NAHASDZÁÁN

Nahodzaan [MOTHER EARTH]

"There isn't a mile of navajoland that does not have much to offer the admirer of beauty and grandeur, but nothing in all that vast, lonely expanse is as interesting or as picturesque as the people themselves." Those are the words of editor raymond carlson, from our august 1950 issue. Seventy years later, his words still ring true. The navajo people are fascinating, ambitious and beautiful, and the landscape is an endless series of scenic wonders.

A rocky outcropping frames a sunrise view of Spider Rock, the defining feature of Canyon de Chelly National Monument. Photographer Mylo Fowler, who is Navajo, offers a spiritual take on this shot: “When we wake up, we pray and ask for balance with all we do. When we go into nature, we talk with her. When we go into a new area, we yell. We stretch our lungs, breathe and listen for our echo. We don't send an alarm, but tell our relatives, the wildlife and plants, ‘I am here. Do not be afraid of me. I am your protector.’”

This page: the sandstone walls of lower antelope canyon, a slot canyon near page, are bathed in red, purple and blue hues. "Being in antelope canyon is such an intimate experience," photographer phillip noll says. "It's like being embraced by the earth itself. The graceful curves and changing light and colors are breathtaking. A little later in the day, this same scene would be awash with warm orange light."

Right: in the same canyon, rocks of various sizes collect in an indentation in the sandstone. "This photo tells a story," photographer mark frank says. "The rock and debris pile is how antelope canyon was formed. I can imagine this grit being pushed through the canyon during a flood, and the erosion that it would cause."

A storm brings fog and snow to the slopes of navajo mountain, just north of arizona's border with utah, as seen from lake powell. "This image offers a first impression of a butte rising into the clouds," photographer gary ladd says. "Then comes a realization that there's a whole mountain up there, peeking out between the clouds. I especially love photographing in this area of the navajo nation; it's a complex, scenic and little-known region."

A panorama of Monument Valley displays two of its prominent rock formations, Yei Bichei (center) and the Totem Pole (right), in this Dean Hueber photograph. The valley straddles the Arizona-Utah border and is a Navajo tribal park.

Long shadows form on the Totem Pole, Yei Bichei and other Monument Valley formations at sunset. Larry Lindahl photographed this image from a plane piloted by Bill Niehues. “Each moment became unmistakably more dramatic” as the shadows grew, Lindahl says, adding that the Navajo Nation’s sandstone “reflects the rich colors of sunset in a way that makes the inanimate stone formations feel alive.”

Augmented by spring snowmelt, the muddy water of the Little Colorado River flows over Grand Falls, also known as Chocolate Falls, northeast of Flagstaff. “It’s a great reminder of the power of nature,” photographer Adam Schallau says. “As you approach the falls, what begins as white noise quickly transitions into a deafening roar that you can feel throughout your body.” AH