A one of a kind journey in Arizona and New Mexico.
Ancient and contemporary understandings of cultures with roots going back many millenia.

Create memories to carry home in your heart!
Circles with thoughtful interactions, stories, philosophy, inspiration, songs, traditional food meals offer a chance to share life informally with warm-hearted, sincere Native American friends and us, the respectful visitor.

Living for 6 days immersed with Native peoples who still practice their language and traditions provides a wonderful fresh sense of perspective for our own lives. Move beyond stereotypic images and come to know Indian people as real people walking in two worlds today. What values sustain them? What can we learn from their worldview?

Native American Experiential
Seminar/Tour

Hopi hostess with her granddaughter in traditional dress guiding two visitors down the old pathway from Mishongovi village.

Hopi Indian families welcome us
into their lands, hearts and ancient ways--
a rare opportunity to spend flowing time with the People.
The most traditional indigenous culture in North America,
Hopi people carry on ways with roots going back thousands of years.
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Navajo culture and peoples in the Chinle, Black Rock, Window Rock and Crown Point areas--
the core of traditonal Navajo life today. Enjoy thoughtful interactions with dynamic, adaptable peoples of the land including hogan visits and a special fire blessing, and an exciting 4th of July celebration in the Navajo Nation capitol.
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Chaco Canyon archaeological site where Puebloan culture
began an architectural and cultural rennaisance in 900 AD.
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Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico and Hawikuh ruins, fateful site of the first
Puebloan encounter with the Spanish, restored mission church with Zuni murals.
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Gallup, New Mexico, known as the "Indian Capitol of the United States," due to its close proximity
to several tribal areas and historic role with trading posts and pawn shops and as a Santa Fe Railroad stop.

Striking landscapes of Canyon de Chelly, Chuska Mountains, San Francisco Peaks
and Painted Desert and vast open spaces of Colorado Plateau

+ July 1 Sedona Explorer - Starlight Stories option

Van Journey with cross-cultural and
Native American guides, hosts and cutural leaders

Can be created at other times of the year for your small or large group

1-3 day journeys also available all year

Hopi: Holders of Ancient Tradition

Hopi are respected and known around the world as a people who dedicate their life to maintaining balance for Mother Earth and all peoples. We will visit mesas, villages and homes. Get to know people who live in both their ancient world and the American world of today. This is not just a tour, but a real and personal time with sincere, reverent and warmhearted people. You will meet people whose life revolves around the ancient Hopi traditions. They allow us to participate in their seasonal activities, go out on the land, into villages and homes. You absorb an essence, make personal connections in informal discussions on Hopi life, ceremonial cycle, importance of nature and corn and topics of concern right here and now. These direct experiences fill you with a sense of how prayer, reverence and connection to spiritual energies of nature imbues all aspects of life. Stoically maintaining traditional ways of thought, family, and religion even in the face of so much change, these mindful people are seeking ways to balance these traditions with issues they face about preservation of lands and their ancient way of life while living in the world of today. We will have meaningful discussions about our Western culture role in their life with our hosts. In past gatherings, such thoughtful interactions helped all of us feel our human bonds that cross cultural boundaries. We come as the welcomed, respectful and respected visitor and leave being part of a circle of friends fresh with inspiration for our own life. We learn of the importance of renewing life and growing corn. June and July is the Kachina ceremonial season and if available, we hope to attend a dance. We have the privilege to particpate in blessing circle lead by a medicine man (optional).	Remote even today, Hopis have dry farmed this high desert land for many centuries.
You will enjoy traditional foods, songs and dances, and a sense of community as we make a gourd rattle and mold native clay under the skilled guidance of Hopi artists. Laughter and comradeship is what happens the most when we get absorbed like children in this process of creating a beautiful instrument from native gourds (see photo to right). Something magical happens that I can't explain. Hopi artists will show you their Kachina carvings, silver overlay jewelry, baskets and pottery and discuss their symbolism and the craft of making this beautiful art. You will have the opportunity to purchase art direct from artists if you so choose at great prices.
	"Their existence always has been patterned upon the universal plan of world creation and maintenance, and their progress on the evolutionary Road of Life depends upon the unbroken observance of its laws. In turn, the purpose of their religious cermonialism is to help maintain the harmony of the universe." Frank Waters, Book of the Hopi
We will see a large ancestral rock art site in the Hopi back country (if permits are available). This intriguing petroglyph looks like a planetary map with beings coming from other worlds.

