#7 Grinding food to eat

GRINDING FOOD TO EAT

This panel shows ownership to “seeds that are ground for the stomach.” The bedrock metate forming the belly are of the two upper figures tell this. The metate forming the belly are of the two upper figures tell this. The metate represents seeds ground up, and the belly of course indicates that they are the be eaten and go to the stomach. The figure with the rayed head in the center gives a tribal identity to the people claiming ownership. This sun-like symbol slants downward over the edge of the rock to indicate that the sun is setting. Among many tribes this is also the symbol for “west”. Since this symbol forms part of a body it says West People, a name for the Hualapai Bands that inhabited this area up to the east bank of the Colorado River. The lower figure also shows another setting sun in conjunction with two symbols I cannot yet read. It is apparent however that they are again discussing the West People.

It is evident from the panels discussed here that this was a very important information site for travelers going east or west. It gives the route out, food, ownership, and also a battle account to maybe show what happens to people who do not respect the rights of others. The battle account might also account for the acquisition of this land at one time by the tribe claiming it. However, as I can’t read it all, this is only conjecture. There are also some other panels here that cannot be fully read that might touch on other information pertinent to this area. LM