People of Chaco: A Canyon and Its Culture

by Kendrick Frazier

Updated with the latest archaeological and anthropological evidence, "People of Chaco" is an essential book on the Chaco culture and ruins of northwestern New Mexico. Maps & photos.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Archaeology, Anthropology, Native American, Native Americans, Indigenous

336 pages, Paperback

First published April 5, 1986

Reviews

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frazier exaimes the life and culture of the ancient Native Americans who lived in the Chaco Canyon region in the Four Corners area of the American Southwest. Some of his cultural conclusions are based on the Hopi and Zunni peoples living in the area in modern times. It appears to be written for the non-academic researcher of Native Americans and includes numerous maps and photos.

[Eric Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a fast reader, but I galloped through this captivating 250 page book in three days.

Revealed here is the first and only time that Native Americans drove a colonial government out of power, and out of the country, and the peace that followed—before the reconquest.

This story is not taught in American history class, but should be.

In 1598 he Spanish conquered what is today New Mexico. They held it 82 years, until 1680, when the united pueblo tribes, led by the mysterous Popé, rose up and drove the Spanish out. Over time, tribal unity waned. Twelve years later the Spanish returned, reconquered, and resettled New Mexico for the long term.

The author sets out to tell both sides of this story and does, although without much cooperation from the pueblo people of today. The book is written in first person, historian first person, which drives the narrative forward and keeps suspense rising. Will the author get permission to visit the Jemez Pueblo? What about Acoma? Will Native American historians reveal secrets closely held by their people?

He partially succeeds in that mission.

The Native Americans he interviews mostly keep quiet about the revolt, as they traditionally have, but they do reveal some new information. The author makes up for this paucity of by—in part—finding new Spanish sources, that and by exploring the New Mexico landscape for new evidence. I found the author’s approach fascinating. The archelogical practices and challenges facing researchers in the Southwest are revealed in detail.

This book reads almost like a detective novel, I recommend it.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never heard of Chaco Canyon, so was surprised that the ruins of an ancient people living in the Southwest have been studied for so long. This was sort of a historical review of those studies, covering many aspects of the findings unearthed and questions and controversies that remain. The roads and massive great houses that they now believe were largely symbolic and ceremonial are akin to Machu Pichu and other ancient sites, although Chaco was over 1000 years ago. People were so in tune with nature and made such impressive attempts to express their understandings in their architecture. Impressive people!

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating and comprehensive overview of Chaco Canyon and Ancestral Puebloan civilization that happens to be very accessible to the nonspecialist reader. The author, a science writer by trade, captures the ample magic of Chacoan archeology and helpfully includes an extensive bibliography for further reading. This is an extremely informative book; but, more importantly, it provides excellent fuel for the imagination.

I didn't think this book was perfect. It is dated, both literally (updated in 2005) and in tone. There's a lot of awkward prose about attempts to understand modern Puebloan points of view with respect to Chacoan civilization (think "My Indian friend says so..." type anecdotes). I also found myself wanting more discussion of Mesa Verde and the interactions between the two centers. There are asides about Mesa Verde and other sites north of the San Juan (including intriguing mentions of Mesa Verdean occupation of Chacoan sites), but relatively little discussion, especially in comparison with the full discussions of other (worthy!) topics.

Overall though, highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in Chaco Canyon and/or Ancestral Puebloan civilization.

[Kim Dennis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the most of the first part of this book really fascinating. Many years ago I saw a documentary on Chaco Canyon and decided I wanted to go. What an amazing place! Then I decided I wanted to learn more about it. While I understand that we have no official records, making everything we "know" more guesswork, I still wanted to find out what I could about the Canyon. The first part of the book did that really well and had Frazier stopped there, I would have given the book 4 stars. (There was even a part of me that was wishing I was an archeologist and could be involved in the excavation and learning of the new information.) The last part of the book, talking about Chaco in modern times, was significantly less interesting. It read more like the lengthy minutes of a conference or summary of a scholarly journal. So and so said this, but so and so disagrees, etc. It just wasn't all that interesting to me, and it was a lot more convoluted/complicated than I have the understanding for. If that had been all the book was, I would have given it 2 or possibly even 1 star. Thus, I compromised with 3 stars.

[Dave Ciskowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frazier has crafted an engaging and well-structured overview of Chaco archaeology. I worried that the original 1986 publication date would result in dated information, but the chapters added in the 2005 edition are well-positioned to update the reader on relatively recent developments and understanding. This is a book that features the uncertainties of Chaco scholarship, and so it sacrifices simplicity and clarity for honesty. Even so, it paints a vivid if partial picture of the story of Chaco and its inhabitants, and the gaps in knowledge are presented as intriguing mysteries rather than featureless blank spots. I’m not able to evaluate the scholarship, but from a laypersons’ perspective the book is good read, and an informative overview of what we know, suspect, and wonder about Chaco.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the book may contain valuable forensic archaeological information, its title is misleading as it fails to delve into information regarding the actual culture of the Chaco people. Additionally, the presence of cultural insensitivities, such as questioning (chap 9 pg 171) why indigenous tribes prefer inhospitable lands without acknowledging the historical context of forced relocation to reservations, undermines the book's credibility and betrays a lack of understanding of the complex socio-political dynamics that shaped the lives of these communities.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is no longer the latest on Chaco Canyon archeology but it’s an excellent lay review of the conclusions and hundreds of unanswered questions about what has been revealed over decades of work at this amazing site. Recommended only for those with a strong interest in southwestern US archeology and the ancestors of today Pueblo nations. I find it endlessly fascinating.

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really great study of Chaco -- including lots of visuals!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good but dated

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read, even though the author debunked some of my favorite theories (like the idea that the people of Chaco and surrounding settlements all the way to Mesa Verde communicated with flaming watchtowers like in Lord of the Rings!) Loved the chapter on archeo-astronomy, the sun dagger, & the Crab Nebula. It made me homesick for Chaco's clear skies and dusty roads.

[Hunter McCleary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this several days before visiting Chaco Canyon. What a marvelous introduction even though it came out 30 years ago. Frazier helps flesh out what for most visitors is merely impressive masonry. These people were so much more.

[Patrick Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reads a little like fiction—even bordering on science fiction. The author has made a great stab at deciphering the great mystery around the 11th century cities built in the desert. Jared Diamond has done a much better analysis (speculation) on the collapse of this civilization but this book ventures into what the people who inhabited the site might have been like. The author writes a little like a variation on a theme. He treats the cannibalism as controversy, which by now isn’t. It’s not overly technical, rarely as dry as the landscape and interesting because it points out the ever changing constantly evolving theories (and the difficulty in writing about them). Lot so illustrations I have never seen before. Nice.

[Abby]

It took a while, but I finally got around to finishing it up. This is a good summary of Chacoan study, and I like that the author incorporates multiple (and often opposing) viewpoints. It represents an appreciation of the mystery and the questions as well as squabbling over the answers. Fairly thorough.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am learning so much and realizing how many of my ideas about the ancient cultures of the southwest are romanticized. This is a fascinating book, with lots of helpful photos, charts, and diagrams.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting overview of the Chaco Canyon archaeology site.

[Lisa]

like new

[Dreamersemporium]

very good