"Your journey was the highlight of our vacation, and surely the most fulfilling and spiritual experience I have ever encountered. The Hopis have touched my soul and I will always have a piece of them in my heart. I wish every person could have the opportunity to delve into their world and culture, I think it would shed light on the ability for peacefulness among mankind, and remind everyone that there is more to life than what we can obtain materialistically, The true completeness lies in the fulfillment of the spirit.....at one with nature. remembering how very small we are in this world."
Glenn, New York, August, 2001, 2-day Hopi journey

"I want to thank you for the great experience you gave us on our trip in the Hopi reservation. Our expectations were exceeded. Quickly all of us realized we had hired a very legitimate, experienced guide who knew the people well. That was one of the most important, if not the most important, considerations for us in choosing a guide, and we were glad that you were in fact an expert. It seemed the people we met enjoyed giving us something to take away beyond the basic exchange, and that was wonderful. We had nice conversations and it added significant depth to our experience of Hopi; we were participating rather than just looking in. And we saw much more than we could have without a guide. I would highly recommend Sandra as a Hopi guide to other groups. It quickly became clear that Sandra has real personal relationships with the Hopi people she knows. She was able to guide us through the reservation, and put together a program that was special and unique. The people she introduced us to were welcoming and opened up to us some things you just can't read about in a book." Jered Stoehr, Arnaud and Ann, California and Netherlands, 2007

Navajo: Hardy Peoples of the Land

Experience Navajo peoples, lands and culture in the Chinle, Crown Point and Window Rock areas--heart of the Navajo Reservation today, hear their stories and songs and feel their blessings and experience this dynamic earth-based culture with roots in ancient tradition. Learn about Navajo cosmololgy, migration to this land. --Rim views into Canyon de Chelly cliff dwelling site --Navajo weaver's hogan in the Black Rock area where she will share her craft and woman's wisdom with us --Tsaile and Dine College --Window Rock, the Navajo nation capitol, Ft. Defiance --historic trading post behind the scenes, Navajo arts --sandpainting demonstration and fire blessing

Hear the story of their Long Walk and return to their lands after the American war and incarceration at Ft. Sumner. See remains of Ft. Defiance, Arizona's first military post for the U.S. Army to patrol the entire Navajo Country. It was later used to subdue the Navajos on their homeland, and then, be slowly phased into a Navajo Agency to govern the Navajos, after their return from their 4 year ordeal at the concentration camp Ft. Sumner. Explore Window Rock area with a very knowledgeable local hostess and learn about today's government, issues and life. You will see the Navajo nation capitol buildings, code-talker monument and Window Rock. Our guide (and we hope, her daughter) will also accompany us to 4th of July celebration with rodeo, pow wow, and a great fireworks display. We will encourage you to join in on Navajo traditional song and dance. You will be surprised how at home you will feel celebrating this American holiday with familes of first American peoples. It has the feeling of our country fairs that families enjoy participating in. She will also take us for a Navajo traditional food dinner in a home. We will have discussions on lifestyles, ways of making a living, current issues such as whether to build a casino, ceremonial life, preserving culture. Gain a sense of life out on the land as we visit a hogan on the remote north rim. We will see historical and mythological murals at Dine College, the oldest Native American college in the U.S.

A Navajo spiritual leader will offer a sandpainting demonstration--he sings Navajo songs in a soft, natural way that carries us into another time. He will also do a fire blessing ceremony for us.

Our Navajo guide with Sandra Cosentino in Canyon de Chelly.

Making Navajo tortillas at a hogan

Navajo host demonstrating sandpainting

Zuni Pueblo

Chaco Culture Archaeological Site

historical mural by Fred Kabotie of Hopi pilgrimage to Zuni Salt Lake (you will view this from historic building overlooking Painted Desert)

Preliminary Outline of Itinerary
(Subject to change to take advantage of seasonal activities, the flow of Native life on the reservations, Native guide availability, weather and group interests. It will be a full schedule each day.):

Day 1
Wednesday, July 2
7 am
Leave Sedona for Zuni, New Mexico
View of Painted Desert enroute and historic Route 66 building with Hopi murals
Lunch in a Zuni home
Visit ruins of Hawikuh and historic mission church with Zuni guide

Visit historic trading post behind the scenes and to see collections of Native American arts and learn about the role of pawnshops in Indian reservation life historically and today.

Gallup, New Mexico for overnight at an historic inn
dinner on own

Day 2
Thursday, July 3
9 am- 7 pm
Behind the scenes visit to historic trading company in downtown Gallup, the heart of the pawnshops/trading companies on old Route 66.

Drive to remote Chaco Culture National Historic Park across vast Navajo lands with stop in Crown Point, a Navajo agency town, to pick up lunch. See prehistoric pueblo sites dating back to 900 A.D.

