Who Were the Anasazi?

      First of all, I apologize for the use of the term "Anasazi". As will become apparent, I am not using this term to refer to the Ancestral Puebloan people. Anasazi is a Dine' (Navajo) word which has been translated to "ancient enemies". Naturally, people of New Mexico's 19 Pueblos, as well as the Hopi, object to the use of this term and have replaced it with "Ancestral Puebloans". Again, no disrespect to the modern-day Hopi or Pueblo people, but the hypothesis I wish to present here makes a distinction between the ancestors of the Puebloan and Hopi people and those the Dine' referred to as the Anasazi.
      If you ask some Dine' elders they will tell you that the word Anasazi does not refer to the ancestors of the Pueblos or the Hopi, but a third group who migrated into this region from the south. Mainstream archaeology does not recognize this third group and classifies all the people responsible for the ruins of the 4 corners region as Ancestral Puebloans. There is still much uncertainty as to what happened to the Ancestral Puebloans and why they dispersed so suddenly. Dine' oral history paints a more complex picture and may help answer some of the questions archaeologists puzzle over.
      This would be a good time to listen to Dine' elder Wally Brown Jr. give the Navajo perspective on the term Anasazi:

      Again, apologies for the use of the word, but please understand that the term Anasazi is not being used to refer to the Ancestral Puebloan people. The picture that is emerging is that ruins such as Chaco Canyon and other "great house" type structures were constructed by these Anasazi invaders, or their slaves. An interesting feature of some of these sites are "ball court" constructions, such as one found at Wupatki National Monument outside Flagstaff. These ball courts bear a striking resemblance to similar constructions found among ruins in Mexico. While mainstream archaeologists attribute all the ruins found in the southwest to Ancestral Puebloan people, Wally Brown's account talks about three distinct groups in addition to the Dine' who inhabited the region: The Cliff Dwellers; The Pueblo Tribes (not a single tribe); and The Anasazi who inhabited the area for probably less than 300 years. These Anasazi took over sites which had previously been inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans whom they enslaved, according to the Dine' narrative.
      Not all researchers consider the Ancestral Puebloans as a monolithic culture. One such researcher is the late Christie Turner. His research gained notoriety when he published the infamous book "Man Corn", in which he presents evidence of cannibalism found among human remains associated with many of the ruins in the Southwest. Turner focused his research on Chaco Canyon, but evidence of the grim practice has now been recognized elsewhere in the region. Christie Turner's theory is summarized in the following documentary, but it is important to watch until the end where Turner himself walks you through his idea that an offshoot of Mesoamerican cultures in Mexico migrated into this region bringing their cannibalistic practices with them.      

       The theory Christie Turner presents bears a striking resemblance to the histories related by Wally Brown. Turner's work has been criticized for similar reasons that the use of the term Anasazi is. Both seem to cast the ancestors of modern-day Pueblo and Hopi peoples in an unfavorable light. This is only so when we cling to the mainstream narrative which makes no distinction between the peoples of the Pueblos, the Cliff Dwellers, and the Anasazi. They interpret the violence as the result of internecine conflicts.
      Both Wally Brown and Christie Turner's work identify another group coming up from the south who were the ones responsible for the cannibalism, and apparently slavery, according to the Dine' narrative. This takes the blame off the Ancestral Puebloans and paints them as the victims rather than the perpetrators of these bizarre and violent acts. Wally Brown further states that the Anasazi were driven out of this region and/or destroyed, and that none of the people living here today are related to them.
      Among many cultures, including the Dine', people tend to avoid speaking about tragic events. The purpose here is not to offend but to bring a more accurate understanding and, if possible, learn from the past. The violent rituals of Mesoamerican cultures like the Maya are well documented. These cultures were contemporary with the Ancestral Puebloans. Artifacts of Mesoamerican origin such as parrot feathers and seashells have been found in Ancestral Puebloan sites. Much of the evidence of violence uncovered in Ancestral Puebloan sites suggests very brutal violence and includes evidence of mass killings. This kind of violence goes far beyond what is necessary for the acquisition of resources. This kind of violence smacks of religious fanaticism. It could be that the perpetrators of this violence were in the grip of some sort of religious cult. Perhaps they tried to terrorize, enslave and rule over the people they found already living here when they arrived.
      If the Dine' and the Ancestral Puebloans were able to rid themselves of this negative influence, then that is a great victory for peace that should be remembered. These hypotheses certainly warrant further research. DNA studies could be done on various remains to hopefully shed more light on this history. Mainstream archaeology gives little if any credence to oral traditions, but that may be changing. That scientific research corroborates oral traditions would seem to lend credence to both narratives. 
      If this topic interests you, please take the time to view all the videos posted above. In addition, here are a few other articles that could be helpful:

• ​Riddles of the Anasazi- This is from the mainstream perspective, but interesting to read with knowledge of Turner's theory.
• Here is a review of Turner's book "Man Corn: Cannibalism and Violence in the Prehistoric American Southwest"
• A Theory of Anasazi Savagery An L.A. Times article.