By Carol Davis
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, Arizona–For decades I have wanted to visit the Grand Canyon. Finally, on my 74th birthday in May, my friend Debbie and I set out (from her Las Vegas home) to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for a three-day excursion. Never in my imagination had I pictured the expanse of such beauty. Had I seen pictures of it on T.V.? Of course. But there is something to be said about standing on a rim and taking in the panoramic sight with your own eyes. It was the same kind of experience I felt, a spiritual awakening, being at Niagara Falls, and walking through the tunnels underneath and along the Kotel, (also this past spring).
How does one describe the wonder of nature, the sweeping brush strokes created by nearly 2 million years, of the gushing Colorado River, years of erosion, rock formation, land masses colliding and drifting apart, sea levels rising and falling and mountains forming and reorganizing? If you can imagine, it is 1,904 square miles of land. Or from the eastern most to western most ends of the Canyon it is 227 miles long and at its deepest it is 6000 vertical feet. The ‘average distance between the South and North Rims is between 10 and 18 miles as ‘the condor flies’.
Words do not to justice to the beauty and magnificence; photographs can only capture what the eye sees at that particular time and space. Recently I watched our local Public Broadcast KPBS special on The Grand Canyon, Grand Canyon Serenade (with music by Tchaikovsky, Brahms and Dvorak) which was presented in HD giving a ‘stunning visual portrait of the Grand Canyon region’ showing the most glorious panoramic and stunning film journey I can imagine seeing. They refer to the Grand Canyon as the beauty and spiritual nature of one of America’s crown jewels’. I would have to agree. It is breath taking.
There is another rim, one with an entirely different view and experience called the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. It’s still part of the vast expanse of the natural wonder of the Grand Canyon and it is only a two-hour drive from Las Vegas, which my daughter (visiting from Israel), friend Debbie and I visited recently. Grand Canyon West-Hualapai Nation is situated on the Hualapai Indian Reservation and is not part of the National Parks system but it has several attractions not seen at the South or North Rims. And yes, we walked the ‘Walk’. But I get ahead of myself.
We made arrangements through Best American Destinations, a company that handles tours of the Hualapai Nation. Upon arrival we were introduced to one of the most amazing gentlemen I’ve ever met. His name is Wilfred Whatoname and he was our personal guide (more like an Ambassador) throughout the day. His tour was methodical and all-inclusive, but what impressed us all, was his spirituality when he brought us to any one of the educational spots at the site and especially to the other rim with a different view.
Grand Canyon West is more than just the Sky Walk (more on that later). It is also an educational opportunity to learn. It is an adventurous exploration into the Hualapai Nation’s history and the sacred grounds upon which its visitors walk. We were first taken to the Indian Village made up of five smaller villages that were constructed by representatives of each tribe whose dwellings were on display. We walked into huts, tipis and a Navajo Hogan made of wood and mud in the shape of a circle giving it strength and symbolizing the world.
Others we saw in comparison were a Hopi building, designed to be easily built, easily disassembled and/or or expanded in a hurry. It is made of stone, mortar and clay and is used for shelter, work, storage and ceremonies. The Hualapai Wikieup is made of materials from the land such as juniper trees, earth and brush and the inside is lined with animal skins. For a nomadic people the Wikieup is a perfect shelter. It takes about three days to construct and it protects from most weather conditions.
This educational area also provides the opportunity to watch a ceremonial dance and tour the various points of interest like Guano Point that overlooks the Grand Canyon and Colorado River, and Hualapai Ranch a ‘Wild West Experience’ where you can travel back into the ‘good old days’ of horse drawn wagon rides, salon halls, Cowboy Cookin’ and experience professional shows featuring ‘gunfighters’. It’s just plain fun and a great way to end the day.
The biggest attraction however, is the Skywalk. It is a glass bridge shaped like a horseshoe, suspended 4,000 ft above the Colorado River on the edge of the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. It allows visitors to “walk beyond the canyon walls, becoming surrounded by the Grand Canyon…” Not an easy feat, this. Nor was it an easy decision for the Hualapai Nation to agree on having this structure erected on sacred land.
The Hualapai Nation in deciding on whether or not to allow the Skywalk to be built held Tribal Council meetings that went back and forth with members of the Nation finding themselves on opposite sides of the equation. Some felt the sacred ground should not be disturbed. Others believed the much-needed cash from visitors coming to the Village and Skywalk would help the small 2,000 resident reservation. After deep thought and agreeing on a balance ‘between form, function and nature’ the project began with businessman David Jin and the Hualapai Nation.
Our experience on the Skywalk was one of utter disbelief and awe, which was of course after our initial cautious and frightful first steps (when our first reaction was to look down.) We slowly walked out to the center of the Rim led by our guide who pointed us to a rock formation called Eagle Point. According to Hualapai tradition, ‘the eagle is a gift from the Great Spirit’. Legend says that a great eagle flew over the Grand Canyon and rested on the rim and never left, resulting in the Eagle Point Mountain.
Standing out on the Rim, feeling the gentle breeze and looking across at that particular site caught me in a moment of breathlessness and teary eyed. I felt a wave of calm and peace within myself that it took me by surprise. Once again our guide, who spoke in such soft tones that we strained to hear, had us stretch our hands over the top of the rail and offer a prayer or wish of healing for anyone we knew in pain. It reminded me of the mishebeirach (May one who blessed our ancestors) tapestry Temple Emanu-El in San Diego unfolds on Shabbat offering prayers to those in need of healing.
Our tour wound down with a lovely outdoor lunch that we shared with a few friendly big black birds (crows? ravens?) that were willing to snatch up crumbs some of the visitors were tossing to them. After a meal break, we each collected a small brick red rock that had been broken from some of the boulders surrounding our eating area. It had to be flat on one side, slightly rough on the other. It was washed by us and later brushed off by Wilfred who proceeded to make his ‘gift’ for us while he talked more about his family and tradition. A gift from the heart made with love from one of the most remarkable and spiritual men I have met was presented to all three of us depicting our connectedness and friendship. It was sealed with quite a bit of emotion and acceptance and we three left that space renewed and emotionally drained.
From there we headed to Hualapai Ranch where we checked out some of the replicas of buildings that one might have thought the ‘old west’ looked like back in the old western days. We checked out the small collection of animals and were ready to head back to our starting point where we began processing and digesting all that we saw and heard.
My humble thanks go out to Wilfred Whatoname and Best American Destinations for allowing us the opportunity to get in touch with nature and our sleeping spirits.
Inquiries for your tours and what best satisfies your needs can be made at bestamericandestinations.com
Adjectives cannot do justice to my educational and spiritual growth in the spring and summer of my seventy fourth year. My recommendation is if Israel isn’t on your agenda just now check out what’s in your own back yard.
And don’t wait so long before doing it.
See you for more theatre soon.
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Davis is a San Diego-based theatre critic. She may be contacted at carol.davis@sdjewishworld.com