Albert Einstein at Hopi House

Albert Einstein at Hopi HouseAlbert Einstein made his second trip to the United States in the period between December 1930 and March 1931 to spend some time at California Institute of Technology, one of the institutions that was courting him to join their staff. It was on the return trip across the U.S. by train that the above photograph was taken. There are several striking things about this photograph that deserve mention. It is clear that the headdress that has been placed on Professor Einstein's head and the pipe he has been given to hold have no relationship to the Indians in this photograph. These Indians are Hopis from the relatively nearby Hopi pueblos while the headdress and pipe belong to the Plains Indian culture. The actual location of the photograph is Hopi House, a part of the Fred Harvey concession at the Grand Canyon.



Another posting suggests what Einstein thought about Indians:



But a Google search shows up only one instance of this quote. That suggests it's not real.

Navajos protest Wallenda walk

Wallenda walk over Little Colorado gets mixed reviews on Reservation

By Rosanda Suetopka ThayerA group of protesters expressed concern over the "circus-like" atmosphere of the event. The group included members of the Cameron Chapter, Save the Confluence tribal members, members of the Hopi Tribe and one member of the Supai Tribe who traveled the furthest to support his fellow Navajo and Hopi tribal members in the protest against Wallenda taking such a risk over their sacred land.

Many Hopis and Navajos consider the Grand Canyon and its surrounding areas, including the Little Colorado River Gorge, extremely sacred. The Hopi people consider the area an original emergence home-place. Zuni tribal members also consider this area to be sacred.

Milton Tso, Cameron Chapter president, spoke to members of the media on Sunday at the protest campsite near Cameron.

"Navajos are supposed to cherish life," he said. "But is this how we are now presenting ourselves as Navajos to the world? That we are willing to allow this man to gamble with his life over one of our most sacred places? All for the sake of tourism dollars?And:Tso said he wondered if there was a plan B in case Wallenda didn't make it across the gorge.

He wondered who would be held liable had Wallenda fallen off the cable.

"Is the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation or the Navajo President and his Vice President willing to assume such high liability for a media-hyped event that has nothing to do with our culture or our tribal tradition?" Tso asked. "Also no provisions were made for any of the local Cameron people to even participate either personally or communally in this event if they had wanted to. More than half of the Navajos living in Cameron don't even have electricity, so how would they even be able to watch this Wallenda event on a TV that is happening in their own backyard on their own land?"

Tso said nobody from the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department met with the Cameron Chapter to explain the event.

"Neither the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation department, its director Martin Begay or his assistant director, Helen Webster, ever met with us here locally at the chapter, though we have asked them to come to our chapter meetings to explain to us what this event was about and how could we all work together to benefit, if this was truly going to take place. We were only notified about this event less than three months ago," Tso said. "Although Webster did say that she would be getting us a $5,000 check for our local student scholarship fund, we have never seen the check or any follow up activity on her promise."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Wallenda Crosses Little Colorado River Gorge and Tightrope Walk Over Grand Canyon Planned.

Below:  "Milton Tso, Cameron Chapter president, protests against the Nik Wallenda high wire walk June 23 at the junction of Highway 89 and High way 64 near the walk site." (Rosanda Suetopka Thayer)

Wallenda crosses Little Colorado River Gorge

Before Nik Wallenda's "Skywire" walk:

Where Evel Knievel Never Soared: A Wallenda Flies Over the Grand CanyonNik Wallenda, scion of the famous Flying Wallendas family and known as “The King of the High Wire,” will traverse the majestic Grand Canyon on a tightrope tonight, without using a harness. And the Discovery Channel is airing the feat live (8 p.m./ET, check local listings), and has a dazzling, dizzying Skywire Live With Nik Wallenda feature on its website (to visit, click HERE).

Wallenda will tightrope walk higher than he’s ever attempted before at 1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River, a height greater than the Empire State Building. In 2012, Wallenda became the first person to tightrope walk directly over Niagara Falls from the U.S. to Canada at a height of 200 feet.

