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Between the years of 1050 and 1250
A.D., Glen Canyon was home to native people called Ancestral
Puebloans (also called Anasazi). They built architecturally
ingenious cliff dwellings, devised irrigation systems
along the riverbanks, and used canyon resources to make
exquisite baskets, pottery, tools, and adornments. People
who consider themselves the descendants of the Anasazi
still regard the area around Glen Canyon as their homeland.
One of the cultural impacts of Glen
Canyon Dam involves Rainbow Bridge, a place sacred to
the Navajo Indians (also known as Dine'). Rainbow Bridge
was once difficult to get to, but the ability to boat
across Lake Powell now makes the trip accessible to
everyone. In 1974, a group of Navajos filed a suit against
the federal government, claiming that by allowing tourists
to visit the site, the government was permitting desecration
of the sacred nature of Rainbow Bridge.
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version.
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