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Support form viewers like you
makes this program possible.
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Please give to your PBS station.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
It is another world
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thriving with a hundred million
people,
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connected by elaborate roads,
bridges,
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and social networks
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spanning continents...
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(puffs)
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with some of the world's
largest cities
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aligned to the heavens.
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♪ ♪
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Native Americans create
America's first democracy
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that later inspires the
United States Constitution...
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(man chanting)
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...shape Mississippi swampland
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into the largest pyramids
on the planet.
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Carve Andean mountain slopes
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into fields that feed millions.
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They domesticate plants that
provide 60% of the food consumed
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in the world today.
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Native Americans
invent a way of life
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intimately connected to earth,
sky, water,
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and all living things.
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JIM ENOTE:
Being in the Grand Canyon
to me is
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LEIGH KUWANWISIWMA:
These ancient people were keen
observers of everything.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
At the intersection of modern
scholarship and Native knowledge
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is a new vision of America,
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and the people who built it.
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♪ ♪
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This is "Native America."
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
In a remote canyon
in New Mexico,
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more than a thousand years ago,
Native Americans build
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one of the largest cities
in North America, Chaco.
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♪ ♪
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Today, all that remains
are crumbling stone structures,
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long abandoned
and largely forgotten.
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♪ ♪
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But some Native Americans
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maintain a strong connection
to Chaco.
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KUWANWISIWMA:
We make pilgrimages to Chaco
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because it's a way of connecting
back to our ancestral places.
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NARRATOR:
Leigh Kuwanwisiwma
is a Hopi keeper of knowledge.
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(speaking Hopi)
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The Hopi are one
of the Pueblo communities,
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the most ancient peoples
living in the Southwest.
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for many of these elders.
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(Leigh speaking Hopi)
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The Hopi have never shared
this private ceremony
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outside their community.
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They offer cornmeal
and eagle feathers in gratitude.
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KUWANWISIWMA:
Today is a very important day
for all of us to be here
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among our own ancestral people.
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RONALD WADSWORTH:
Chaco is a very significant
place.
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A lot of people
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with high spiritual power
and knowledge settled there.
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It was a place where a lot
of great teachings happened.
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NARRATOR:
Through the eyes of the Hopi
and other Native peoples,
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this city is still alive.
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♪ ♪
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These ruins are ancient
skyscrapers,
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filled with hundreds of rooms...
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♪ ♪
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Their walls carefully aligned
to the sun and stars.
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(birds chirping)
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They transform
the surrounding desert
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They share secret knowledge,
prayers and practices
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about how to influence
the elements--
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wind, clouds, and rain.
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Here, a thousand years ago,
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in the desert
of the American Southwest
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was a thriving center of science
and spirituality.
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♪ ♪
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Chaco was a place
where clans came together
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to share their knowledge,
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to share the wisdom of being
caretakers of the earth.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Now, an archaeological discovery
is showing the extent
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of Chaco's influence,
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and just how far people
would travel to come here.
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Archaeologist Patti Crown
led the investigation.
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PATRICIA CROWN:
This is room 28, a small room,
but one that has been critical
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in our understanding of Chaco.
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NARRATOR:
First excavated in 1896,
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Room 28 contained
dozens of cylindrical pots.
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CROWN:
They really seemed to be
drinking vessels,
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I just wasn't sure
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what they might have been
drinking in them.
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NARRATOR:
Patti took a closer look
using forensic technology,
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and what she found
was a complete surprise...
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Chocolate.
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used in ceremonies where
it was poured between vessels,
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shaped like those
found in Chaco.
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CROWN:
The cylinder jars
are actually created in sets,
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and so one might be
placed on the ground
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and the other used
to pour from a height,
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creating this cascading
waterfall of chocolate
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with bubbles at the bottom.
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(chocolate splashing)
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NARRATOR:
Chocolate and its sacred
drinking ritual
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must have travelled
from Central America to Chaco.
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And chocolate is just one
of many sacred objects
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discovered here.
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Carved shells from the Pacific
Ocean and Gulf of Mexico.
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over a thousand miles away.
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(birds calling)
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All objects
of ritual significance
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brought from great distances.
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CROWN:
It made Chaco
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part of this very, very deep
and distant belief system.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Remains of an ancient city.
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Hopi traditions about a center
of great knowledge.
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Sacred artifacts connecting
Chaco to distant cultures.
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♪ ♪
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A new picture is emerging
of this remote ruin.
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♪ ♪
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In a world of cities teeming
with people,
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immersed in the science and
spirituality of earth and sky...
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Chaco is a metropolis
of ideas and beliefs
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that span two continents.
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(puffs)
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♪ ♪
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Where did these ideas come from?
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(waves lapping)
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The story begins far from Chaco.
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Archaeologists Anna Roosevelt
and Chris Davis
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are searching
for the earliest evidence
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of people in the Americas
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in the Amazon rainforest
of western Brazil.
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Their destination is a cave
on this mountaintop
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rising out of the jungle.
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This is the
Caverna da Pedra Pintada,
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Portuguese for the
"Cave of the Painted Rock."
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DAVIS:
That's amazing.
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There's art going from the base
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all the way up to the ceiling.
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NARRATOR:
The cave is covered
with paintings
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inspired by animals and the sky.
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In this case
there's a round object
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in the middle of the depiction
of the turtle.
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DAVIS:
Yeah, a lot of them
are very abstract.
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ROOSEVELT:
The local people,
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speculated that these
were suns or moons--
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And that might match
with the turtle,
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because also turtle myths
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were related
to the sun as well
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as a creation spirit.
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NARRATOR:
This cave in the Amazon
is rewriting the history
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of when and how
people settled the Americas,
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and who those people are.
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♪ ♪
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For decades, textbooks presented
only one view--
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around 11,000 B.C.,
during the Ice Age,
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big game hunters
cross a frozen land bridge
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from Asia into Alaska,
a region known as Beringia.
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After the ice melts,
they migrate down
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into the virgin territory
of North and South America,
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(animals growling)
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hunting mammoths, giant sloths,
and caribou,
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with finely fashioned
stone spear points.
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(birds squawking)
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The standard view is that people
reached the Amazon
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about a thousand years ago.
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But what Anna excavated
in the Cave of the Painted Rock
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changes everything.
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ROOSEVELT:
The remains we found and dated
in the cave
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show that people were living
deep in the Amazon forest
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at 13,000 years ago.