“The stakes don’t get much higher than this,” said Wallenda in a Discovery press release. “The only thing that stands between me and the bottom of the canyon is a two-inch thick wire. I’m looking forward to showing the audience a view of the canyon they’ve never seen before.”

Wallenda, 34, said that this latest event will be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream to walk at such a great height as well as a chance to honor his great-grandfather, the legendary Karl Wallenda, who died after falling from a tightrope in Puerto Rico in 1978.

The Grand Canyon, one of America’s most visited tourist destinations, provides a spectacular backdrop to the event. The tightrope crossing will take place in a remote section of the canyon operated by the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department.

“We are honored to be a part of this historic event and showcase the beauty that exists on Navajo country,” said Geri Hongeva-Camarillo, media representative for Navajo Parks and Recreation. “The Navajo Nation is home to more than a dozen national monuments, tribal parks and ancestral sites. Many visitors make Navajo Nation one of the top destinations for their travel plans.”Wallenda skywire crossing a boon to tribal park

By Eric BetzIn an international made-for-television event, Nik Wallenda will use a 2-inch cable to walk across the "Grand Canyon" here live on the Discovery Channel this Sunday. And although viewers in other countries might not be able to tell the difference, the location is highly significant to Helen Webster, manager of the tribal park.

As part of the agreement with the Discovery Channel and NBC, which is producing the event, the Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation Department required that the two-hour television special include information about parks across the reservation and tribal culture.

More than 13 million Americans watched live as Wallenda walked the same cable across Niagara Falls one year ago. Many others watched the event worldwide. It was touted as the largest audience for a non-sports broadcast in six years.

Tribal officials hope to cash in on that audience when the majesty of their lands is broadcast around the world.

False advertising?

Some people noted the misleading references to the Grand Canyon:

One Problem With Nik Wallenda's Grand Canyon Walk: It Isn't At The Grand Canyon

By Andrew BenderWallenda’s death-defying deed will take place today east of the park, across the gorge of Little Colorado River Navajo Tribal Park. It’s on land of the Navajo Nation, near Cameron, Arizona.

“The event would not have been approved in Grand Canyon National Park,” says Maureen Oltrogge, the park’s public affairs officer. Under National Park Service regulations, she says, “events must not unreasonably impair the park’s atmosphere of peace and tranquility or have an unacceptable impact on the experience of park visitors.”

That doesn’t make the stunt any less risky or the visuals any less spectacular. Wallenda’s two-inch (5 cm) cable spans 1,400 feet (426 m) across the gorge, 1,500 feet (457 m) above ground; that’s higher than the Empire State Building. Plus, the site is likely to be buffeted with winds up to 30 mph (48 kph).

Although the tribal park is not in the actual Grand Canyon, they’re close neighbors. Some have called it a “little Grand Canyon,” and the Little Colorado River feeds into the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

Permitting Wallenda’s walk was not a casual decision, says Geri Hongeva, spokesperson for Navajo Parks & Recreation. “Discovery Channel, NBC Peacock Productions and Nik Wallenda all had to complete a number of clearances and gain proper permits,” including archaeological, biological and environmental surveys, and handle tribal park land use fees and filming approvals. Extreme sports are permitted only rarely on tribal lands.
High-wire artist Nik Wallenda walks across canyon, but maybe not GrandThe high-wire artist Nik Wallenda has completed a tightrope walk that took him a quarter of a mile over the Little Colorado River gorge near the Grand Canyon.

Wallenda performed the stunt on a 2-inch-thick steel cable, 1,500 feet (457 meters) above the river without wearing a harness.

Wallenda took just more than 22 minutes, pausing and kneeling twice and murmuring prayers to Jesus almost constantly along the way. He stepped slowly and steadily, but jogged and hopped the last few steps.But:Before the walk, a group of Navajos, Hopis and other Native Americans stood along a nearby highway with signs protesting against the event.

The stunt was touted as a walk across the Grand Canyon, an area held sacred by many Native American tribes. Some local residents believe Wallenda has not accurately pinpointed the location and said the Navajo Nation should not be promoting the gambling of one man's life for the benefit of tourism.

