Home Care In Monument Valley, UT

By Kianna Joe | Oct 12, 2023 | News |

MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah – Out of respect for the solar eclipse on Saturday there will not be a Navajo park employee in sight from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Monument Valley.

Louise Tsinijinnie, the media representative for Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation, said the park’s closure is due to Diné tradition.

“There was no decision-making. It was an immediate decision. Like this is what we’re going to do at this time; we’re going to remain in reverence with it,” said Tsinijinnie.

Jóhonaa’éí daazts??

The decision to close the park wasn’t hard to figure out because it’s a traditional Diné belief taught throughout the Navajo Nation and something Tsinijinnie said she and other Navajo employees were raised on. “We are following what we know,” she said.

Tsinijinnie said as she was raised, she was taught to be respectful during a solar eclipse. She was taught that the eclipse is not for viewing nor something for Diné to see. The eclipse is a powerful astronomical event that shouldn’t be viewed out of respect.

Tsinijinnie was taught that the time of the eclipse is a rebirth and a revival of living things on Mother Earth, Nahasdzáán and that it’s not a negative or wrong thing to not look at the eclipse. It’s a positive event taking place.

Tsinijinnie said others may believe it’s bad because Navajos don’t look at the eclipse. But she wants to restate that belief because Navajos don’t think it’s bad. They want to respect the event.

‘Aa hasti’

Tsinijinnie said so far, the park visitors have understood the closure and know that they can go elsewhere to view the solar eclipse.

Monument Valley Park will be closed during the solar eclipse, as will all Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation locations. The employees will also be inside their offices or buildings to avoid seeing the eclipse.

The closure of the park during solar eclipses is not new. Tsinijinnie said the park has always respected traditional beliefs like not viewing the eclipses.

“All of our locations are on the Navajo Nation. Being a sovereign entity, we can create our own laws and practices,” said Tsinijinnie.

Those laws and practices include traditional customs and teachings. So far, Tsinijinnie said there has not been any backlash but more acknowledgment that the Navajo Nation park services staff will stay true to who they are first: Navajo.

“I wouldn’t look at it as a negative thing. I’m looking at it as positive,” said Tsinijinnie.

The solar eclipse is such a sacred moment to Diné. Tsinijinnie said she was taught Navajos aren’t supposed to look at it. She’s shocked when she hears others say they will buy glasses or telescopes to look at it.

Six years ago, when a solar eclipse took place in the afternoon, Tsinijinnie recalled an elder who told her he was feeling the side effects of being outside during the eclipse.

“I was like, ‘What? How do you know it’s from the eclipse?’ And he said, ‘It’s because my skin is hot, it feels hot,’ and I was just like, ‘Wow, this is definitely something you need to be in reverence about,’” said Tsinijinnie.

Beliefs, teachings

Like many Diné, Tsinijinnie said she learned these beliefs from her parents and grandparents, but other families may have learned other things, and it’s not all the same way of practicing the observance.

While Monument Valley Park will be closed during the eclipse, Gouldings Monument Valley Lodge is advertising “deluxe” and air flight tours to view the “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity firsthand.

After eight telephone calls to Gouldings Lodge, there was still no comment provided by the lodge.

Despite efforts by outsiders and their organizations to profit off an event like the solar eclipse, traditions remain strong among Diné.

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MONUMENT VALLEY, Utah — Many residents of northern Utah will flock to the southern part of the state, just to catch the solar eclipse Saturday morning. Others will stay indoors, honoring centuries of tradition.

For generations and generations, Diné people have been honoring their connection to nature during solar eclipses, according to Angelo Baca, the cultural resources coordinator for Utah Diné Bikéyah.

“We actually have been doing this before America was America, and we'll keep doing it long after this moment,” he said.

Baca says they stay inside every year, not looking at the sky out of respect. For that reason, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park will be closed on Saturday, despite being in the path of the eclipse.

“The solar eclipse is an indication of how the celestial beings and bodies that are beyond us in this world give us a sense of how small we are and how humble we should be as human beings,” said Baca.

Bears Ears National Monument will be open and is expecting up to 20,000 visitors, said Semira Crank, the program director of Visit With Respect.

“We would like visitors to be cautious about where they're going, including not dispersed camping on tribal nations, just because it's illegal, and to be mindful about parking on dirt roads because those dirt roads actually lead to someone's property,” she said.

While on public lands, Cranks says visitors should remember they are treading on sacred ground.

“We don't want visitors to put their fingertips on rock imagery because the oils on our fingers can cause it to degrade over time,” she said.

Even if your head is turned to the sky Saturday, Baca asks Utahns to respect what’s beneath our feet.

“People will spend a lot of money,” he said. “They'll travel, they'll trample plants and beautiful ecological landscapes and areas that they probably shouldn't be milling around in and even risk hurting their own eyes and their own bodies and trying to look at this thing that they consider to be beauty. But the beauty has always been there.”

Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Updated on September 30 to confirm the closure of Four Corners Navajo Tribal Park on the morning of October 14.

