Seen from above, from the doorway of a pueblito or a rock ledge swept by afternoon winds, the lower walls of Dinétah's canyons are broken with boulder fields, fallen slabs, and shadows. Walk along the base of the cliff in Largo Canyon or Delgadito, Crow Canyon, or Palluche, and the walls come to life. The Yeis, the Holy People, the Hero Twins, the heavens, animals and plants all take their places on the rock.  

Within each canyon, the symbols vary. In some, the Holy People meet your eye. In others, star tracks and footprints trail along the walls and history rides between the cliffs on horseback. Images are painted or carved over much older work; many have been painted and repainted, carved again and again over many years. Some have now been lost, swallowed by the rising waters of Navajo Reservoir. In times of stress, it is said, the Navajo people can return to these places and petition for aid through prayer.