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This is some of the earliest art
in the world
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and it's definitely, so far, the
earliest art in the hemisphere.
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♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Thousands of years
before the Romans or Greeks,
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8,000 years
before the Egyptians,
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at least 13,000 years ago,
people arrive in the Amazon.
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♪ ♪
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And their stone tools
and paintings reveal
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these first Americans
are not only mammoth hunters,
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they are foragers,
fishermen, artists,
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and perhaps scientists.
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(birds chirping)
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Chris is a specialist
in archaeoastronomy,
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the study of how ancient peoples
looked at the sky.
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Because this is
an open-air site,
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maybe they were counting
something in the sky,
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and this big grid represents
something of a calendar.
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NARRATOR:
To Chris and Anna,
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these images are calculated
observations
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of the sky and nature.
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DAVIS:
What this art represents
is very sophisticated thinking.
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ROOSEVELT:
This art links people
with their environment
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through its animals, its plants,
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00:13:19,583 --> 00:13:22,125
and the heavenly bodies
of the sky.
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NARRATOR:
These paintings are the earliest
art ever found in the Americas.
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They suggest that people
13,000 years ago
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had already developed ideas
and beliefs about the world
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that centered on the sky,
caves, and nature.
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00:13:46,875 --> 00:13:51,583
But what exactly are these First
American artists trying to say?
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Part of the answer
may lie a continent away
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in an ancient ceremony performed
by the Hopi back at Chaco.
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00:14:02,750 --> 00:14:06,875
(indistinct chatter)
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KUWANWISIWMA:
The reason we do
these pilgrimages
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is to continue our connection
to places like Yupköyvi,
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00:14:20,750 --> 00:14:22,333
which is the Hopi name
for Chaco.
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00:14:22,333 --> 00:14:26,000
♪ ♪
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NARRATOR:
Built in northwest New Mexico
between 900 and 1150,
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Chaco grows to cover an area
roughly the size
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00:14:34,375 --> 00:14:36,583
of modern San Francisco.
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♪ ♪
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At its core
are 12 Great Houses.
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♪ ♪
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Five stories high,
and up to 800 rooms,
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these are the biggest buildings
in what will be
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00:14:55,750 --> 00:14:59,083
the United States
until the 1800s.
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♪ ♪
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Throughout the city
they also construct
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00:15:08,750 --> 00:15:10,875
cave-like gathering places.
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They were once covered,
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00:15:15,125 --> 00:15:18,333
but their roofs have collapsed
with time.
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where both men and women
conduct different ceremonies.
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00:15:39,250 --> 00:15:44,583
So, a kiva that is
a thousand years old
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is a very special setting
for us.
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NARRATOR:
Prayers and rituals inside
center on rainmaking, healing,
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00:15:52,625 --> 00:15:54,375
and hunting,
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00:15:54,375 --> 00:15:57,375
all to ensure
the continuation of life.
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00:15:57,875 --> 00:16:01,000
♪ ♪
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(chatter in Hopi)
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00:16:09,250 --> 00:16:13,000
Today, the Hopi are conducting
a smoking ceremony.
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00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:15,125
(chatter in Hopi)
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00:16:15,125 --> 00:16:19,250
It has been passed down
for thousands of years.
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00:16:22,500 --> 00:16:25,000
(speaking Hopi)
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00:16:27,708 --> 00:16:30,083
(lighter clicks)
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00:16:37,875 --> 00:16:41,083
(puffing)
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WADSWORTH:
Smoking is a form of prayer.
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We meditate.
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00:16:45,583 --> 00:16:49,458
We silently pray as we smoke.
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We pray for rain.
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00:16:50,750 --> 00:16:55,000
We pray for long life,
good health, abundance.
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00:17:12,750 --> 00:17:16,125
KUWANWISIWMA:
The prayers are
to the environment.
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00:17:16,125 --> 00:17:23,165
You take time to contemplate
the power around us--
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00:17:23,165 --> 00:17:25,375
(wings fluttering)
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00:17:25,375 --> 00:17:28,540
the bird world,
the reptilian world,
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00:17:28,540 --> 00:17:32,375
the animal world,
the insect world.
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00:17:34,875 --> 00:17:39,541
They are part of who we are
as Hopi people.
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00:17:40,250 --> 00:17:45,416
♪ ♪
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As the smoke carries prayers
to the winds,
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00:18:04,291 --> 00:18:07,125
Leigh sprinkles the meal
for birds and insects
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00:18:07,125 --> 00:18:10,416
to spread to all four corners
of the earth.
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00:18:10,416 --> 00:18:11,791
(bird wings flapping)
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00:18:27,916 --> 00:18:33,041
WOMAN (speaking Hopi):
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00:18:38,041 --> 00:18:43,166
(chanting in Native language)
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00:18:49,291 --> 00:18:54,666
(chanting in Native language)
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00:19:01,625 --> 00:19:06,750
WOMAN (speaking Hopi):
256
00:19:08,666 --> 00:19:12,625
♪ ♪
257
00:19:19,916 --> 00:19:22,791
NARRATOR:
Many Native American peoples
share a belief
258
00:19:22,791 --> 00:19:26,250
that they emerged
from the earth.
259
00:19:27,916 --> 00:19:32,125
Hopi and Pueblo tradition
say that place of emergence
260
00:19:32,125 --> 00:19:35,625
is beneath America's
best-known natural wonder--
261
00:19:35,625 --> 00:19:38,750
the Grand Canyon.
262
00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:46,500
Five million people visit
each year.
263
00:19:49,625 --> 00:19:52,541
They come to connect
with its natural beauty.
264
00:19:55,041 --> 00:20:00,416
But Pueblo people have
an even deeper connection.
265
00:20:00,416 --> 00:20:03,375
This is their birthplace.
266
00:20:03,375 --> 00:20:08,166
ENOTE:
When we come to a place
of water, we take the water,
267
00:20:08,166 --> 00:20:11,916
we put it on our head,
and we splash that water,
268
00:20:11,916 --> 00:20:13,666
we lift it
and throw it into the air
269
00:20:13,666 --> 00:20:19,416
in the direction of Zuni,
to encourage rain, four times,
270
00:20:19,416 --> 00:20:21,541
and then we drink the water.
