Saving our Native American History
Donation protected
Hello, my name is Jonathan and I created Sedona Cave and Trail. Growing up in Sedona, I've known that the canyon lands around my home were massive and full of history. They are also completely unprotected and unsurveyed. 792 square miles around me are a complete mystery to history, science, and archeology.
So, I began to climb into the sandstone mazes and do you know what I discovered? Entire villages from prehistory that were not even on maps, let alone studied. As I began to go deeper and deeper I started to get angry. People are destroying them. Stealing artifacts, spray painting over important petroglyph panels and tearing apart walls looking for "treasure" where none ever existed.
To date I've spent over 10k of my own money on trap cameras and various equipment to further the study. No one has mapped the Red Rock District since 1971 and the USGS was only able to map roughly 12% due to the terrain being incredibly dangerous, arduous, and difficult to map. But, with today's technology, it's much easier to get these things done.
The Native American nations that called the Red Rock District, Sycamore Canyon District and Secret Mountain District home are largely a mystery. Two entire Native tribes vanished and we don't even know why. By using current technology and survey techniques, we are beginning to discover more about how our Native tribes lived and locate previously unknown villages which can be studied and preserved.
Why do I need your help?
Sedona Cave and Trail needs updated equipment. After 1400 years of wind and rain erosion, many of the villages are not reachable. The Grand Maze (what I call our canyonlands) is a very vertical world. And while I have no problem risking my life to get to these locations to document newly discovered sites, it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong. With an upgrade to an updated drone platform and support equipment I can hike in with less weight burden (32lbs currently carried not including water and supplies versus 10lbs for the new platform) and improve flight range by 30%. This allows me to maximize personal safety while increasing ground and aerial surveying before these mysteries are lost forever. I've applied for funding (government and private) in the past with no success so now I appeal to you to help document Sedona's archaelogical history.
Sedona Cave and Trail survey is over 300 strong and all we need now is help with equipment costs. Your donation is invaluable as we will be able to expand our search areas and map previously unknown ancient sites to protect Native histories before their stories are lost forever.
Thank you for your time and generosity.
-- Jonathan.
So, I began to climb into the sandstone mazes and do you know what I discovered? Entire villages from prehistory that were not even on maps, let alone studied. As I began to go deeper and deeper I started to get angry. People are destroying them. Stealing artifacts, spray painting over important petroglyph panels and tearing apart walls looking for "treasure" where none ever existed.
To date I've spent over 10k of my own money on trap cameras and various equipment to further the study. No one has mapped the Red Rock District since 1971 and the USGS was only able to map roughly 12% due to the terrain being incredibly dangerous, arduous, and difficult to map. But, with today's technology, it's much easier to get these things done.
The Native American nations that called the Red Rock District, Sycamore Canyon District and Secret Mountain District home are largely a mystery. Two entire Native tribes vanished and we don't even know why. By using current technology and survey techniques, we are beginning to discover more about how our Native tribes lived and locate previously unknown villages which can be studied and preserved.
Why do I need your help?
Sedona Cave and Trail needs updated equipment. After 1400 years of wind and rain erosion, many of the villages are not reachable. The Grand Maze (what I call our canyonlands) is a very vertical world. And while I have no problem risking my life to get to these locations to document newly discovered sites, it's only a matter of time before something goes wrong. With an upgrade to an updated drone platform and support equipment I can hike in with less weight burden (32lbs currently carried not including water and supplies versus 10lbs for the new platform) and improve flight range by 30%. This allows me to maximize personal safety while increasing ground and aerial surveying before these mysteries are lost forever. I've applied for funding (government and private) in the past with no success so now I appeal to you to help document Sedona's archaelogical history.
Sedona Cave and Trail survey is over 300 strong and all we need now is help with equipment costs. Your donation is invaluable as we will be able to expand our search areas and map previously unknown ancient sites to protect Native histories before their stories are lost forever.
Thank you for your time and generosity.
-- Jonathan.
Organizer
Jonathan Sprague
Organizer
Sedona, AZ
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