Constructed in 1937 by Mary Cabot Wheelwright, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian is significant for the role it has played in assembling, preserving and studying the artifacts and recordings of the Navajo religion. Mary Cabot Wheelwright (1878 to 1958), a member of the distinguished Cabot family of Boston, and Hastiin Klah (1867 to 1937), the highly respected Navajo medicine man, collaborated in collecting and preserving important aspects of Navajo religious ceremonies at a time when many of the ceremonies were in danger of being lost. The building is designed in the style of a Navajo ceremonial hogan. The interior walls have carvings, panels, sandpaintings and statuary that symbolize aspects of Navajo religion. The lower levels are open upon request and used as research facilities.

The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian is located at 704 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico (two miles SE of the Plaza). Open 10:00am to 5:00pm (Monday-Saturday); 1:00pm to 5:00pm (Sunday). Please call 505-982-4636, or visit the museum's website for further information.

Credits and Sources:

National Park Service. "Discover Our Shared Heritage American Southwest, A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary: List of Sites." http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/amsw/sitelist.htm.

Photo by Yvonne Bond