Spas in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah celebrate the Southwest’s rich Native American cultural heritage and wisdom 

The Navajo blessing walk in beauty speaks of the spiritual search for perfect harmony that elusive state where body, mind, and spirit fuse in total balance. Within the landscape of the Four Corners states, this quest is regarded with honor, and integrated within spa therapies that reflect age-old healing wisdoms. Here, amidst the deep canyons and steep walls of impossibly red rock, the influence of Native American cultural traditions is bone-deep as powerful and fundamental as the vivid deserts and wide mesas that define both the landscape and the people who dwell here.   

Arizona

Aji Spa at Wild Horse Pass, Phoenix

Built on a Native American reservation populated by actual wild horses in the Gila River Valley, the lobby of the resort features an enormous circular mural depicting details from traditional Pima and Maricopa daily life. Art displayed throughout the property is chosen by a “cultural theming” committee, and a large number of staff members are residents of the reservation.

Dining: The elegant signature restaurant is called Kai, the Pima word for “seed,” and features the Kai Bar where fresh fry bread and handmade tortillas are prepared as you watch. Dinner specialties include Chilled Pima Yellow Watermelon Soup and Chicken Breast Stuffed with Chili Rajas.

Spa: Treatments showcase Pima and Maricopa language and philosophy, which includes the very name of the spa Aji is the Pima word for sanctuary. The Bahn Blue Coyote Wrap includes a full-body application of blue-hued Azulene mud. Like the Pima legend of Bluebird and Coyote (see sidebar on page 85), the blue mud is transforming though in this case, the results are detoxifying and moisturizing. The Ho’dai Gila River Rock Massage incorporates smooth rocks from the Gila River, used for centuries by members of the Pima and Maricopa tribes to alleviate muscle pain.

Contact: (602) 225-0100, www.wildhorsepassresort.com.

Westin Kierland Resort & Agave Spa, Phoenix-Scottsdale

A luxurious haven created around the theme of the native agave plant, the resort features abundant original artwork in all media created by Arizona artists. An enormous Shaman healing sculpture dominates the entrance to the spa, and a woven burden basket hangs from the door to each treatment room intended to be a vessel where guests can place their cares prior to their treatments, thereby maximizing healing benefits.

Dining: At Deseo, enjoy the Goat Cheese & Spinach Empanada or the Chilled Yellow & Red Gazpacho. Splurge on a traditional cinnamon dusted donut stick, called a churro.

Spa: Try an Agave Massage, which utilizes the healing properties of the area’s abundant agave plants. The agave was highly prized by Native Americans for its value as a food, a source of medicine, and for its fiber, which is still used today for weaving. The 80-minute Desert Journey includes a full-body exfoliation and an application of desert mud, rich in the minerals magnesium, iron, calcium, sodium, and potassium.

Contact: (480) 624-1000, www.kierlandresort.com

Colorado

Chipeta Sun Lodge, Ridgeway

Two hours from the Anasazi ruins of Mesa Verde, Chipeta Sun Lodge rests in a valley that was once home to the Ute Indians. Named in honor of Chief Ouray’s wife Chipeta, the lodge’s main building is a traditional adobe structure. Yoga and personal retreats are held in an enormous kiva.  Additional activities include mountain biking, horseback riding, Jeep excursions into the National Park, mine tours, and waterfall hikes. The lodge also provides day passes to nearby Orvis Hot Springs, just a mile away.

Dining: For breakfast, feast on Rocky Mountain Granola with Pure Maple Syrup, or Southwestern Picante Egg Casserole with Green Chiles & Corn.

Spa: The full-service spa’s signature treatment is the Chipeta Massage, which includes a Native American feather smudging. The beaded and painted feathers used in the treatment are made on site and are gifted to the guest at the end of the treatment. There’s also the Southwest Stone Massage, which uses a combination of warm basalt stones and cold marble.

Contact: (970) 626-3737, www.chipeta.com

Utah

Green Valley Spa, St. George

This luxury property is in an area revered by a number of Southwestern Native American tribes. Collect a picnic lunch, then spend the day hiking into nearby Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon or opt for rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, a guided meditative Spirit Hike, yoga, or Tai Chi.

