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 Heritage 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
8 IMAGINE l Autumn 2015
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.