Tiny houses seem to be the trend these days.

For the Navajo, tiny dwellings were the way of life since the 1400’s. The dome-shaped hogans were constructed from logs stacked in a circular shape, plastered with mud and had a smoke hole in the center.

The doorways always face east towards the rising sun.

The women’s hogans were larger, more circular than the males, and were the primary home for the family. There was enough room for cooking, sleeping and a few kids underfoot.

Do your research. It is also trendy to rent these hogans on Navajo land, or on campgrounds throughout the west.

The male hogans were sacred, ceremonial dwellings. Today, most Navajo live in modern homes, but they continue to have hogans on their property. They are used for weddings or cultural ceremonies, to keep Navajo tradition alive.

Monument Valley is also home to many of Hollywood’s Western movies. Local resident, Harry Goulding, was instrumental in convincing movie director John Ford to film here. At Goulding’s Lodge, you can visit John Wayne’s Cabin. Interestingly enough, the original building was the potato cellar of Mrs. Goulding, but when “She Wore a Yellow Ribbon” was filmed, the exterior was used to look like living quarters in the movie. It is now staged as a cabin.

There were seven Westerns filmed in Monument Valley, most with John Wayne as the lead.

Wind Kisses, Donna