Canyons and mesas across the US hold more than striking scenery—they carry centuries of Indigenous history. Indigenous Peoples' Day, celebrated nationally on the second Monday of October, honors that history. The holiday began gaining ground in 1992, when Berkeley, California, became the first city to replace Columbus Day with a celebration of Native cultures. It recognizes Native nations as the earliest protectors of the land and acknowledges their ongoing cultural contributions.

In Utah, nations such as the Navajo, Ute, Paiute, and Hopi maintain deep cultural and spiritual connections to the mesas, rivers, and desert lands. For these communities, the land itself is part of a living heritage—one that reaches back to the Ancestral Puebloans, who lived in what is now the Four Corners region. Renowned for farming, pottery, and architecture, they built multi-room stone dwellings that still stand today. One such site is the House on Fire Ruin in Mule Canyon, pictured here. The rock ceiling above a small cliff dwelling appears ablaze, an illusion created when sunlight hits mineral-stained sandstone. What appears mesmerizing is geology paired with human craftsmanship—an architectural remnant in harmony with its setting.