Cortez Cultural Centre

We are now in the Four Corners area of the Southwest in Cortez, Colorado. It’s a small friendly town, overlooked by Mesa Verde and surrounded by archaeological sites.

The Cultural Centre is small but interesting Indian Dancers, Navajo Codetalkers, singers, sand painters and musicians all perform 6 evenings a week throughout the summer.

A mural painted on the side of the building is very realistic.

Last week we saw a Lakota dancer performing the Grass Dance, the flowing ribbons on his costumer imitate the waving of the grass in the wind.

A Navajo dancer performed a Womens Southern Plains Dance, her dress is heavily beaded and weighs about 35lbs.

As these are public dances photographs are allowed.

At the end of the dancing one of the last remaining Navajo Codetalkers spoke about his experiences during WWII.

The Navajo Code was never broken by the enemy and, we were told, is even unintelligible to modern day Navajo, so the code will die with the last Codetalker.

Have fun, we are!