271
00:20:23,166 --> 00:20:26,041
NARRATOR:
Jim Enote is an elder
of the Ashiwi,
272
00:20:26,041 --> 00:20:29,041
a Pueblo group
in what is now New Mexico,
273
00:20:29,041 --> 00:20:32,250
known as the Zuni.
274
00:20:32,250 --> 00:20:36,166
Jim is mapping ancient images
of the Zuni's origins,
275
00:20:36,166 --> 00:20:38,500
carved in stone
by his ancestors.
276
00:20:39,291 --> 00:20:42,041
FRANCESCA BOB:
Just one hefty push.
277
00:20:42,041 --> 00:20:45,166
There we go.
278
00:20:45,166 --> 00:20:46,500
Thank you, Jim.
279
00:20:46,500 --> 00:20:50,166
NARRATOR:
He is joined by river guide
Francesca Bob,
280
00:20:50,166 --> 00:20:52,041
who is part Zuni,
281
00:20:52,041 --> 00:20:55,041
and Zuni story keeper
Octavius Seowtewa.
282
00:20:55,041 --> 00:20:58,166
There's some panels up here
on both sides.
283
00:20:58,166 --> 00:21:03,375
♪ ♪
284
00:21:11,791 --> 00:21:16,750
(indistinct chatter)
285
00:21:16,750 --> 00:21:20,166
NARRATOR:
Maps show this place
separate from the Grand Canyon,
286
00:21:20,166 --> 00:21:22,125
and call it Glen Canyon.
287
00:21:22,125 --> 00:21:26,791
The Zuni just have one name
for the whole area.
288
00:21:26,791 --> 00:21:30,291
SEOWTEWA:
We call it Kuhmin A'lakkwenne.
289
00:21:30,291 --> 00:21:33,375
In Zuni that means
the place of emergence,
290
00:21:33,375 --> 00:21:37,166
the place where
the Zuni people came from.
291
00:21:37,166 --> 00:21:42,166
(birds squawking)
292
00:21:42,166 --> 00:21:46,666
BOB:
We're coming up to shore.
293
00:21:46,666 --> 00:21:50,791
(speaking Native language)
294
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:55,041
SEOWTEWA:
A lot of people call it
rock art,
295
00:21:55,041 --> 00:21:56,291
but for us it's history.
296
00:21:58,125 --> 00:22:00,541
Wow.
297
00:22:00,541 --> 00:22:02,375
SEOWTEWA:
It's a memory
of our people being here.
298
00:22:02,375 --> 00:22:05,041
It's not just a story,
but actually an experience...
299
00:22:05,041 --> 00:22:07,166
Right. Yeah.
It's like a diary.
300
00:22:07,166 --> 00:22:11,291
NARRATOR:
The petroglyph,
more than a thousand years old,
301
00:22:11,291 --> 00:22:15,291
depicts a row
of descending bighorn sheep.
302
00:22:15,291 --> 00:22:16,625
It is an ancient lesson:
303
00:22:16,625 --> 00:22:20,416
to find water,
follow the animals.
304
00:22:20,416 --> 00:22:23,666
SEOWTEWA:
You follow their tracks,
you will eventually
305
00:22:23,666 --> 00:22:25,625
find a way down
to the river.
306
00:22:25,625 --> 00:22:30,791
♪ ♪
307
00:22:30,791 --> 00:22:36,875
NARRATOR:
The Zuni want to both preserve
and share these sacred symbols.
308
00:22:36,875 --> 00:22:39,791
So Jim began hiring
native painters
309
00:22:39,791 --> 00:22:44,791
to turn Zuni history
into illustrated maps.
310
00:22:44,791 --> 00:22:47,166
We looked at these
kinds of petroglyphs
311
00:22:47,166 --> 00:22:50,416
and other kinds of images
on ceramics.
312
00:22:53,500 --> 00:22:56,666
Things that were woven
in tapestries.
313
00:22:56,666 --> 00:23:00,291
We thought about
the songs and prayers we have,
314
00:23:00,291 --> 00:23:03,291
and we decided that we can
make our own kinds of maps.
315
00:23:04,666 --> 00:23:07,791
NARRATOR:
Their maps are unlike
any others.
316
00:23:07,791 --> 00:23:10,666
Not limited by lines
or topography,
317
00:23:10,666 --> 00:23:15,666
they depict cultural landscapes
and living memories.
318
00:23:15,666 --> 00:23:18,250
ENOTE:
The Zuni maps
represent the world
319
00:23:18,250 --> 00:23:22,500
without defined boundaries.
320
00:23:22,500 --> 00:23:25,791
Many people are familiar
with geometric maps
321
00:23:25,791 --> 00:23:28,000
with streets and roads.
322
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:32,166
And then when they see Zuni
hand-painted maps,
323
00:23:32,166 --> 00:23:34,791
they realize
there is a different way
324
00:23:34,791 --> 00:23:36,250
of looking at the world.
325
00:23:40,791 --> 00:23:43,041
NARRATOR:
This different way
of looking at the world
326
00:23:43,041 --> 00:23:47,666
is shared across Native America.
327
00:23:47,666 --> 00:23:50,291
It is a reverence for place--
328
00:23:50,291 --> 00:23:57,041
Sacred caves, underground
sanctuaries, grand canyons,
329
00:23:57,041 --> 00:24:02,041
real physical connections
to earth.
330
00:24:02,041 --> 00:24:05,041
It's why many call it
Mother Earth.
331
00:24:07,125 --> 00:24:10,416
♪ ♪
332
00:24:12,291 --> 00:24:16,875
ENOTE:
Being in the Grand Canyon to me
is like a womb.
333
00:24:16,875 --> 00:24:20,875
♪ ♪
334
00:24:20,875 --> 00:24:22,875
This is the place we came from.
335
00:24:22,875 --> 00:24:26,875
So the river is like
an umbilical cord.
336
00:24:26,875 --> 00:24:28,541
It's all part of the Mother,
337
00:24:28,541 --> 00:24:30,291
and Mother is the place
where we begin.
338
00:24:30,291 --> 00:24:32,541
It's our ultimate
reference point.
339
00:24:32,541 --> 00:24:37,291
♪ ♪
340
00:24:37,291 --> 00:24:40,291
NARRATOR:
Pueblo tradition requires them
to honor Mother
341
00:24:55,916 --> 00:25:01,041
♪ ♪
342
00:25:19,750 --> 00:25:27,041
♪ ♪
343
00:25:27,041 --> 00:25:31,416
WOMAN (speaking Hopi):
344
00:25:42,375 --> 00:25:44,416
♪ ♪
345
00:25:44,416 --> 00:25:46,666
NARRATOR:
In their origin story,
346
00:25:46,666 --> 00:25:49,166
after they emerge
from the earth,
347
00:26:11,916 --> 00:26:15,166
of where they were at that
particular time and place,
348
00:26:15,166 --> 00:26:16,791
which is a spiral.