Dining: Feast on Tofu Seared in Sesame Crust with Mango Cucumber Jalapeno Coulis or Saffron Risotto Cakes with Saut©ed Wild Mushroom Sauce.

Spa: Try the Painted Desert Clay body treatment, which uses a local clay that is rich in minerals and ancient marine vegetation; a Steaming Stones Massage; or the Sound & Light therapy, which makes use of a combination of sound, color, and scent to promote relaxation and stress reduction. 

Contact: (800) 237-1068, www.greenvalleyspa.com

Red Mountain Adventure Spa, Ivins

Located in the powerful red rock landscape of southern Utah, Red Mountain has fully embraced the spirit of this ancient tribal land. Besides an annual Tribal Week with Full Moon Walk, Ceremonial Tribal Tea, and Native American Coyote Ceremony, the resort also hosts an annual Breast Cancer Spirit Hike that leads to a sacred location where Native women once journeyed to give birth. Just relax or enjoy the extensive fitness facilities and wide selection of classes.

Dining: The menu at Canyon Breeze Dining Room includes Fire Roasted Poblano Chile Relleno, stuffed with a Savory Duxelle of Red Rice, Whole Grains, Pistachios, Mushrooms, Green Chiles and Grilled Tofu; Fire Grilled Achiote-Orange Pork Loin; and Molasses Seared North American Elk with Prickly Pear-Nopale Cactus Compote.

Spa: Indulge in the Four Directions therapy, a seventy-five-minute extravaganza treatment with indigenous herbs and plants that also includes a smudging ceremony, a blue cornmeal and tobacco exfoliation, a cup of ceremonial sage tea, a cedarwood oil massage, and a detoxifying sweetgrass wrap. 

Contact: (435) 673-4905, www.redmountainspa.com

New Mexico

Vista Clara Ranch Resort & Spa, Galisteo

In a small desert community just a rock’s throw from Santa Fe, the newly renovated Vista Clara Ranch rises above the cactus sprinkled landscape like a mythical oasis. Scheduled to reopen in 2006, the resort boasts eco-friendly features including solar powered lights, water recycling, a new free-standing spa built around a mineral spring, forty additional rooms, a yoga kiva, and a host of programs and therapies rooted in Native American customs. Sweat lodge ceremonies, basket weaving, ceremonial drumming, and starlight storytelling sessions seek to help guests reconnect with the natural world. 

Dining: The new menu will feature organic fruits and vegetables from the resort’s own gardens and greenhouses.

Spa: Cornmeal was an important food to the Native American population of this area, providing sustenance and nourishment in a climate where many other crops failed regularly due to harsh environmental conditions. The Cornmeal Exfoliation treatment pays tribute to corn’s essential role in this culture. Pamper yourself with a Hopi Rainbow Therapy raindrop treatment, or the Bones of the Earth hot stone therapy. The use of stones in massage plays upon cultural reverence and respect for all parts of the natural world, including rocks and stones the bones of the Earth, which house powerful spirits. 

Contact: (505) 466-4772, www.vistaclara.com

Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort & Spa, Santa Ana Pueblo

Named for the Tamayame people native to this land, the resort is situated on 500 acres of protected land within the Pueblo of Santa Ana, close to both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Guests can participate in pasana bread baking in traditional Huruna ovens, ceremonial dancing, and moonlit forays to learn aboriginal star legends. 

Dining: At the Santa Ana Caf©, try the Wild Mushroom & Duck Enchilada or book a table at the Corn Maiden restaurant and sample the Black Truffle Gnocchi or Lobster & Butternut Squash Bisque with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds. 

Spa: Central to this space is a kiva pool replicating a ceremonial bathing pool. A full range of therapies using local wild herbs harvested seasonally include the K’awina Facial, Native Blend Herbal Wrap, Pueblo Dry Brush Therapy, and the signature Spirit Path body therapy. 

