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Carl Woolsey and Wally Chambers Jr on 2010 UW Field Trip
While visiting Ephrim Utah on the Utah Westerners 2010 field trip, we passed by a home which Brent Reber had owned and restored. Brent and his wife sold this home to Wally Chambers Jr.
For those that do not know, Wally Chambers Sr. was one of the Utah Westerners founding members. We saw Wally Jr. and stopped this massive 56 passenger bus in front of his home. I knocked on his door, introduced myself when he answered and informed him that this big Le Bus was the Utah Westerner 2010 Field Trip.
Wally Jr. was absolutely overcome and I invited him on board to say hello to Carl Woolsey and the rest of us miscreants. He went to the back of the bus to say hi to Doc and let us know how much the UW had meant to his life and family. He was the veteran of many, many field trips with his dad.
It was a great moment on a trip filled with great moments.
Utah Westerners 2011 Field Trip-Rocky Mountain Rondezvous: Fur Trade Sites of the West. June 10, 11 & 12-2011
Rocky Mountain Fur Trade Rendezvous Site’s with Fred Gowans will be the theme of the Utah Westerners 2011 field trip. Fred Gowans has graciously agreed to lead the Utah Westerners on our annual field trip for 2011. It will be a 3 day 2 night foray, lead by our own Fred R. Gowans: emeritus professor at Brigham Young University who specializes in the history of the fur trade in the American West. He has written several books on subjects such as Fort Bridger and the Rocky Mountain Rendezvous. We are also expecting our own Jack Tykal author of Etienne Provost: Man of the Mountains to be helping us explore the sites and history of this fascinating era of western americana.2010 Field Trip-A Journey to the Center of the Universe
2010 Field Trip.
Join us for a journey to “The Center of the Hopi Mesa’s Universe” in Northern Arizona and enjoy the scenic drive and colorful history of Utah’s Native American and white settlers along Utah’s US Highway 89 June 3rd through the 6th.
One of our founding members, Dr. Carl Woolsey, has been promoting this fabulous trip into a land where time seems to have stood still for several years. Our committee is delighted to make his suggestion a reality. Those who have also made the trip agree with Carl that this will be an unforgettable experience you will not want to miss.
In the secluded Hopi Mesas; a place of stark and beautiful endurance, clan life centers around raising the short blue-eared corn which symbolizes the homelands, culture and responsibilities given to the Hopi clans by Ma’saw as they emerged from the Third world to this, the Fourth World.
The Hopi’s who inhabited the First, Second and Third Mesa’s are a fiercely independent and spiritual people. Their history is unmatched by any other group of Native Americans who have inhabited our continent. The Mesa’s have been the home to Hopi clans for more than 900 years. They had lived there more than 450 years prior to the establishment of St. Augustine Florida in 1565.
The village, Oraibi, was founded sometime before the year 1100 AD, making it one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements within the United States. Oraibi remained unknown to European explorers until about 1540 when Spanish explorer Don Pedro de Tovar (who was part of the Coronado expedition) encountered the Hopi while searching for the legendary Seven Cities of Gold.
Hopi culture is predicated on the belief that they are the descendants of a people who had survived three previous destructions of the world. The worlds had been destroyed by the Supreme Being because evil forces led the people away from a way of life whose central tenet was devout spiritual guidance.
After the Supreme Being allowed the Hopi to emerge into the fourth world they were instructed to explore the land in the four principle directions. Four clans were formed, each of whom pursued an odyssey across span of the entire hemisphere. In the end, after exploring and at times living in rich and fertile places the clans were guided to the land of the Mesa’s.
The ancient Hopi made a purposeful choice for The People’s place of dwelling in this Fourth World, a place on the continent that was stark, arid and wrought with hardship. It was here, the Hopi believe is the CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE. At the core of Hopi belief that: In such a land of hardship, the only way the Hopi can survive is to pay homage to their god, remain devout or perish.
The Hopi employ the culture of story-telling. It is said that information and stories entrusted to each Hopi are more than enough to consider and meditate upon during a lifetime. Despite a plethora of books that routinely corrupt cultural ways beyond Hopi recognition, true preservation of the life way is attributed by traditional people to their ideology of passing ceremonial information to other clan members within the Kiva. The culture endures because no individual has access or responsibility for the entire sacred narrative and life way.
The preliminary itinerary (recon trip will take place in March) is to travel south on US Highway 89, the main artery of settlement through central Utah. Towns along highway 89 have rich legacy of historical significance. We surmise that many of our members have ties to these settlements and hope that they will come forward to help us embellish our experience. Don’t be shy, we need some suggestions.
We plan to stay in Page Arizona on the first night. We will get up and travel to the Second Mesa on the morning of the 4th and meet with our guide who will be with us for the next two days.
Our tour of the Mesa’s will include Old Oriabi, Walpi. We visit what is probably the finest single rock art site in the southwest with over 12,000 petroglyphs at Taawa Canyon. Stand with respect before ancient petroglyphs that interact with the sunlight to mark the equinox and solstice – thus acting as solar calendars. We are able to ‘process’ the information and experiences we have had through the week with the help of all our Hopi guides at a question and answer session
We plan a banquet and program at the Hopi Cultural Center, where were will be staying on the night of the 4th. A lecturer has been arranged who will educate us on Hopi culture, religion and history. We will also have 3 artisans who will be demonstrating Hopi basketry, silver-smithing and pottery.
After finishing our tour of the Hopi lands we will depart the Mesa’s on the afternoon of the 5th and travel to Marble Canyon. We will either visit Lee’s Ferry that afternoon or in following morning.
We will return to Salt Lake City and hopefully be able to add a stop at the Fremont Indian State Park.
The cost of this four day expedition will be $450.00. We need to fill up the bus in order to make the trip workable within this budget. Sign up now!
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