349
00:26:20,416 --> 00:26:22,916
It's about the people moving
from one place to another,
350
00:26:22,916 --> 00:26:27,791
living in some place,
testing it,
351
00:26:27,791 --> 00:26:31,541
moving on and on
352
00:26:31,541 --> 00:26:34,375
until they finally find
the right place.
353
00:26:37,625 --> 00:26:42,041
♪ ♪
354
00:26:42,041 --> 00:26:45,291
NARRATOR:
Finding the right place--
the Center Place--
355
00:26:45,291 --> 00:26:48,166
lies at the heart
of Pueblo belief.
356
00:26:50,041 --> 00:26:52,541
It is more than
a physical location.
357
00:26:52,541 --> 00:26:56,166
It is about living in balance
with the natural world.
358
00:26:59,541 --> 00:27:05,500
This search for the center place
is built right into the kivas.
359
00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:09,166
Every kiva is aligned
to the four compass directions:
360
00:27:09,166 --> 00:27:12,666
north, south, east, and west.
361
00:27:12,666 --> 00:27:15,250
That's true north,
and this one is true south.
362
00:27:15,250 --> 00:27:16,791
So the sun rises here
in the east,
363
00:27:16,791 --> 00:27:19,166
and then sets to the west there.
364
00:27:19,166 --> 00:27:25,291
NARRATOR:
There are two more
sacred directions: up and down.
365
00:27:26,666 --> 00:27:28,250
(fire crackling)
366
00:27:28,250 --> 00:27:30,166
Climbing a ladder out of a kiva
367
00:27:30,166 --> 00:27:33,291
is symbolic of emerging
into this world.
368
00:27:37,125 --> 00:27:39,666
The Hopi believe
the six directions
369
00:27:39,666 --> 00:27:42,291
give kivas great power.
370
00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:49,416
♪ ♪
371
00:27:49,416 --> 00:27:51,416
The sacred power
of six directions
372
00:27:51,416 --> 00:27:56,250
is shared by many peoples
across Native America.
373
00:27:56,250 --> 00:27:59,875
One of its purest expressions
was recently discovered
374
00:27:59,875 --> 00:28:04,625
in a man-made cave
near Mexico City.
375
00:28:04,625 --> 00:28:07,666
Here, almost 2,000 years ago,
376
00:28:07,666 --> 00:28:11,250
is the largest city
in the Americas,
377
00:28:11,250 --> 00:28:16,416
Teotihuacan, population 125,000.
378
00:28:19,041 --> 00:28:22,000
The name of its builders
is lost to history,
379
00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:24,791
but it would take more
than 1,500 years
380
00:28:24,791 --> 00:28:29,916
for a U.S. city, New York,
to surpass its population.
381
00:28:33,500 --> 00:28:37,041
Its biggest pyramid is one
of the largest in the world,
382
00:28:37,041 --> 00:28:40,500
after Egypt's Great Pyramids
of Giza.
383
00:28:42,666 --> 00:28:45,750
Yet archaeologist Sergio Gomez
is more interested
384
00:28:45,750 --> 00:28:47,875
in what lies underground,
385
00:28:47,875 --> 00:28:51,541
a previously unknown
man-made cave.
386
00:28:52,291 --> 00:28:54,041
(Sergio speaking Spanish)
387
00:28:54,041 --> 00:28:56,416
SERGIO GOMEZ (translated):
In almost every
Mesoamerican culture,
388
00:28:56,416 --> 00:29:00,666
caves have a deep significance
in cosmological thought.
389
00:29:00,666 --> 00:29:04,666
That is why this discovery
is so important.
390
00:29:04,666 --> 00:29:09,541
NARRATOR:
In 2003, a monsoon rainstorm
created a sinkhole
391
00:29:09,541 --> 00:29:13,000
near a pyramid known as the
Temple of the Feathered Serpent.
392
00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:14,666
(Sergio speaking Spanish)
393
00:29:14,666 --> 00:29:17,916
(translated):
The entrance to the tunnel
is located under the white tent,
394
00:29:17,916 --> 00:29:19,541
at a depth of 14 meters.
395
00:29:21,625 --> 00:29:24,750
NARRATOR:
Sergio was the first
to rappel down the sinkhole.
396
00:29:24,750 --> 00:29:27,541
(machine whirring)
397
00:29:27,541 --> 00:29:30,166
It led to a tunnel,
carved 2,000 years ago.
398
00:29:33,666 --> 00:29:35,166
Inside, he found artifacts
399
00:29:35,166 --> 00:29:37,500
brought here
from vast distances,
400
00:29:37,500 --> 00:29:39,750
just like at Chaco.
401
00:29:41,041 --> 00:29:47,916
(speaking Spanish)
402
00:29:53,416 --> 00:29:56,250
(translated):
This is one of the thousands
of pieces, of artifacts
403
00:29:56,250 --> 00:29:58,541
that we have discovered
in the interior of the tunnel.
404
00:29:58,541 --> 00:30:01,166
It's a representation
of the principal deity
405
00:30:01,166 --> 00:30:05,750
of both the underworld
and the celestial region.
406
00:30:05,750 --> 00:30:07,916
NARRATOR:
Sergio believes
many of the offerings
407
00:30:07,916 --> 00:30:09,916
symbolize heaven and earth,
408
00:30:09,916 --> 00:30:13,875
and are carefully positioned
in the tunnel.
409
00:30:13,875 --> 00:30:15,291
(speaking Spanish)
410
00:30:15,291 --> 00:30:17,250
(translated):
We believe that the placement
of each object
411
00:30:17,250 --> 00:30:21,375
throughout the tunnel
had a particular meaning.
412
00:30:21,375 --> 00:30:23,916
They were not just placed there
randomly.
413
00:30:26,166 --> 00:30:31,416
NARRATOR:
The tunnel ends
in a human-made cave.
414
00:30:50,416 --> 00:30:52,416
(Sergio speaking Spanish)
415
00:30:52,416 --> 00:30:55,375
GOMEZ (translated):
The entire tunnel
was originally covered in a dust
416
00:30:55,375 --> 00:30:58,541
of shiny metallic mineral.
