The Diné, or Navajo, are indigenous to the Southwestern United States, the place they have lived for over a thousand years. Vacationers searching for to discover Navajo traditions and tradition can now keep in a hogan, a conventional dwelling, throughout the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, or Tse’Bii’Ndzisgaii. A Navajo hogan is normally dome-shaped or multi-sided and constructed solely out of pure parts like logs, bark, and dirt.
The MonetValley Eco Hogan sits throughout the tribal park north of Kayenta, Arizona, and is owned by Verna Yazzie, a Navajo lady who was born and raised in Monument Valley. Her hogan, accomplished in 2020, is constructed out of juniper wooden, bark, and sand. It’s an off-grid construction with no electrical energy or working water, providing friends an additional dose of darkish evening skies (the world is famend for its stargazing) and the prospect to attach with the pure world.
By opening her hogan to guests, Yazzie hopes to introduce individuals to the Navajo life-style, which historically includes herding sheep, weaving rugs, rising crops, and silversmithing. The title of her hogan, MonetValley, is an ode to her grandmother, who additionally lived in Monument Valley.
“My grandmother, Bessie, who hardly is aware of any English phrases, however she knew tips on how to say the place she is from. ‘Mǒnet Bally’—she could not pronounce the ‘V,'” Yazzie advised Journey + Leisure.
Yazzie stated she desires to “educate and share the Navajo language with younger kids with a future objective of providing a cultural immersion retreat to show individuals tips on how to reside in concord, be humble, and reside a easy, sustainable life.”
MonetValley Eco Hogan at present has one standalone hogan out there to lease, which accommodates as much as 4 individuals. (Two extra hogans are beneath building on the property.) The one-room construction options particular touches like Navajo rugs and a weaving loom. Company are anticipated to carry their very own meals and ingesting water, however a Navajo taco dinner—ready with fry bread as a substitute of tortillas—could be organized by means of Yazzie.
The MonetValley Eco Hogan is positioned exterior Kayenta, Arizona, in Monument Valley. The realm is understood for the large sandstone formations that rise out of the Earth, towering as much as 1,000 toes over the valley. These pinnacles are surrounded by miles of windblown sand and bordered by mesas and buttes.
The MonetValley Eco Hogan normally opens for the summer time season in Might, relying on the climate. All bookings are made straight by means of monetvalley.com. Nightly charges begin at $125 per evening per particular person.