where tribes from many areas gathered for rituals and leisure .
l Boynton Canyon AND Kachina Woman VORTEx . It is said that this area is where feminine vortex energies are strongest . Boynton Canyon itself is sacred space from the perspective of numerous indigenous tribes . For the Yavapai , “ First Lady ” the mother of their tribe , was born from an enchanted pool deep within Boynton Canyon , and every year they return to pay her honor . The idea of balance , tranquility , and restoration is emphasized in this peaceful place .
l Palatki & Honanki Heri- TAGE Sites . Palatki , which means red house in Hopi , was home to the ancestors of the Hopi . They lived here from approximately 1100 until 1400 C . E . Here the figure Kokopelli , a fertility deity seen playing the flute , remains clearly visible on the ancient sandstone walls . Nearby is Honanki , a site of similar history . However , a Clovis projectile point discovered here in 1995 definitively dates these settlements back to 9000 B . C . Both sites are examples of the settlements that surrounded the greater red-rock area of what is now Sedona , but never intruded into the space that was held most sacred . Historians indicate that disagreements among conflicting groups did not occur in this area which represented rest , peace , and restoration .
l Tuzigoot National Monument . Tuzigoot is an ancient , 100-room pueblo site of the Sinagua people . Archeologists believe it may have been a busy trading site , welcoming many different tribes . It is unknown why they left the area . You will need to obtain a day pass to enter the pueblo and museum .
l Montezuma Castle National Monument . More than 1000 years ago the Sinagua lived in the area stretching south of Sedona and utilized the extraordinary Montezuma Well for human needs and crop irrigation . The cliff dwelling at this national monument has over 60 rooms and researchers today marvel at the sophistication of dryland farming techniques displayed . For many centuries it was a place l l YAVAPAI Apache Nation culTURAl Resource Center . The Yavapai and Apache resided in this area for centuries , but in 1871 were ordered onto a reservation ( now known as Camp Verde ) and many were slaughtered . A further relocation in 1875 took the form of a forced march over 181 miles of harsh terrain in the dead of winter to San Carlos in southern Arizona . More than 100 people died during this march , never to see the red rocks of their homeland again . The Cultural Center tells their story , and a bronze statue commemorating an elderly man carrying his wife on this march — telling the story without words — now graces its entrance .
l V BAR V Heritage Site . The V Bar V Heritage site is the largest petroglyph site in the Verde Valley with over 1000 images created in what is now known as the distinctive Beaver Creek style . Incorporated into the historic V Bar V Ranch in 1907 , the owners guarded the area well . Now , solar calendars , animals , spirals , and grids , all etched on cliff face walls , in what some visitors call a “ spirit-filled space ,” stand in silent testimony to the artists ’ ancient purpose , still shrouded in mystery today .
May the Sedona Peace Tour inspire you and be a catalyst for finding peace within , helping to foster a culture a peace in your family , community and world .
8 IMAGINE l Autumn 2015