417
00:31:01,625 --> 00:31:03,916
They covered the walls
and ceiling of the tunnel
418
00:31:03,916 --> 00:31:07,041
so it's as if you were seeing
the sky and the stars twinkling.
419
00:31:10,541 --> 00:31:15,250
NARRATOR:
In this cosmic sanctuary
of stars,
420
00:31:15,250 --> 00:31:18,416
Sergio finds two stone figures,
421
00:31:18,416 --> 00:31:21,291
statues that depict
the first man and woman
422
00:31:21,291 --> 00:31:23,666
in the city's origin story.
423
00:31:25,666 --> 00:31:29,041
Sergio laser scans the tunnel.
424
00:31:29,041 --> 00:31:32,291
It descends 50 feet underground,
425
00:31:32,291 --> 00:31:35,416
extends for 340 feet,
426
00:31:35,416 --> 00:31:37,500
and ends directly beneath
427
00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:41,541
the Pyramid of the
Feathered Serpent.
428
00:31:41,541 --> 00:31:46,041
Here, the Teotihuacanos
place the founding couple,
429
00:31:46,041 --> 00:31:51,000
within 16 inches of the exact
center of the pyramid.
430
00:31:52,500 --> 00:31:55,041
(Sergio speaking Spanish)
431
00:31:55,041 --> 00:31:57,416
(translated):
We are positioned exactly under
the intersection
432
00:31:57,416 --> 00:32:01,416
of the north-south axis
and east-west axis.
433
00:32:01,416 --> 00:32:03,666
And above us is the peak,
the central point
434
00:32:03,666 --> 00:32:07,125
of the Temple
of the Feathered Serpent.
435
00:32:07,125 --> 00:32:11,416
Right in this spot.
436
00:32:11,416 --> 00:32:14,125
They believed there was
a conduit that connected
437
00:32:14,125 --> 00:32:18,916
this region from the underworld
to the celestial region.
438
00:32:19,541 --> 00:32:21,291
♪ ♪
439
00:32:21,291 --> 00:32:23,375
NARRATOR:
The builders went
to extreme lengths
440
00:32:23,375 --> 00:32:27,291
using precise math
and masterful engineering
441
00:32:27,291 --> 00:32:31,666
to align their sanctuary
of stars to the six directions.
442
00:32:41,416 --> 00:32:45,416
represent finding balance
in the universe.
443
00:32:45,416 --> 00:32:48,250
It is a quest to find the center
444
00:32:48,250 --> 00:32:53,291
between the world below
and the one above,
445
00:32:53,291 --> 00:32:57,000
between caves and the cosmos.
446
00:33:00,666 --> 00:33:02,125
(Sergio speaking Spanish)
447
00:33:02,125 --> 00:33:04,750
GOMEZ (translated):
In the southwestern
United States,
448
00:33:04,750 --> 00:33:06,666
including Central America
and South America,
449
00:33:06,666 --> 00:33:10,166
there are a series of ideas
that form a general concept
450
00:33:10,166 --> 00:33:13,416
of the cosmos.
451
00:33:17,416 --> 00:33:20,916
I've heard and read of the ideas
the Hopi have about the cosmos
452
00:33:20,916 --> 00:33:24,041
and how the universe
was created.
453
00:33:28,541 --> 00:33:29,625
These ideas are shared
454
00:33:29,625 --> 00:33:31,791
throughout many indigenous
communities,
455
00:33:31,791 --> 00:33:35,000
including indigenous communities
in Mexico today.
456
00:33:38,500 --> 00:33:41,250
NARRATOR:
Teotihuacan is part
of something bigger
457
00:33:41,250 --> 00:33:44,416
going on across the Americas.
458
00:33:44,416 --> 00:33:49,041
The Maya, Aztec, and Inca,
all build monumental cities
459
00:33:49,041 --> 00:33:51,041
aligned to compass directions
460
00:33:51,041 --> 00:33:55,041
and with an eye to the worlds
above and below.
461
00:33:55,041 --> 00:34:00,250
♪ ♪
462
00:34:04,625 --> 00:34:07,791
And at Chaco,
the builders extend the science
463
00:34:07,791 --> 00:34:08,833
of six directions
464
00:34:08,833 --> 00:34:11,958
to apply not only to place,
465
00:34:11,958 --> 00:34:14,875
but also to time.
466
00:34:14,875 --> 00:34:18,250
WADSWORTH:
Alignment was very important
to these people at Chaco.
467
00:34:19,708 --> 00:34:22,375
It helped them to determine
the times of year,
468
00:34:22,375 --> 00:34:25,125
the cycles of their crops,
469
00:34:25,125 --> 00:34:27,083
when they plant certain seeds.
470
00:34:27,083 --> 00:34:31,000
And it also determines
the months, the moons
471
00:34:31,000 --> 00:34:32,625
when the certain ceremonies
happen.
472
00:34:32,625 --> 00:34:36,333
♪ ♪
473
00:34:36,333 --> 00:34:40,208
NARRATOR:
At the very center of Chaco,
builders create a sacred space
474
00:34:40,208 --> 00:34:45,125
to unify time and place--
Pueblo Bonito.
475
00:34:45,125 --> 00:34:49,000
(echoing chants)
476
00:34:50,625 --> 00:34:56,250
It is the largest
of the city's 12 great houses,
477
00:34:56,250 --> 00:35:00,375
with over 800 rooms
and 30 ceremonial kivas.
478
00:35:04,500 --> 00:35:06,375
We can talk about this
as a building,
479
00:35:06,375 --> 00:35:08,125
we can talk about it
as a storage unit
480
00:35:08,125 --> 00:35:09,458
and a ceremonial center.
481
00:35:09,458 --> 00:35:12,625
And we can also talk about it
as a clock.
482
00:35:14,833 --> 00:35:18,125
NARRATOR:
Park Ranger GB Cornucopia
483
00:35:18,125 --> 00:35:23,500
came to Chaco to study the stars
30 years ago and never left.
484
00:35:23,500 --> 00:35:27,000
♪ ♪
485
00:35:27,000 --> 00:35:31,708
To GB, Pueblo Bonito and the sky
are intricately linked.
486
00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:39,125
The great house is aligned
to the six directions.