Contact: (505) 867-1234, www.tamaya.hyatt.com 

The Pima Legend of Bluebird and Coyote

There was a time long, long ago, when the poor Bluebird was a dreary gray color, and his feathers were dull and boring. Bluebird lived at the edge of a wide lake and much admired the beautiful sapphire blue of the water. He decided to wade into the lake to bathe. As he splashed about, happy to be in the water, he sang this song:
There’s a blue water, it lies there.
I went in.
I am all blue.
From nearby, Coyote heard the singing. For three days, he sat among the grasses at the water’s edge, watching Bird. On the fourth morning, Coyote saw Bird emerge from the water completely naked, his drab feathers left behind in the depths of the lake. On the fifth morning, he was astonished to see Bird return from the water covered in beautiful blue feathers.
“Bird!” cried Coyote. “How is it that you have left your dull feathers behind and become such a beautiful shade of blue? You are the most beautiful of all the birds that fly through the air. I, too, wish to be blue!”
So Bird taught Coyote the words to the song. For four days, Coyote bathed in the blue waters of the lake. On the fifth day, he came out of the water as blue as his friend. Coyote was very proud, and walked along with his head held high, hoping that everyone would notice how lovely and blue he had become. He began to look for his shadow, to see if it had become blue as well. So intent was Coyote on finding it, that he stumbled and tripped on a tree stump. He fell to the ground into the dirt, and became covered in dust. To this very day, all coyotes are the color of dirt.

Immerse Yourself

When on Native American lands, be prepared to slow down. Being a good guest entails showing respect for the cultural rhythms and nuances of daily life. Aboriginal lives were patterned around seasons, harvests, and the daily cycle of sunrise and sunset not clocks and dinner reservations. Take a long, deep breath and enjoy the slower pace.

Celebration of heritage While the Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art in Phoenix is home to one of the most extensive retrospectives of Native American life in North America, it also boasts rotating exhibits and installations by some of today’s most important contemporary Native American artists. Space has also been devoted to the story of abuses suffered by native peoples, including the suppression of their spiritual and healing traditions as well as the resulting cultural generational gaps. Videography and film have been used to record the memories of elders from myriad nations, documenting the long-term effects that were the outcome of the federal boarding school program instituted by the U.S. government in an attempt to eradicate what was viewed as “Indianness.” Stunning displays of kachina dolls, basketry, pottery, and masks highlight the permanent exhibit. Contemporary works include glass, weavings, photography, and large-scale installations. Each summer, the Heard Museum Indigenous Film Festival showcases films by emerging indigenous filmmakers, actors, directors, writers, and producers. For more information visit www.heard.org.

Live the Navajo way at least for a few days. Grace Marks, project director at Northern Arizona University, offers customized cultural immersion tours exploring various aspects of Navajo life, including authentic song, dance, storytelling, ceremonies, and spiritual healing traditions. (928) 523-4289, www.nau.edu/hrm/tours/index.html

Four states at one time at Four Corners Monument and Navajo Tribal Park, you can place one of your four limbs in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona at the same time. Finally, all that yoga pays off. www.navajonationalparks.org

Explore the Anasazi Ruins in Mesa Verde, Colorado, where archaeologists continue to speculate on why the cliff-dwelling people abandoned their amazing homes, carved into the rock of the mesa walls. (800) 449-2288, www.visitmesaverde.com. Plan a stopover at the Anasazi Heritage Center and learn about the artifacts collected from this important site. (970) 882-5600, www.co.blm.gov/ahc/hmepge.htm

Adventure opportunities The Four Corners Outdoor Programs Association offers educational adventure opportunities throughout the year, ranging from a River Adventure & Writing Workshop to Native American culture and archaeological excursions. Canyonlands Field Institute, (435) 259-7750, www.canyonlandsfieldinst.org; Kelly Place & McElmo Canyon Research Institute, (800) 745-4885, www.kellyplace.com; Plateau Restoration & Conservation Adventures, (866) 202-1847, (435) 259-7733, www.plateaurestoration.org.

By Debra Bokur

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