THE M A G A Z I N E - Desert Magazine of the Southwest

eached a vantage point that was excellent
for photographs.
The floor of the canyon was gloomy
and cold when I finished with my cameras.
Finding a log I sat down and watched
the deep rays of the dying sun cast flaming
highlights on tse gahwoots'onih. Further
up the canyon night was falling, and
the spruce trees that perch along the rim
made blue-black triangles against the
whiteness of the snow.
Far above me I heard Elliott and Ben
crashing down through the rocks and
brush. When they were near, I yelled.
Soon we were together hurrying out of
the canyon. There is little time between
sunset and night under the low skies of
Navajoland.
Night had set in when we reached the
car. The winter moon was a lemon-yellow
ball over Shiprock pinnacle when we
started off the mesa. While we jounced
•down the trail Elliott and I compared
notes.
The geologic formation of the redrock
•country was Navajo sandstone. Tse gahwoots'onih
was of the same formation.
Once the arch had been a part of the main
body, but after eons of wind, water, and
freezing, it had been gouged, rasped, and
cracked, eventually to become isolated
from the canyon wall. Standing 301 feet
high, we believe that it is the highest rock
arch yet known in Arizona. This is only
seven feet lower than the famous Rainbow
bridge of Utah.
Elliott and Ben had carefully searched
for inscriptions. They found none. Without
doubt, we were one of the few white
parties to visit the arch. Recognizing its
accessibility, we wondered how it could
have been so long missed as one of Arizona's
great natural wonders. The answer
soon came.
When we approached the camp of
Hadalth chadih bikiis, a figure stepped
out of the gloom into the rays of our headlights.
We stopped. When the figure came
•close, we recognized the seamed face of
the aged Navajo leader.
The old Indian looked angry. Cigarettes
were tendered as a peace offering.
Then he asked Ben where we had been.
Ben answered, "To the great rock of tse
gahwoots'onih, grandfather."
"You know that we don't allow white
men in the canyon of the perforated rock!"
snapped the old man back at Ben. "They
have always hunted some precious rock
in there. Black Horse drove them away.
Some never came out!"
Ben's laugh was weak as he answered
the old man, "These white men did no
digging, grandfather. They only looked
at tse gahwoots'onih." Then turning to Elliott,
he whispered out of the corner of
his mouth, "Drive on! We want no
trouble with him. He is one of the last of
Black Horse's band. He still could be
mean!"
Elliott started the car. As we moved
WINDOW ROCK
Winner of the Desert Magazine's Landmark
contest for June was Miss Jimmie Ellison
of Window Rock, Arizona. Since her
home is not far from the hole-in-the-rock shown in this picture, she has
been able to give a very accurate and informative story of this odd formation,
and also of the locale where it is situated. Miss Ellison's manuscript
is reprinted on this page.
rHE "Hole-in-the-Rock" pictured
in the June, 1941, edition of the
Desert Magazine is Window
Rock, Arizona, known to the Navajo Indians
as Tse gahwoots'onih, Perforated
Rock, and is the location of the Navajo
central agency. The most desirable approach
by automobile is north from Gal-
'lup, New Mexico, eight miles on U. S.
Highway 666, and then 19 miles west on
State Highway 68, graded dirt road. Other
less favorable approaches are made from
Lupton, Arizona, and Ganado, Arizona,
over fairly good dirt roads. Gallup is the
nearest railroad station.
The rock itself is in the reddish Wingate
sandstone formation of the Defiance
monocline which runs along the Arizona-
New Mexico state line. It is a Navajo site
for the Water Chant. From base to peak
the rock is approximately 150 feet high,
and the hole is 65 feet in diameter. Geologists
assert that the erosive action of
wind and water on the more loosely
By JIMMIE ELLISON
away from the old man and gathered
speed down the road, we heard him yell,
"Don't come back, white men!"
Now we know why so few whites have
seen tse gahwoots'onih, the greatest rock
arch in Arizona.
formed particles of sandstone in the center
of the rock resulted in this natural
"window." It is located on the eastern
slope of Black Creek valley, and overlooks
the rolling juniper and pirion covered
hills of the Navajo country. First
historical notice of this rock was made
by Captain John Bourke, renowned writer,
when he passed this way in 1882.
Due to its scenic location, as well as being
located in the center of the Navajo
reservation, the site was chosen for the
central agency of the Navajo Indians. It
was first called Nee-Al-neeng, meaning
"earth's center." Administrative center for
the entire Navajo tribe of 50,000 living on
16,000,000 acres of mesa and desert, the
present plant was completed in 1935. The
long building to the right in the picture is
the administration building where approximately
150 people, including Indians
from 28 tribes, are employed. The hogantype
building on the left is the Navajo
tribal council house where leading Navajo
delegates meet with interior department
officials once a year. The spire of
rock to the right of the Window Rock is
called Needle Rock. This rock acts as one
terminal of the antennae of Navajo Radio
Station KTGM which serves some 40
smaller stations at various points on the
Navajo reservation.
AUGUST, 1941 27