Mystery at Chaco Canyon and the Rhetoric of Forgetting

Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile 

From the 1999 Robert Redford documentary "The Mystery of Chaco Canyon" to Timeline's "The Bloody Truth," investigations into the history and mystery of Chaco canyon astound us and still leave us baffled at what actually happened to the Native Americans who lived there. Chaco has become a location of pilgrimage for many who want to understand their own history or simply explore something bigger than themselves. But, what does the mystery of Chaco Canyon mean in the face of rhetorical studies? This presentation considers accounts of the history of Chaco Canyon - specifically why the area was vacated and so quickly abandoned - in terms of the rhetoric of forgetting. Why do we, as individuals and as populations, CHOOSE to forget some events, and how do we go about doing so? How is this done in an oral culture? What are the benefits or consequences of intentionally forgetting? In this presentation will combine information from existing historical accounts - documentaries as well as the work of Cheryl Avery and Mona Holmlund - with my own sonic, photographic, and pedestrian investigation to explore what Chaco Canyon means to us now and what it can tell us about a rhetoric of forgetting.