"Mr Wallenda needs to buy a GPS or somebody give this guy a map," said Milton Tso, president of the Cameron community on the Navajo Nation. "He's not walking across the Grand Canyon. He's walking across the Little Colorado River Gorge on the Navajo Nation. It's misleading and false advertising."'Skywire': Nik Wallenda Completes 1,500-Foot High-Wire Walk Near Grand Canyon Live On Discovery Channel



Navajo Leadership Congratulate High Wire Artist Nik Wallenda

By Levi RickertThe Navajo Nation received some exposure on television last night as Nik Wallenda walked across the Little Colorado River last night.

Navajo Nation President Ben Shelly and Vice President Rex Lee Jim were on hand to congratulate high wire artist Nik Wallenda after he successfully walked across the Little Colorado River Gorge on a two inch steel cable on Sunday evening near the Grand Canyon.

Wallenda's tightrope walk, which was near the Little Colorado River Navajo Tribal Park, was broadcasted live on the Discovery Channel to 217 countries throughout the world.

"I want to congratulate Nik on his successful walk. I want to thank the Discovery Channel, NBC and all the workers who made this event successful. This is an example of what can happen when we work together.

"I am pleased that the Navajo Nation was a part of this project and that we helped Nik achieve one of his lifelong goals. It was exciting to Nik walk on the tightrope with windy conditions and I am happy that he was successful.

"The worldwide audience was able to see the Navajo Nation and now we invite you to come Navajo land. Come see the pristine landscape for yourself, with your own eyes, you won't regret it.

"We invite travelers near and far to come experience Navajo land," President Shelly said.

President Shelly, Navajo First Lady Martha Shelly and Vice President Jim sat together near the edge of the Little Colorado Gorge and watched Wallenda walk across the gorge.

President Shelly gave a bolo tie to Wallenda after the walk and Vice President Jim presented Wallenda a silver and turquoise belt buckle.

Vice President Jim said Wallenda's success is about achievement.

"I want our Navajo children to know that they can dream big and have big success. Just like Nik dreamed about walking over the Grand Canyon, our young children can dream big about their goals in life and they can achieve them.

"We can use each success and build upon that. Each success builds for bigger dreams and larger successes.

"We can accomplish that for the Navajo Nation."Comment:  For more on the subject, see Tightrope Walk Over Grand Canyon Planned.

Below:  "Natalie Morales, NBC News; High Wire Artist Nik Wallenda; Navajo President Ben Shelly and Vice President Rex Lee Jim."

Navajo and Hopi protest Escalade

Navajo and Hopi oppose plan dubbed the Escalade

By Katherine SaltzsteinConfluence Partners, LLC of Tucson, Arizona hopes to build a museum, restaurant and walking path at the Grand Canyon with a gondola connecting the rim to the Canyon floor.

Dubbed the Escalade, the project, which would begin on Navajo land on the western rim of the canyon, has met with mixed reactions. Confluence Partners say it will create jobs and revenue for the tribe. But some Navajos oppose the plan and the Hopi Tribe passed a resolution opposing it. Also, the National Park Service does not approve of projects in the canyon and some environmental groups have spoken out against it.Dueling views:“The Canyon was and still is home to several Native American tribes including the Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, Kaibab-Paiute, Navajo and Zuni,” the Hopis said in the press release. “Sacred sites dot the river and canyons, one of the most important areas being the confluence where the Colorado River meets the Little Colorado River. The sacred area serves as a connection to the Hopi tribes’ ancestral past and is home to ceremonial trails, shrines and ruins.

Driven by the lure of tourist dollars, the Confluence Partners is threatening the beauty of this natural wonder While they expect a large economic impact to come from the development, it is clear that the developers value the potential dollars to be made from this sacred area rather than respecting the beauty and sanctity of a pristine location that is so dear to many tribal communities.”

The resolution states that many Navajos oppose the Escalade project along with a river guide company, the Grand Canyon Trust, and local groups formed to oppose it.