Will Monument Valley be open for the “ring of fire” solar eclipse on Oct. 14? No—the iconic destination within the Navajo Nation on the Arizona-Utah border will be closed for five hours over the “ring of fire” annular solar eclipse, it has been confirmed. Other parts of the Navajo Nation will also be closed during the event.

A public notice dated Friday, Sept, 15 is now displayed on the website of the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park that reads:

“Please Be Advised the Navajo Tribal Parks will be in observance of the Eclipse on October 14, 2023 in regards to cultural beliefs during the eclipse. Navajo Tribal Parks will be Closed from 8:00 am and will reopen at 1:00 pm.”

That includes both Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and the Four Corners Navajo Tribal Park.

Monument Valley Tribal Park is part of the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah. There are around 400,000 tribal members.

In an email from Navajo Nation Parks a spokesperson also confirmed that the management office at the Tséyi’ Diné Heritage Area-Cottonwood Campground (TDHA-CC) within Canyon de Chelly National Monument will also be closed between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Navajo Cultural Beliefs

In Navajo culture, the event is called jóhonaa'éí daazts?? (“the sun is dead”) and sees the rebirth of the sun after the event. Many Navajo people will be inside fasting and praying. Expect local businesses to be closed and follow the Visit With Respect guidelines.

The letter from Adeline Tohannie, Park Manager at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, goes on to say that the 17-mile scenic drive and park will be closed, with a few staff who are willing to work observing and enforcing park closure.

Home to iconic sandstone “mittens,” the solar eclipse will occur between 9:10 a.m. MDT and 12:01 p.m. MDT on Oct. 14, with the “ring of fire” visible from the area for 4 minutes 16 seconds at 10:29 am MDT, according to Timeanddate.com. Solar eclipse glasses must be used to observe the entire event.

Scenic Locations

Monument Valley Tribal Park is one of dozens of scenic locations in the Four Corners region—where Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico meet—in the narrow 125 miles wide path from where the “ring of fire” will be visible. The path stretches from Oregon through Texas, though most Americans will see a partial solar eclipse.

Nearby Goulding’s Lodge will be open and have glasses on sale for both lodge guests and visitors. Another location close to Monument Valley Tribal Park that will definitely be open for the eclipse includes Goosenecks State Park, which will be staging a Ring of Fire Fest event ($5) with telescopes, solar binoculars, food booths and some free solar eclipse glasses.

Note: when visiting backcountry locations expect facilities and resources to be few. Be prepared and bring everything you need—a full tank of fuel, food, cash, toilet paper, ice—because it may not be available in your location. Also, in this high elevation region it’s wise to wear sunscreen and drink a lot of water—dehydration is a constant risk.

I’m an expert on eclipses—the editor of WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com and author of The Complete Guide To The Great North American Eclipse of April 8, 2024. For the very latest on the “ring of fire” solar eclipse—including travel and lodging options—check my main feed for new articles each day.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

MONUMENT VALLEY, Navajo Nation — As many southern Utahns and tourists prepare to flock to the great outdoors to view a solar eclipse in October, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park and other parts of the Navajo Nation will largely be shuttered.

Monument Valley and the 17-mile scenic drive through the park will be closed for a minimum of five hours (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.) on Oct. 14, during the annular eclipse. Park management made the decision to respect traditional Navajo beliefs and practices surrounding eclipses.

"There are a few staff who are willing to working during this time. They will be observing and enforcing park closure," Park Manager Adeline Tohannie said in a public memo. "Tour operators, if you have booked a tour for that day, you may continue with your tour. However, there is no booking in the parking lot during the time the park is closed. Park staff will not let anyone enter the park during the closure. We have received many calls letting callers know the park is closed during the eclipse."

Traditionally, Diné people have passed lunar and solar eclipses by staying inside, praying, fasting and avoiding looking at the sun; sleeping, brushing one's hair or washing themselves. Those who don't observe the practices are said by tradition to experience eye problems, sunburns, rashes, digestive problems, migraines and, for pregnant women, prenatal problems. The end of an eclipse is marked by meals and offerings of corn pollen, which symbolizes renewal and rejuvenation.

"During the eclipse, we must be in full prayer and reverence. Prayers must be focused on the concept of the sun or moon going through an ending, and we are to pray about the ending of bad or evil, or the ending of phases of life," the Institute for Diné Culture, Philosophy and Government said in a statement. "In addition, our prayers must be focused on the birth and renewal that will arrive when the eclipse ends. Moreover, prayers must be about a better future.

"Most of the time, we pray for and about ourselves and loved ones. It is advocated that prayers during an eclipse must mostly be about this creation: the ending, renewal and the future of this creation and the divine presence. If we know the songs for use during eclipses, those songs can be sung at that time."

In Diné teachings, the sun, referred to as Jóhonaa'éí, is the most powerful deity and controls and regulates the universe. Meanwhile, the moon, or T?'éhonaa'éí, is the sun's female pair who regulates the earth. Many Navajos believe both a birth and death take place during the eclipse.