487
00:35:58,083 --> 00:36:00,500
And in just a few moments
it will disappear.
488
00:36:00,500 --> 00:36:03,208
♪ ♪
489
00:36:03,208 --> 00:36:04,375
There...
490
00:36:04,375 --> 00:36:05,625
This is solar noon,
491
00:36:05,625 --> 00:36:08,875
when the sun is at
it's highest point in the sky.
492
00:36:25,125 --> 00:36:29,250
Every day, the sun sets in a
different place on the horizon.
493
00:36:31,125 --> 00:36:34,250
The solar year
starts on the winter solstice,
494
00:36:34,250 --> 00:36:37,250
when it sets in the south.
495
00:36:37,250 --> 00:36:41,375
On the summer solstice,
it sets in the north.
496
00:36:41,375 --> 00:36:45,458
The two days halfway in between
them are called equinoxes.
497
00:36:47,333 --> 00:36:49,750
And today, on the fall equinox,
498
00:36:49,750 --> 00:36:52,833
the sun lines up
with the east-west wall.
499
00:36:56,500 --> 00:36:58,375
CORNUCOPIA:
We're between the two extremes
500
00:36:58,375 --> 00:37:00,625
when it's really hot
in the summer, summer solstice,
501
00:37:00,625 --> 00:37:03,125
and when it's really cold
in the winter, winter solstice.
502
00:37:03,125 --> 00:37:04,333
We're at that midway point.
503
00:37:04,333 --> 00:37:06,875
♪ ♪
504
00:37:06,875 --> 00:37:10,083
The north wall tracks the day.
505
00:37:34,208 --> 00:37:35,750
Now most of us
have forgotten that,
506
00:37:35,750 --> 00:37:37,833
because we have devices
that represent time,
507
00:37:37,833 --> 00:37:40,000
we've got watches and calendars
and clocks.
508
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:44,583
But if you've got
good markers on your horizon,
509
00:37:44,583 --> 00:37:46,083
you can predict the seasons,
510
00:37:46,083 --> 00:37:49,375
so that you can prepare
for ceremonies, agriculture,
511
00:37:49,375 --> 00:37:51,250
all manner of things.
512
00:37:52,750 --> 00:37:57,833
NARRATOR:
The people of Chaco look to the
sky to guide their agriculture
513
00:37:57,833 --> 00:38:00,250
and their ceremonies.
514
00:38:00,250 --> 00:38:04,875
Their city is the physical
embodiment of their worldview.
515
00:38:04,875 --> 00:38:10,708
It is a way of living that is
both a scientific understanding
516
00:38:10,708 --> 00:38:13,500
of the cycles of the earth,
sun, and stars,
517
00:38:13,500 --> 00:38:18,583
and a spiritual quest
to find their place within it.
518
00:38:20,250 --> 00:38:25,375
♪ ♪
519
00:38:29,583 --> 00:38:34,000
WOMAN (speaking Hopi):
520
00:38:44,500 --> 00:38:46,875
WOMAN (speaking Hopi):
521
00:38:49,875 --> 00:38:55,125
♪ ♪
522
00:39:04,500 --> 00:39:08,000
♪ ♪
523
00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:11,208
NARRATOR:
Sky watching,
the six directions,
524
00:39:11,208 --> 00:39:14,625
and a search for people's place
in the world.
525
00:39:16,875 --> 00:39:20,083
These ideas are found
throughout the Americas.
526
00:39:23,250 --> 00:39:26,125
They are part of
a foundational belief system
527
00:39:26,125 --> 00:39:29,583
shared between distant
and diverse cultures.
528
00:39:33,875 --> 00:39:36,625
Where does this common belief
come from?
529
00:39:38,500 --> 00:39:41,875
The Chumash may have an answer.
530
00:39:41,875 --> 00:39:44,250
Their ancestors
were the first coastal settlers
531
00:39:44,250 --> 00:39:48,708
of what is now
Southern California.
532
00:39:48,708 --> 00:39:52,750
My ancestors were far better
paddlers, far better navigators,
533
00:40:02,250 --> 00:40:05,500
NARRATOR:
Today, these Chumash men
are taking to the water
534
00:40:05,500 --> 00:40:08,333
in a flat-bottomed canoe,
like that of their ancestors.
535
00:40:08,333 --> 00:40:13,625
(singing continues)
536
00:40:41,208 --> 00:40:44,708
SALAZAR:
That's when the ocean
is the calmest.
537
00:40:44,708 --> 00:40:47,583
(water lapping)
538
00:40:47,583 --> 00:40:52,208
It's so dark that you can barely
see the paddler in front of you.
539
00:40:52,208 --> 00:40:56,750
You feel your paddle
hit the water and come out.
540
00:40:56,750 --> 00:41:00,583
It's powerful.
541
00:41:00,583 --> 00:41:03,500
NARRATOR:
Far at sea,
in the dark of night,
542
00:41:03,500 --> 00:41:06,750
the Chumash look to the stars
to guide them.
543
00:41:09,750 --> 00:41:12,250
Just as their ancestors did.
544
00:41:15,500 --> 00:41:19,208
PAGALING:
At a very early stage
we saw the Milky Way
545
00:41:19,208 --> 00:41:23,000
as a way to chart our way
across the islands.
546
00:41:26,625 --> 00:41:29,500
♪ ♪
547
00:41:29,500 --> 00:41:30,833
My ancestors were masters
548
00:41:30,833 --> 00:41:36,958
at building canoes that could
travel great distances.
549
00:41:43,125 --> 00:41:46,333
NARRATOR:
Their mastery of the stars
and seafaring
550
00:41:46,333 --> 00:41:50,583
enabled the very first Americans
to move quickly down the coast
551
00:41:50,583 --> 00:41:53,000
and across the continents.
552
00:41:55,958 --> 00:41:59,583
Can the way America is settled
explain why Native Americans
553
00:41:59,583 --> 00:42:02,375
share so many core beliefs?
554
00:42:02,375 --> 00:42:04,208
♪ ♪
555
00:42:04,208 --> 00:42:08,625
New DNA evidence suggests
that all Native Americans
556
00:42:08,625 --> 00:42:10,250
are descended from one people.
557
00:42:13,125 --> 00:42:15,958
They live together
for 25,000 years,
558
00:42:15,958 --> 00:42:20,375
stuck behind a wall of ice
in an area called Beringia.