The Hopis urge people to oppose the plan and say “construction of the Grand Canyon Escalade will irreversibly compromise this natural wonder for many generations to come.”

Asked about the Hopi tribe’s objections, Hale said “Escalade is not close to the Hopi sacred sites. The majority of their sites are along the Salt Trail within the Little Colorado gorge and their other sites on the Colorado River are significantly downstream of Escalade. The Sierra Club offers a Salt Trail trip. Strangely enough the Hopi have remained silent.”

“The Salt Trail on the Navajo Reservation is our route into the Grand Canyon and is an ancient one used by the Hopis, Navajos, Prehistory puebloans and prospectors,” Hale continued. He added that “our days will be spent enjoying seldom-seen views of spectacular scenery unparalleled in the world.” The Grand Canyon has been inhabited for about 13,000 years, Hale said and “tools figurines, petroglyphs, pictographs, baskets, pithouses, and other archaeological artifacts have been found sprinkled throughout the area. Archaeologists estimate that there are 50,000 archaeological sites distributed throughout the Canyon and prehistoric ruins can be seen along our route.”Comment:  Naturally, I side with the presevationists on this issue. Once you develop something, it's almost impossible to undevelop it.

For more on the Grand Canyon and tourism, see Tightrope Walk Over Grand Canyon Planned and Navajos Split on Grand Canyon Flights.

Below:  "Navajo water walkers, Save the Confluence, are struggling to protect the pristine region at Bodaway Gap, Arizona, the Confluence, on the Navajo Nation, where the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers meet. They walked to Window Rock this week to protest a plan to develop the area for tourists. Those leading the assault on the Dine' sacred area include former Navajo President Albert Hale who resigned during a financial corruption probe and was appointed to the Arizona legislature by the governor to fill a vacancy."

Tightrope walk over Grand Canyon planned

Tribes Have Mixed Feelings About Tightrope Walker Coming to the Grand Canyon

By Anne MinardFamed tightrope walker Nik Wallenda last made headlines in June 2012 by tightrope walking across Niagara Falls. This year, he’s headed for a remote section of the Grand Canyon on the Navajo Nation—which also happens to house a site held deeply sacred by the Hopi and other tribes.

The Discovery Channel will air the stunt live on June 23, as Wallenda tightrope walks higher than he’s ever attempted before—1,500 feet above the Little Colorado River near its confluence with the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. His walk over Niagara Falls was only 200 feet off the ground. There’s another difference: he wore a safety harness over Niagara Falls, but will not do so over the Grand Canyon. That’s allowing publicists at the Discovery Channel to advertise the stunt as a “nail-biting” event, and “one of the most daring and captivating live events in history.”

Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation officials say they welcome the event as a chance to showcase their portion of the Grand Canyon. The tribe operates two viewpoints along Highway 64, which runs west from Cameron, Arizona to the Grand Canyon’s oft-visited South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park.

“Our visitation in this part of the Canyon is very low,” said Geri Hongeva, Navajo Parks and Recreation spokeswoman. “We would like families to come visit this area someday. There’s a lot of history; there’s a lot of culture there. We don’t have the budget to reach out to 13 million viewers. This is a great opportunity for us.”But:Not everyone is as thrilled. Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, director of the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, said his biggest concern is a cultural one. The Hopi Tribe has identified the Little Colorado River Gorge as a significant clan migration route.

“The Gorge and the Canyon are not about taking lives,” he said. “They’re about life, especially the spiritual lives of our ancestral people.”

Kuwanwisiwma said when a base jumper died in the area last year due to a parachute failure, it presented a cultural burden to the Hopi people—and, he suspects, to the Navajos living nearby.

“We were told that this guy is not wanting to wear a safety harness,” Kuwanwisiwma said. “What if he does fall? It’s another cultural dilemma for the Hopi people.”Comment:  Actually, Wallenda walked a tightrope in Atlantic City in August 2012 and in Sarasota, Florida, in January 2013. Niagara Falls wasn't his last headline performance.

