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All the United States Arizona Flagstaff Wupatki Spirit Totem

Wupatki Spirit Totem

A mysterious spirit totem at the edge of Navajo lands.

Flagstaff, Arizona

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Charles
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  cameron73 / Atlas Obscura User
Wayward Souls   DannyBoy / Atlas Obscura User
Offerings of coins and turquoise given in a carved out slot in the upper totem.   willandbeyond / Atlas Obscura User
Wupatki Spirit Totem through the fence   escapechaos / Atlas Obscura User
Wupatki Spirit Totem at sunrise   escapechaos / Atlas Obscura User
Seek the blessing of the spirits   chcorson / Atlas Obscura User
The mysterious Wupatki Spirit Totem.   mikeburnham3 / Atlas Obscura User
The Totem is right next to US HWY 89.   mikeburnham3 / Atlas Obscura User
Another face of the Totem.   mikeburnham3 / Atlas Obscura User
The tallest face of the Totem with the offering box cut out in the neck of the Totem.   mikeburnham3 / Atlas Obscura User
  Pheeohnuh / Atlas Obscura User
  wisemand / Atlas Obscura User
  wisemand / Atlas Obscura User
One of the faces of the Totem.   mikeburnham3 / Atlas Obscura User
  marvindejean / Atlas Obscura User
  dawneegirl4ever / Atlas Obscura User
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About

No one seems to know the origin of the spirit totem nor exactly how long it's been present on "Deadman Flats" and the edge of Navajo lands. Locals will tell you the totem has been around "a very long time" or "for as long as I remember." 

Wupatki National Monument, a place of ancient pueblos, is just east of the totem, as is the Navajo sacred place, Chezzhin Deez'd, Black Point or Black-Rock Point, an ancient basalt lava flow where the founders of the Western Water Clans journeyed eastward from the point of their creation on the shore of the Pacific Ocean, crossed the Little Colorado on their way from the San Francisco Peaks.

Travelers often leave gifts and tokens in the totems. Possibly it is for safe travels, maybe it is in respect to the ancients who travelled past years ago.

Related Tags

Totem Poles Native Americans Navajo

Know Before You Go

Located on the East side of US Hwy 89, about 100 yards. north of mile post 443. It’s about 1.5 miles south of the Wupatki National Monument. One can pull well off the highway onto a dirt pullout.

Community Contributors

Added By

chcorson

Edited By

WhiskeyBristles, cyccommute, elinewell, mikeburnham3...

  • WhiskeyBristles
  • cyccommute
  • elinewell
  • mikeburnham3
  • willandbeyond
  • lydiasee
  • Pheeohnuh
  • cameron73
  • DannyBoy
  • wisemand
  • marvindejean
  • escapechaos
  • dawneegirl4ever
  • smorabit 4dcf994d

Published

August 7, 2016

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  • https://www.researchgate.net/...Navajo_Sacred_Places/.../004635151acb2a98a200000...
Wupatki Spirit Totem
US-89
Flagstaff, Arizona
United States
35.550697, -111.536465
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