Indian Homeland

When traveling in the western United States, you will inadvertently step into the homeland of the Indians.

Antelope Canyon, located in northern Arizona, looks like an endless desert from a distance, barren, desolate and quiet. If it weren't for a row of simple wooden houses with a few Indian tribal flags on the roofs, people wouldn't have thought that this was the famous Antelope Canyon. Following the guide of a little Indian girl, I walked nearly a kilometer on the yellow sand under my feet, and came to a "rock crevice". I followed the entrance and climbed the metal ladder into the cave, which was winding and twisting, rising and falling. Suddenly, it was like an instant, and a dazzling beauty appeared before my eyes: the rocks in the cave seemed to come alive all of a sudden under the flickering light, and they were ever-changing, whether they were people or birds, clouds or fire. . The colorful caves are filled with unpredictable light strips, light spots, light and shadows, sometimes warm pink, sometimes bright yellow, sometimes bright blue, sometimes purple-black... The little Indian girl leads the way and points at the same time. This area looks like our tribe. The leader. Stopping and looking carefully, you can see the huge head and the feather-filled hat, which are lifelike. Look, does that look like an eagle? Looking along the guide's hand, there was indeed an eagle perched on the top of the rock, raising its head to meet the sunlight shining down from the narrow rock crevice.

The accurate name of Antelope Canyon is Antelope Canyon. The canyon is made of red sandstone, and the entire canyon belongs to the Indian Reserve. After millions of years of wind erosion and rain erosion, the underground rocks have been given mythical shapes by the carving knife of nature. Coupled with the changes in light and shade, the underground canyon has transformed into a magical and magnificent "underground paradise". In the beginning, it is no longer known who was the first to knock on the narrow door of heaven. People can always see the cute antelopes jumping up and down at the mouth of the cave, hence the name Antelope Canyon. The leaping antelopes and colorful caves are very dynamic and poetic. The Indians who once lived with the antelopes are now the direct beneficiaries of the Antelope Canyon. The tickets and guide tips from tourists from all over the world, as well as the "shooting fees" specially charged for photography enthusiasts, are the main source of income for the local Indians. source of income. As for the fact that tourists must be led by Indian tour guides, it originated from an accident. In 1997, twelve tourists entered the cave on their own "self-help" and encountered a sudden flash flood. The rapid flood rushed through the canyon. Only one of the twelve tourists who were unfamiliar with the terrain survived, and the rest were killed. After this difficulty, all the tour guides who brought groups here were laid off immediately and handed over directly to the Indian tour guides.

Southwest Utah, which borders Arizona, was once the habitat of Indians. Nowadays, Bryce Canyon runs east-west here, with mainly red, orange, and white sedimentary rocks, showing another uncanny workmanship of nature. Entering from the entrance of the Utah National Park, walking down the tourist trail, you feel as if you have entered a mysterious palace of huge natural stone figurines: the steps extend directly to the palace gate; the pillars in front of the steps are clearly visible , the palaces are stacked one upon another, arranged into a continuous palace; further away, patches of stone forest, stone pillars, and stalagmites embellish a mirage-like fairyland on earth. Such a place was once a place where Indians hunted and gathered wild fruits. Surrounded by such scenery, one cannot help but lament God's favor for Utah - there is an "underground paradise" in Arizona, and there is an "above-ground palace" here. Two states next to each other, two beautiful views, a pair of twin walls.

Going north along Utah is Wyoming in the western United States. The terrain of Wyoming was originally flat. About 50 million years ago, the underground lava suddenly erupted and cooled suddenly. A giant columnar basalt mountain rose from the ground, standing on the endless grassland. This giant peak, regarded as a sacred mountain by the Indians, is called Devil's Peak. Every June, the surrounding Indians gather in front of the mountain to hold a grand ceremony and pray that the sacred mountain will protect the health of the tribe. Walking upwards on gravel of different sizes, I found that Devil's Peak seemed to be wrapped in a large bundle of huge stone strips. The spaces between the strips were as neat as a knife and an axe. During the season suitable for outdoor sports every year, Devil's Peak has become a favorite among rock climbing enthusiasts.

In the process of the United States developing the West, almost all the way was accompanied by fierce conflicts with the indigenous Indians. This land has had vast and vast pastoral songs, and has also echoed with the cries of warriors and horses. Further northeast from Wyoming, there are two mountain sculptures in the Black Hills area of ??southwest South Dakota. One is "The President's Rock" in Mount Rushmore National Park, and the other is "Crazy Horse". In 1939, when the "President Mountain Monolith" was about to be completed, the local Indian tribal chief wrote a letter to the sculptor of "President Mountain", imploring him to help them build a monument of their own in their homeland, the Black Mountain area. My own mountain sculpture. "My partners and I want white people to know that we Indians also have great heroes." The hero mentioned in the tribal chief's letter was "Crazy Horse" who was born in the Sioux tribe of Indians in the Black Hills. He led tribal armed forces to successfully resist white invasions many times and became a famous leader of the resistance movement. Later, he was captured by white people and was only 35 years old when he died. The sculptor who carved "President Mountain" accepted the invitation of the Indian chief and began carving the mountain in 1948. Thirty-six years have passed, and the sculptor left his unfinished business to his wife and children.

Another fourteen years later, the sculptor's wife and sons finally completed the head sculpture of "Crazy Horse" - the head is 27 meters high, far exceeding the height of the "President Mountain" head. During this period, the Indians refused funding from the U.S. government and insisted that all carving expenses come from private funding and the $10 ticket revenue from the scenic spot. Therefore, until now, "Crazy Horse" is still in a state of carving, and it may take another fifty years to complete it.

Close to the Indian souvenir shop in the "Crazy Horse Boulder" scenic spot, there is a viewing platform where a model of the completed Crazy Horse statue is placed - "Crazy Horse" is topless, straddling the On the galloping horse, his left arm is stretched forward and his eyes are bright. The flowing long hair swept back with the galloping horse, reminding people of the boulders on Devil's Peak.

Going all the way west, crossing the four states, and enjoying the magical beauty of nature, even though it is just a glimpse, it also allows us to feel the past and present of the Indian homeland.