For more on Indians and the Grand Canyon, see Top Chefs Cook for Hualapai and Navajos Split on Grand Canyon Flights.

Below:  "Tightrope walker Nik Wallenda plans to walk across a section of the Grand Canyon held sacred by the Hopi and other tribes on June 23."

Top chefs cook for Hualapai

Top Chef: Masters Heats Up as World-Renowned Chefs Cook For the Hualapai on the Rim At Grand Canyon West

By Colin DaviauBRAVO channel’s Top Chef: Masters episode, which first aired on August 15, 2012, featured eight world-renowned chefs cooking for Hualapai Tribal Members on the Rim at Grand Canyon West. During the dramatic cooking challenge, the chefs prepared dishes using traditional Hualapai ingredients such as rabbit, quail, venison, banana yucca and prickly pear. The Hualapai and Top Chef: Masters judges were served four dishes on a banquet table just feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon creating a breathtaking backdrop to the dramatic competition.

The chefs prepared the traditional ingredients on cooking stations also just feet from the rim. “I feel quite honored to be invited by the elders of the Hualapai tribe to cook for them,” said Top Chef: Masters competitor, Clark Fraiser. “To take their traditional Native American ingredients, and perhaps elevate them to a new level, is something that we can give, as chefs, to honor them.”

Hualapai elders and youth gave their thoughts on the meals to the show’s host Curtis Stone and esteemed judges. “I used to go with my aunt, sitting right down there [pointing to the other end of the table], to drive down to the Colorado River and pick prickly pears …it’s just like I’m back in the 50’s [referring to the prickly pear dish],” said Wynona Sinyella, Hualapai Tribal Elder.

To show their appreciation after the meal, the Hualapai included the chefs in a traditional dance accompanied by the rhythmic Hualapai gourds and song. “After the service, the Hualapai dance. There’s women in beautiful outfits, there’s young people, there’s old people, it’s obviously a big thank you from them to us, which is satisfying. There’s an incredible world there [Grand Canyon West] that’s very humbling,” said Top Chef: Masters competitor, Clark Fraiser.Comment:  For more on Native cooking, see Chef Wolfman's Aboriginal Fusion, The Algonquin Martha Stewart, and Apaches in No Kitchen Required.

Navajos split on Grand Canyon flights

Navajo Nation Split On Grand Canyon Flight Restrictions

By Laurel MoralesFour months after the official public comment period ended, Grand Canyon officials are still waiting for the Navajo Nation to comment about flight noise and possible regulations to address it.

The tribe is split. A hearing will be held Wednesday in the hopes they can reach a consensus.

Navajo sheep herders have told the park that helicopter and plane noise negatively affects their livelihood. But some tribal members, including Navajo council delegate Walter Phelps, would like the tribe to be allowed to run air tours over the canyon.

"I mean, we need economic development. We need jobs," Phelps said. "Our people are in desperate need of any opportunity that can be developed."

Phelps said it’s only fair the Navajo receive the same treatment as the Hualapai Tribe on the west side of the canyon. Back in 2000, the Federal Aviation Administration conducted an economic hardship study and allowed the Hualapai to be exempt from the park's over flight restrictions.Comment:  For more on the Grand Canyon, see Skywalk Developer Sues Hualapai Tribe and Uranium Mining at Grand Canyon.

Skywalk developer sues Hualapai tribe

Las Vegas developer of Grand Canyon Skywalk sues tribal council

Lawsuit alleges tribe plans to seize attraction through eminent domain

By Steve GreenThe Las Vegas company that developed the Grand Canyon Skywalk attraction is suing the Hualapai Indian tribe's governing council, charging it wrongly plans to seize the company's interest in the glass skywalk through eminent domain proceedings.

Grand Canyon Skywalk Development LLC filed suit Wednesday in Prescott, Ariz., and is seeking a preliminary injunction to block the alleged takeover plan.And:The Skywalk has generated some $5 million in cash flow during a recent nine-month period, yet Grand Canyon Skywalk Development hasn't been paid the management fee it's owed, the lawsuit says.

