Have you used Google Maps lately? How about AAA Triptiks. Remember Rand-McNally? Maps have been an essential part of the traveler’s gear for thousands of years. We’ve all seen pictures of ancient maps used by mariners, but did you know that Native Americans also used maps? Many of the hunter-gatherer cultures, like the Ute and their predecessors, were highly mobile, constantly moving to keep pace with plant and animal food sources. They depended upon their knowledge of

Throughout the southwest, Native Americans have left images pecked or painted on canyon walls, caves and large stones. Like so many others, I wonder whether these images represent stories or just graffiti. Were the artists just doodling in their idle time, or were they leaving a message for their friends and posterity? I am convinced that most of the petroglyphs and pictographs were, in fact, messages and stories. I say this because although there are many recognizable dep

My wife and I lived in Denver, Colorado for many years and occasionally experienced a phenomenon called the “Chinook Wind”. These winds, blowing over the Rocky Mountain Front Range, could actually raise the temperature from below freezing to 50 degrees Fahrenheit in just a few hours. Chinook winds can occur in many areas of western North America and certainly are not unique to Colorado. In fact, the term and the original Chinook winds originated in the northwestern coast

Imagine being invited to the house of the wealthiest person in town so that he could demonstrate his wealth by giving away expensive and prized gifts. The Native Americans of the Northwest called this a “Potlatch” and it was practiced “religiously” before the Russians, British, and Americans moved in. Typically, the rich and powerful of the tribe would spend the warm summer months accumulating vast surpluses of food, blankets, animal skins, slaves, canoes and coppers. The

Quanah Parker c1890 “Courageous and strong-willed, he was also a natural diplomat. Traveling numerous times to Washington D.C. to represent the Comanches, he became a familiar figure in Congress. He became a successful farmer and rancher and became a major stockholder in the Quanah, Acme and Pacific Railway. His beautiful two story home, complete with veranda and star emblazoned roof, was built at the foothills of the Wichita Mountains. He had vital interest in educating