"The sun is vested with the concept of and in control of death (anoonéé?), and the moon is vested with and in control of birthing (oochíí?). When a solar or lunar eclipse occurs, it is believed that a death occurs," the institute said. "A death is a very sacred occurrence. There are certain necessary protocols, but most important is the strict and comprehensive reverence in observing the occurrence of death (yéego dílzin dóó hodílzin)."

The Institute for Diné Culture, Philosophy and Government said it is also believed the sun and moon are mating during an eclipse. The product of that intimate act is a birth or renewal and realignment of all of creation.

"Due to the very sacredness of death and birth, the reverence required to be shown during an eclipse is very strict and comprehensive (ts'ídá yéego hodílzin). There is only one way to be reverent during an eclipse. No shortcuts exist. We cannot simply smudge ashes or corn pollen upon ourselves and exit our homes and carry on as if it is just another day," the institute stated. "The Diné Institute is merely sharing our sacred and still relevant cultural teachings. An individual always has a choice to observe or not to observe the eclipse."

The Diné Institute's full statement can be read on Smithsonian Magazine's website.

The Navajo Nation has taken drastic steps to fight COVID-19, which has already taken more than 250 tribal members’ lives. Hotels on the Navajo Nation are only allowed to house essential workers, and the Nation’s president, Jonathan Nez, has also asked tourists to stay away.

That’s why Sheena Cly Wahid was surprised to see an advertisement on Facebook for a hotel in Monument Valley called Goulding’s Lodge. The post encouraged people to visit the lodge for Memorial Day Weekend, while the rest of the reservation was on lockdown due to a 57-hour curfew. (The weekend curfews were in place for eight weeks before Nez lifted them on Wednesday.)

“We’re living in a time, especially on the reservation, where they’re in a state of emergency,” Wahid said. “So generally people don’t want tourism happening right now.”

Wahid lives in Phoenix but grew up in Monument Valley where she still has family, including an uncle who passed away last month due to COVID-19. She posted her concerns on Facebook, and the post drew over 80 comments — many from community members who agreed that the hotel should not be operating at this time.

“To be advertising ‘Come have fun, have adventures,’ when people are dying around here, my family members and friends, they’re not taking [our safety] into consideration,” said Dawnae Ashkii, who lives in Monument Valley and saw Wahid’s post.

But the hotel is located on private property surrounded by the Navajo Nation, so it doesn’t have to abide by the Nation’s laws. Instead, it’s under the jurisdiction of San Juan County, which is in the yellow, low-risk phase of Utah’s reopening plan. Under the yellow phase, businesses can fully reopen if they follow recommended measures.

But there are 47 active COVID-19 cases in Monument Valley right now. That’s 40 times higher than the rate of the state.

“It’s tough having overlapping jurisdictions,” said San Juan Health director Kirk Benge. He added that San Juan County is responsible for inspecting Goulding’s restaurant and has set operating guidelines for businesses in the county, which Goulding’s agreed to follow. But he doesn’t know if San Juan County could force the hotel to close, nor does he think they should have to.

“The reality is Goulding’s has always been a very good partner in working to protect public health,” he said.

But the head of the local government, Oljato Chapter President James Adakai, has said the business should comply with the Navajo Nation’s health orders, which would only allow Goulding’s to house essential workers.

“Goulding’s needs to comply with the [Navajo Nation] executive orders and public health orders,” Adakai wrote on Facebook. “Weekend lockdown, weekly curfew 8 p.m.-5 a.m., halting tour operations, social distancing, disinfecting stores, restaurants at the curb.”

Gov. Gary Herbert also weighed in on the issue of San Juan County’s overlapping jurisdictions in a press conference last week.

“We would strongly encourage any Utahns that live close to the border or on the reservation to follow all the tribal health directives,” Herbert said, adding “if you’re on the Navajo Nation lands you need to follow their directives, not the Utah directives, which could be different.”

While Goulding’s is not fully following the Navajo Nation’s guidelines, the lodge is taking more precautions than are required by the state of Utah, according to marketing director Monica Lafont.

She said the hotel is working with the Navajo Nation Department of Public Health and has decided to keep doing take-out only at its restaurant, despite the fact that they could do dine-in service under Utah’s guidelines. The hotel is also resting rooms for at least 24 hours between guests in an effort to keep them safe.

“We’ve spent hundreds of dollars on chemicals and [personal protective equipment] to keep people safe,” Lafont said. “So when everyone wants to yell at us it’s like, ‘You don’t know the whole story.’”

Community members, including Ashkii, have also raised concerns over a KOA campground and RV park located a few miles north of Goulding’s. On Monday, there were at least six RVs at the park, and staff and guests in the gift shop weren’t wearing masks. Partial-owner David Laws declined to comment on which guidelines his business is following.

Kate Groetzinger is a Report for America corps member who reports from KUER's Southeast Bureau in San Juan County. Follow Kate on Twitter @kgroetzi