"Accounting irregularities, including embezzlement by an employee of a ticket-selling affiliate of SNW (a tribal business), and discrepancies between the number of tickets redeemed at the Skywalk and those reported sold by SNW and its affiliates, remain sources of conflict between the parties," a motion for an injunction against the "taking" says.Comment:  I don't recall reading about any of the business or financial arrangements behind the Skywalk. Interesting to read about them now, but why weren't they reported before?

It's like reporting on a proposed casino, theme park, or monument. Don't just tell us how wonderful it's going to be, show us the money.

For more on the subject, see Skywalk Doesn't Disappoint Visitors and Grand Canyon vs. Grand Canyon West.

Uranium mining at Grand Canyon

Arizona approves uranium mining permits in Grand Canyon 2011

Sacred place of prayer for the well-being of the world approved for uranium mining in Arizona--as disaster reveals danger of nuclear power in Japan

By Brenda Norrell"My people have lived in the canyon since time immemorial. The canyons contain power points and vortexes. If there is tampering or pillaging, the earth will not be the same. There are places where we guard. These sacred places have to do with the weather, the wind, the sun, the celestial movements. That is why we are here protecting it," Supai Waters said.

Matthew Putesoy, vice chairman of the Havasupai Nation, said the Grand Canyon is a national treasure, inviting 5 million people every year to explore and be inspired by its beauty. "To the Havasuw 'Baaja, who have lived in the region for many hundreds of years, it is sacred. As the 'guardians of the Grand Canyon,' we strenuously object to mining for uranium here. It is a threat to the health of our environment and tribe, our tourism-based economy, and our religion."

American Indian Nations joined local residents to oppose this threat to their water and air.

However, Arizona regulators caved in to the pressure from the corporation--Denison Mines based in Toronto, Canada--and the coopted US government.Comment:  I think the mining is supposed to occur a mile or so from the Grand Canyon. In other words, it's in the Grand Canyon area, not in the Grand Canyon itself.

Nevertheless, this shows the difference between mainstream and Native values. The mainstream sees the land as something to use, whereas Natives see it as something to protect and cherish.

For more on the Grand Canyon, see Santa Visits Havasupai by Helicopter and Native Landmark at Grand Canyon.

Hualapai tourism center in Kingman

Hualapai Tribe promotes tourism, American Indian arts, crafts at Kingman visitor centerThe Hualapai Tribe now has a tourism center in Kingman.

Tribal members hosted officials from Kingman and Mohave County at the opening of the center last week.

The tribe created the center to sell tickets for its tourism ventures that include the Grand Canyon Skywalk, and to promote American Indian arts, crafts and jewelry.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Landmark at Grand Canyon and Hualapai Capital in Route 66 Guide.

Santa visits Havasupai by helicopter

Santa trades sleigh for helicopter in Ariz. visitChildren on the Havasupai reservation don't associate Santa Claus with a sleigh and flying reindeer.

They know he's coming when they hear the swooshing sounds of Marine helicopters overhead.

The Marines make sure Santa reaches even the most remote of places–a small roadless reservation that sits deep in a gorge off the Grand Canyon and the only place in the country where mail is delivered by mule train.

Dec. 15 will be the 15th year the Marines fly Santa into the canyon. The Toys for Tots program partners with a local food bank to deliver donated baskets of goods to every family and toys to every child.Comment:  Apparently the Havasupai are so remote that even Santa's sleigh can't reach them.

For more on Native Santas, see The Navajo Santa.

Native landmark at Grand Canyon

Landmark-amphitheater dedicated at Grand CanyonThe Grand Canyon Association and Grand Canyon National Park are set to dedicate a new rim-based amphitheater and landmark feature at Mather Point on the South Rim.

The landmark feature honoring Native American tribes affiliated with Grand Canyon National Park features a plaza with a meeting area for visitors walking to and from Mather Point. Stone slabs in the construction include etchings inspired by stories with input gathered from tribes.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Hualapai Capital in Route 66 Guide and Hualapai Star in IMAX Film.

