Ancestral Pueblo granaries at Nankoweap, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Honoring Indigenous Peoples. Celebrating Indigenous Peoples' Day

The second Monday of October is used by many to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day as an alternative to Columbus Day, held on the same date. It highlights the customs and heritage of the Indigenous Peoples who lived in North America before the arrival of European settlers, and the devastating impact colonization had upon them.

Today's image takes us to one of the places that Indigenous Peoples' legacy can still be seen. In the rocks of the Grand Canyon, the Nankoweap Granaries were carved by the Ancestral Pueblo culture around 1100 CE. Used to keep the crops that were grown safe from the elements, these granaries could be fully sealed when needed. The Ancestral Pueblo people lived in the Four Corners region, building houses and other structures out of stone and adobe, or carving them into canyon walls.