559
00:42:22,125 --> 00:42:24,750
Perhaps here,
over thousands of years,
560
00:42:24,750 --> 00:42:29,750
people observe cycles
of the earth, sun, and stars,
561
00:42:29,750 --> 00:42:31,708
and plant the seeds
for a worldview
562
00:42:31,708 --> 00:42:34,875
that will be shared
across the Americas.
563
00:42:34,875 --> 00:42:38,708
♪ ♪
564
00:42:38,708 --> 00:42:43,000
Can these ideas really have been
developed so far back in time?
565
00:42:46,750 --> 00:42:51,250
If so, they may be expressed
in the earliest art found here.
566
00:42:53,125 --> 00:42:55,750
It dates back 13,000 years
567
00:42:55,750 --> 00:42:58,958
to the very beginnings
of Native America.
568
00:43:04,625 --> 00:43:09,500
Anna Roosevelt and Chris Davis
re-examine the rock paintings
569
00:43:09,500 --> 00:43:12,708
in Brazil's Amazon rainforest.
570
00:43:12,708 --> 00:43:15,375
ROOSEVELT:
It's been assumed
571
00:43:15,375 --> 00:43:17,750
that hunting and gathering
people were primitive
572
00:43:17,750 --> 00:43:21,250
and wouldn't be into art
very much.
573
00:43:21,250 --> 00:43:27,500
But everywhere you go in this
rocky area, you find a painting.
574
00:43:28,958 --> 00:43:32,500
NARRATOR:
Chris believes the paintings
may relate to the sky.
575
00:43:32,500 --> 00:43:36,625
DAVIS:
All of the rock art
is facing the west.
576
00:43:36,625 --> 00:43:39,500
So maybe there was something
important in the west,
577
00:43:39,500 --> 00:43:40,625
maybe sunsets.
578
00:43:42,625 --> 00:43:46,125
NARRATOR:
The cliff wall extends
a half mile.
579
00:43:48,375 --> 00:43:52,583
It is covered in paintings
of animals, grids, and circles
580
00:43:52,583 --> 00:43:56,125
all the way
to its far south end.
581
00:43:57,625 --> 00:44:00,333
DAVIS:
This is the southernmost image
582
00:44:00,333 --> 00:44:02,125
of the painting sequence.
583
00:44:02,125 --> 00:44:04,625
And there's two concentric
circles--
584
00:44:04,625 --> 00:44:09,000
one above,
and another one below.
585
00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:11,125
NARRATOR:
Chris thinks these circles
could depict
586
00:44:11,125 --> 00:44:14,083
stages of the sun setting.
587
00:44:14,083 --> 00:44:16,958
And their location here
to the far south
588
00:44:36,458 --> 00:44:38,583
NARRATOR:
Chris suspects that pedestal
589
00:44:38,583 --> 00:44:42,875
represents a rocky outcrop
on the horizon.
590
00:44:42,875 --> 00:44:46,625
He has come here on the winter
solstice to see if the sun
591
00:44:46,625 --> 00:44:49,750
will line up with the platform.
592
00:44:53,208 --> 00:44:56,250
If there's a match,
we should see it today.
593
00:44:56,250 --> 00:45:01,500
(birds chirping)
594
00:45:01,500 --> 00:45:06,000
♪ ♪
595
00:45:14,458 --> 00:45:19,000
NARRATOR:
The winter solstice sun sets
behind the rocky platform,
596
00:45:19,000 --> 00:45:22,958
just as depicted
on the southern cliff face.
597
00:45:30,833 --> 00:45:35,125
What's more, art on the
northern end of the cliff
598
00:45:35,125 --> 00:45:38,625
marks the summer solstice.
599
00:45:38,625 --> 00:45:39,750
DAVIS:
At the northern end
600
00:45:39,750 --> 00:45:43,750
we have a match
with the summer solstice.
601
00:45:47,125 --> 00:45:49,125
In between,
there are images of animals,
602
00:45:49,125 --> 00:45:53,125
perhaps constellations,
and other important resources.
603
00:45:55,875 --> 00:45:59,500
They are recognizing
connections, associations,
604
00:45:59,500 --> 00:46:03,958
that when the sun is at this
particular point in the sky,
605
00:46:03,958 --> 00:46:06,208
these animals are most active,
606
00:46:06,208 --> 00:46:10,083
or these changes occur
in the environment.
607
00:46:10,083 --> 00:46:15,958
NARRATOR:
8,000 years before England's
celebrated Stonehenge,
608
00:46:15,958 --> 00:46:18,750
Native Americans
paint a cliff face
609
00:46:18,750 --> 00:46:20,375
to transform a mountain
610
00:46:20,375 --> 00:46:24,833
into a three-dimensional
solar calendar.
611
00:46:24,833 --> 00:46:29,500
It is the earliest evidence
of tracking astronomical events
612
00:46:29,500 --> 00:46:31,125
in the Americas.
613
00:46:34,625 --> 00:46:38,875
DAVIS:
They created a calendar
that you can walk through,
614
00:46:38,875 --> 00:46:43,875
a pictographic almanac that
encapsulates this landscape.
615
00:46:46,458 --> 00:46:48,625
NARRATOR:
The calendar expresses
an intimate knowledge
616
00:46:48,625 --> 00:46:50,000
of their new world.
617
00:46:50,000 --> 00:46:54,000
Caves and mountains
provide shelter,
618
00:46:54,000 --> 00:46:58,375
plants and animals teach them
lessons of survival,
619
00:46:58,375 --> 00:47:02,375
and the sky helps them find
their place in the world.
620
00:47:02,375 --> 00:47:07,125
These same foundational ideas,
shared across two continents,
621
00:47:07,125 --> 00:47:08,708
are already established
622
00:47:08,708 --> 00:47:12,333
at the very beginning
of Native America.
623
00:47:14,083 --> 00:47:16,875
DAVIS:
They were not just living
off of the land,
624
00:47:16,875 --> 00:47:18,375
they were actually
trying to figure out
625
00:47:18,375 --> 00:47:21,375
how to better place themselves
in the landscape.
626
00:47:23,000 --> 00:47:27,125
♪ ♪
627
00:47:29,833 --> 00:47:34,250
NARRATOR:
The Pueblo people
seek the same thing:
628
00:47:34,250 --> 00:47:36,250
to find their place
in the world.
629
00:47:43,208 --> 00:47:47,500
They discover it
in America's Southwest.
