Cairn

Cairn
Shane Hendren

Cairns have been employed by the Navajo People since time immemorial. Noted for their spiritual purposes, cairns function as identifiers of water sources and as guide markers. They are still found and used throughout the Navajo Nation and beyond its borders. Cairns constructed of stone have the longest life span, but what really ensures their significance is their continued use by the people. Maintaining the cairn provides a continued connection to its place by passing on to future generations its purpose and relevance. In this way the cairn becomes an entity that ties the people to the place and connects all who recognize and maintain it, providing a physical marker for all to reference and relate to.