restrooms, a water bottle-filling station, and a park store. To view the petroglyphs, drive from the information center to Rinconada Canyon (1 mile south), Boca Negra Canyon (2 miles north), or Piedras Marcadas Canyon (6 miles north). Desert marigold INATURALIST / DBUGS Purple aster ©ALAN CRESSLER To visit the volcanoes day-use area on the monument’s west side, drive 12 miles from the information center via I-40 from Atrisco Vista Boulevard. A trail winds around the bases of the cinder cone volcanoes. No petroglyph viewing in this area. For a safe visit, remain on trails, keep your distance from wildlife, and watch for sudden storms. Take shelter in your ve­hicle at the first sign of thunder or lightning, and stay away from drainages (arroyos and dry washes) and the mesa top. • Watch for rattlesnakes; report sightings to a ranger. • Wear sunscreen, protective shoes, and a hat. • Carry plenty of water. • Keep your pet on a six-foot leash and clean up their feces. • No public phones, food service, lodging, or camping in the park; find services nearby. • Some areas may be closed during severe weather. • For firearms regulations check the park website. Accessibility We strive to make facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. To learn more, go to the information center, ask a ranger, call, or check the park website. Petroglyph National Monument is one of over 425 parks in the National Park System. To learn more, visit www.nps.gov. Petroglyph National Monument Information Center Unser Blvd. NW (at Western Trail NW) Albuquerque, NM 87120 505-899-0205 www.nps.gov/petr City of Albuquerque Open Space Division PO Box 1293 Albuquerque, NM 87103 npf_black.pdf 1 8/26/22 505-452-5200 www.cabq.gov/openspace Use the official NPS App to guide your visit. Join the park community. www.nationalparks.org IGPO:2024—427-086/84012 New in 2024 Emergencies call 911 Indian blanket INATURALIST Sandia Mountains Cinder cones, West Mesa NPS / DANIEL LEIFHEIT Volcanoes formed the West Mesa 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. A north-to-south fissure opened along what is now the western edge of Petroglyph National Monument. Eruptions from the fissure created cinder cone volcanoes. Lava flowed from the volcanoes, forming the mesa’s basalt caprock. At the eastern edge of the mesa, erosion and weathering caused sections of the caprock to fracture and fall. On the fallen boulders, Indigenous peoples, Spanish settlers, and later emigrants carved petroglyphs. 1