630
00:47:47,500 --> 00:47:51,375
WADSWORTH:
The migration stopped here
in this American Southwest.
631
00:47:54,875 --> 00:47:57,625
We came here to the center,
and this is where
632
00:47:57,625 --> 00:48:00,000
we all conduct our ceremonies,
633
00:48:00,000 --> 00:48:03,333
and to bless the world like
Maasaw instructed us to do.
634
00:48:03,333 --> 00:48:06,375
NARRATOR:
The Hopi fulfill
the covenant they made
635
00:48:06,375 --> 00:48:11,625
when they entered this world:
they find the center place.
636
00:48:12,625 --> 00:48:17,833
♪ ♪
637
00:48:17,833 --> 00:48:21,333
Along the way,
they create Chaco,
638
00:48:21,333 --> 00:48:26,208
balanced between the underworld
and the heavens,
639
00:48:26,208 --> 00:48:30,458
six directions aligned
to the cosmos.
640
00:48:32,125 --> 00:48:33,833
Chaco becomes a beacon,
641
00:48:33,833 --> 00:48:36,750
drawing people from thousands
of miles away.
642
00:48:37,958 --> 00:48:43,375
Visitors bring hallowed objects
like turquoise stones,
643
00:48:43,375 --> 00:48:45,500
tropical bird feathers,
644
00:48:45,500 --> 00:48:47,875
sea shells,
645
00:48:47,875 --> 00:48:50,000
and chocolate.
646
00:48:53,875 --> 00:48:56,875
Both cacao and scarlet macaws
are tropical species
647
00:48:56,875 --> 00:49:00,250
that were brought from a great
distance into Pueblo Bonito.
648
00:49:00,250 --> 00:49:03,958
♪ ♪
649
00:49:03,958 --> 00:49:08,000
There's no question that there
was this very large area
650
00:49:08,000 --> 00:49:12,208
of shared beliefs
in ritual activities.
651
00:49:14,375 --> 00:49:18,708
(chanting, drumming)
652
00:49:34,875 --> 00:49:37,458
NARRATOR:
Chaco was a place
where people came together
653
00:49:37,458 --> 00:49:41,250
from vast distances.
654
00:49:41,250 --> 00:49:47,000
KUWANWISIWMA:
Chaco was a culmination of many
years of learning and knowledge,
655
00:49:47,000 --> 00:49:51,250
and perfecting their ceremonies.
656
00:49:51,250 --> 00:49:53,208
NARRATOR:
People share knowledge
and beliefs
657
00:49:53,208 --> 00:49:57,875
based on thousands of years
of observing their world.
658
00:49:57,875 --> 00:50:01,375
Ceremonies to influence
the very forces of nature.
659
00:50:04,500 --> 00:50:07,500
They are still practiced today.
660
00:50:10,625 --> 00:50:14,625
In the ancient kiva at Chaco,
the Hopi elders
661
00:50:14,625 --> 00:50:18,000
conduct their smoking ceremony
to make rain.
662
00:50:18,000 --> 00:50:22,458
(puffing)
663
00:50:22,458 --> 00:50:26,000
KUWANWISIWMA:
You offer your own
private prayer,
664
00:50:26,000 --> 00:50:28,875
and you speak to the spirits
of our ancestors.
665
00:50:28,875 --> 00:50:31,083
(wings fluttering)
666
00:50:33,333 --> 00:50:38,500
You offer these prayers in hopes
they in turn bless us with rain.
667
00:50:44,208 --> 00:50:46,500
The smoke comes out
from the pipe,
668
00:50:46,500 --> 00:50:49,333
emerge to that cloud,
669
00:50:49,333 --> 00:50:52,625
make a big cloud,
670
00:50:52,625 --> 00:50:54,708
and then rain comes from that.
671
00:50:58,875 --> 00:51:02,500
The Hopi prayers for rain
are answered.
672
00:51:02,500 --> 00:51:07,708
(rainfall pattering)
673
00:51:10,875 --> 00:51:16,875
♪ ♪
674
00:51:16,875 --> 00:51:19,083
Just like Hopi tradition says,
675
00:51:19,083 --> 00:51:23,250
Chaco was a special place
to study the forces of nature.
676
00:51:26,125 --> 00:51:29,375
It grows out of a deep
connection with the earth,
677
00:51:29,375 --> 00:51:32,708
planted in time immemorial,
678
00:51:32,708 --> 00:51:36,333
developed over
tens of thousands of years,
679
00:51:39,750 --> 00:51:42,333
and shared across two continents
680
00:51:42,333 --> 00:51:45,500
by the pioneering people
who create this world.
681
00:51:48,958 --> 00:51:51,708
They are Native Americans.
682
00:51:51,708 --> 00:51:56,625
Their teachings remain
as relevant today as ever.
683
00:52:16,458 --> 00:52:18,625
reflects in the earth.
684
00:52:22,125 --> 00:52:23,625
ENOTE:
The world lives with us.
685
00:52:23,625 --> 00:52:27,500
We live with it.
686
00:52:27,500 --> 00:52:29,000
But we have to maintain it.
687
00:52:29,000 --> 00:52:32,750
We have to take care of it in
order for it to provide for us.
688
00:52:32,750 --> 00:52:34,875
(birds chirping)
689
00:52:36,958 --> 00:52:39,708
SALAZAR:
To me it's essential
to my survival
690
00:52:39,708 --> 00:52:43,125
that I am part of the earth,
I am part of the family
691
00:52:43,125 --> 00:52:47,583
of plants and animals and bugs
and birds and all the mammals.
692
00:52:47,583 --> 00:52:49,125
I'm just a part.
693
00:52:50,875 --> 00:52:55,708
ENOTE:
Deep inside the teachings
of Chaco Canyon
694
00:52:55,708 --> 00:52:57,083
resonate
and still continue today.
695
00:52:57,083 --> 00:52:58,458
♪ ♪
696
00:53:03,208 --> 00:53:06,750
Native Americans
find their place among
697
00:53:06,750 --> 00:53:10,250
earth, sea, sky,
and all living things.
698
00:53:12,250 --> 00:53:16,083
Through careful observation,
over tens of thousands of years,
699
00:53:16,083 --> 00:53:19,500
they form an intimate
relationship with their world...
700
00:53:23,583 --> 00:53:26,250
A world that continues
to this day.
701
00:53:27,625 --> 00:53:30,708
♪ ♪
51611
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