Hualapai capital in Route 66 guide

Hualapai Tourism a part of interactive travel guide programThe capital of the Hualapai Nation, Peach Springs, Ariz., is located on the longest remaining portion of Historic Route 66 and has been featured in the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona’s new interactive travel guide the “Arizona Route 66 Passport.” The program encourages travelers to experience all the “Mother Road” has to offer. Visitors collect stamps from the Route 66 communities and attractions in order to learn about the area and receive rewards upon completion.

Peach Springs is a unique location on Route 66 because it is engrained with Native American culture and acts as a gateway for many of the Hualapai Tourism’s products including the only one-day Grand Canyon whitewater rafting trip, Hualapai River Runners, and Hualapai Lodge. Peach Springs is also the starting point for off-road tours, hiking, fishing and hunting permitted by the tribe. Peach Springs is two hours from the Hualapai’s Grand Canyon West, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which too is located on the reservation and included in the Passport.Comment:  For more on promoting Native tourism, see Four Corners on Geotourism Map and Chickasaw Tourism Center.

Skywalk doesn't disappoint visitors

Here's an update on the Grand Canyon Skywalk, which I've covered since it was an idea on the drawing board several years ago.

World falling for Grand Canyon Skywalk[I]f you'd totally bought into everything your intellect suggested, you might not be here at all. You'd have saved the $73 ($43.05 for the entrance fee, $29.95 for the Grand Canyon Skywalk adult ticket), you'd have avoided subjecting your vehicle to the 70-mile, 90-minute drive out from Kingman, Ariz., most of the last 12 miles on dusty-graveled or paved-but-potholed roads. Instead, you'd be back in Las Vegas winning big at the roulette table. (Or not.)And:In its fourth year, the Skywalk has become a regular attraction not just for Chinese, but for Germans, Italians, Americans from around the country. For someone visiting Las Vegas or Laughlin, Nev., it's closer than Grand Canyon National Park, and the view is nearly as spectacular, although somewhat limited in scope.

Nobody I talk to is disappointed in the experience, although I would warn not to come here with huge expectations. And I haven't even written about environmental implications, impacts to the tribal members--some of whom consider this place, Eagle Point, as sacred ground.

It's a $31 million gimmick, and judging by the crowds, at least from a financial standpoint, so far it appears to be a worthy gamble.Comment:  I wouldn't have guessed the Skywalk would be a success. A four-hour drive from Las Vegas...12 miles on dirt roads...$73 for a 15-minute experience...and no cameras. I don't think I'd go to Mt. Rushmore or the Eiffel Tower under those conditions. But clearly many people are eager, if not desperate, for a sight of the Grand Canyon.

A previous report said visitors were going away disappointed. Have things changed, or is this reporter merely putting a better spin on things? I don't know.

For an impressive video of the location, go to the official Grand Canyon Skywalk site. For more on the subject, see Skywalk Brings Honor to Hualapai? and Grand Canyon vs. Grand Canyon West.

Below:  "Connie Smith, with the Grand Canyon Skywalk in the background, wears a dress that tells the story of how her band of Hualapai Indians were forced off their land but later returned." (John Peel/Herald)

Space station in Grand Canyon?

One-of-a-kind space-station hotel proposed at Grand Canyon

By Jim SecklerAn architect presented a state-of-the-art concept Monday to the county supervisors of a space station-like resort at the Grand Canyon.

Michel Sarda submitted a conceptual plan for a resort hotel to be built in the western section of the Grand Canyon possibly in Mohave County. The resort would be built into the walls of the canyon similar to the Anasazi Native American cliff dwellings of Northern Arizona.Comment:  This project is reminiscent of the Hualapai's Skywalk. But that was on tribal land, not federal land.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say we probably shouldn't defile one of the world's wonders by carving a hotel into its side.

For more on the subject, see Grand Canyon vs. Grand Canyon West.