5 - 8 pm

Drive to Window Rock, Navajo Nation capitol for overnight on reservation byways
dinner on own

Day 3, July 4
Breakfast included
9 am – noon
Window Rock tour, see Navajo legislative buildings, code talker memorial, visit a sheep rancher, arts fair
Native foods lunch on own

Afternoon and evening:
4th of July celebration, pow wow, rodeo with a wild horse race, fair, big fireworks display
Participate in traditional Navajo song and dance
Overnight Window Rock

Day 4
Sat., July 5
Breakfast included
10 am - 4 pm
Drive to Black Rock/Tsaile areas, Arizona

Dine College, oldest Native American college in US, see creation murals
Black Rock backcountry area hogan visit for:
Weaving demonstration and talk on women's role in Navajo life

Overview of the largest prehistoric puebloan cliff dwelling in Canyon de Chelly
option to take a canyon hike on a very scenic well-graded red cliff trail

4 - 8 pm
Sandpainting and fire blessing circle with Navajo spiritual leader
Hogan visit and Navajo cook out dinner with songs, cultural sharing


8 - 9:30 pm
Drive to Hopi for overnight

Day 5
Sunday, July 6
8 am
Hopi blue corn pancake breakfast in a home (included)
Circle of sharing with native clay, other cultural aspects
9:30 am - 5 pm
Visit villages lst and 2nd Mesa area villages
View Ceremonial dances if available (which is very likely on this weekend)

Dinner (included) in Hopi home and campfire circle with songs
Gourd rattle making
Hopi arts demonstrations with clay and Kachina carving

Overnight Hopi

Day 6
Monday, July 7

afternoon we travel to 3rd Mesa areas:
Oraibi--oldest continuously occuplied village in North America
Bacavi--home visit with piki bread making
Hotevila--spring fed terrace gardens, plaza area
Hopi backcountry: large rock art site (if permit is available)

late afternoon and evening:
visit cornfield
special blessing circle
Hopi dinner in a home (included)
6:30 - 8:30  pm
Return to Sedona with Painted Desert views and stop at historic trading post

Sunset Sedona Explorer--Starlight Stories
July 1, 5 - 9 pm, $95 each (pre-trip option ).

Red cliff faces come alive as we explore the plants, animals, geology, Native and metaphysical legends and the unique qualities that have made Sedona place of inspiration since prehistoric times. See "vortex" sites, take a walk at one of them, discuss many perspectives of sacred land. We sit in circle under the stars as our guide Sandra shares stories/perspectictives of the ancestral peoples of this land. Depending on group interest, could include drumming and a medicine animal journey.

Registration Details:

Pre-trip option:
Sedona Explorer and starlight circle, 5 - 9 pm, $95 each.

Please note:
Lodging in Sedona the night before the trip and on last night of trip are not included in program

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6 -day Hopi and Navajo journey/seminar
$1,600 each
Included: full 6 day program, lodging for 5 nights (double occupancy) excluding Sedona , transportation, guides, entry fees (sweatlodge, Sedona Explorer, Hopi massage, rodeo & pow wow 4th of July are all optional and not included), meals listed (Hopi--2 dinners and 1 breakfast, 1 Zuni feast, 1 Navajo dinner, 2 breakfasts Window Rock), reference booklet, rattle making supplies, program planning and coordination.

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2 day Hopi or 2-day Navajo portions only--will have to provide your own transportation. $575 each.
Hopi 2-day includes program for days 5 and 6, 2 night's lodging double occupancy (you would drive up and join us evening of July 5), reference booklet, rattle supplies, 2 Hopi dinners and 1 breakfast massage, optional, not included).

Navajo portion includes 2 nights lodging double occupancy, July 3 and 4, programs from evening of July 3 - 5. You provide your own transportation. Navajo dinner and 2 breakfasts in Window Rock, guides included (concert and pow wow 4th of July optional and not included).

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4 day Navajo, Zuni, Chaco portion only --will have to provide your own transportation as you will leave program after Chinle:
Included: 4 day program, lodging (double occupancy) for 3 nights (Gallup and Window Rock) excluding Sedona (double occupancy), transportation, guides, entry fees (concert and pow wow 4th of July optional and not included), meals listed (1 Zuni feast, 1 Navajo dinner, 2 breakfasts Window Rock), reference booklet, program planning and coordination.
$1,000 each

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To reserve your space:
Please send payment to Sandra Cosentino, PO Box 3288, Sedona, AZ, 86340 (refundable or transferable less $100 office fee with 60 days or more notice). Balance due by May 1, 2008 (non-refundable). In case you want to prepare for a last minute change of your plans, you might want to purchase trip cancellation insurance.