Grand Canyon Social Studies Tours

Tours Emphasizing History and Native Americans

This is a tour for groups or individuals that especially enjoy history and culture. We will have a thorough tour of Grand Canyon viewpoints, but our focus will be on historical information, including the history and prehistory of the Native American tribes in the region.

We will tell the story of John Hance, the first white settler of Grand Canyon, followed by a visit to the Grand Canyon graveyard where Hance is buried alongside many other pioneers. Next is an historic walk of the Grand Canyon village area, including the El Tovar Lodge and the Hopi House. Then it's down to the Navajo Reservation.

In addition to the Yavapai, Havasupai, and Hualapai, the Hopi and Navajo people to the east round out the local tribes. This tour visits their colorful country where we can speak with the people. They will address you in their native tongue, and then explain (in English) about their cultures and history. Our lunch is at the Cameron Trading Post.

A Navajo man once told Dave, to his thoughtful surprise, that the Navajo were as different from the Hopi as they are from him, a white man of European descent! So much for lumping all the Native Americans as "Indians" who are all alike--an affront to their diverse cultures.

We will visit an old hogan, the traditional house of the Navajo and still central to their culture. Then we will travel to Walpi, a Hopi pueblo and the oldest continuously occupied town in America. There are stops at native cultural centers as well as natural viewpoints along the way. We will return you to your hotel about 7:00 PM, a little later than the usual end time. Because of the extra length of this tour, it is available only from Tusayan or Grand Canyon hotels.