Hualapai to represent Grand Canyon

Hualapai Tribe named Grand Canyon’s official representative in campaignThe Hualapai Tribe, whose roots in Grand Canyon go back centuries, is the canyon’s official New7Wonders representative. The tribe is working with the nonprofit New7Wonders Foundation to support the Grand Canyon as being recognized as one of the New7Wonders of Nature.

Nominees are selected by a worldwide audience and winners are ranked via the number of votes they receive at www.new7wonders.com.

The national qualification phase of the campaign ends Dec. 31. All countries will narrow their nominees to only one location that will represent the country as of January 2009. Currently, the Grand Canyon is leading the vote in the United States and is ranked No. 33 among more than 400 sites worldwide.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Hualapai on Good Morning America and Chichén Itzá, Machu Picchu win.

Havasupai star in IMAX film

Canoes, kayaks travel Downtown Canal

Flotilla links Downtown Canal to Grand Canyon IMAX filmIt wasn't the Grand Canyon, but river guide Shana Watahomigie visited Indianapolis on Saturday anyway to try a leisurely paddle on the Downtown Canal.

Watahomigie, a member of the Havasupai tribe, spoke for waterways conservation and promoted a 3D film about the Grand Canyon debuting this weekend at the Indiana State Museum's IMAX theater.

Watahomigie and her daughter, Cree--stars in the film--led a "flotilla" of nine canoeists and kayakers on the canal.Comment:  For a look at the Downtown Canal, see Pix of My Trip to Indianapolis.

For more on the subject, see Native Documentaries and News.

Grand Canyon vs. Grand Canyon West

As popularity of Skywalk grows, so does Grand Canyon rivalryClare Cornick and Pat Pascale boarded the SweetTours charter bus from the Marriott Grand Chateau time-share just after sunrise, bound for their first peek into the Grand Canyon.

The childhood friends from New Jersey, now living on opposite coasts, opened their free breakfast packs and settled in for the three-hour drive to Grand Canyon West, the isolated, internationally known home to the new glass Skywalk.

They picked it over Grand Canyon National Park because it was less than half the distance and put them back in Las Vegas before dark. The trip to the park would have meant three more hours on the road.

"I didn't want to mess with that," said Pascale, a retired educator.

Their rationale is marketing gold to the Native Americans behind Grand Canyon West and heresy to Canyon purists at the government-run park to the east, a fixture of family vacations and outdoor adventures for decades.

In the 14 months since the Skywalk opened and tripled visitor counts at 20-year-old Grand Canyon West, the rivalry and rhetoric between the "two" canyons has widened beyond the 250 miles that separate them.

Skywalk may hurt Indians

Grand Canyon's South Rim Area Residents, Businesses Blast Bogus Promotional Efforts By Skywalk; Say Misleading Marketing, Negative Publicity Could Hurt Long-Term Regional TourismOperational problems and visitors' disappointment with the much-hyped Skywalk 240 miles west of Grand Canyon National Park has sparked national criticism from visitors and media, and is raising concerns among the canyon's South Rim area residents and businesses that the new attraction is more of a curse than a blessing for the region.

"In my 35 years I have yet to hear one person who hiked in Grand Canyon National Park, witnessed the unsurpassed view of the Canyon and the Colorado River, come away disappointed. Because they have misled people about the location of Skywalk, bad word of mouth won't just hurt the Hualapais, it will hurt all of us in northern Arizona," Vail said.

Skywalk's view is "gorgeous"

A breathtaking new view of Grand Canyon

Pass this test of nerves and be rewarded with a spectacular vistaThe cliff descended several hundred feet before it hit a narrow boulder-strewn shelf. Then it was straight down again, past a rainbow of strata, a few more chiseled ledges and into a dark crevice at the bottom.

This must be what Wile E. Coyote sees, I thought, just before gravity takes hold and he plummets into a little cartoon poof.

Far to the left, I could see ripples in the Colorado River. To the right was the triangular dip in the canyon wall that looks like the outstretched wings of a bird and gives this place its name: Eagle Point.

It was gorgeous.