Black Star Canyon's Indigenous Village Site - Puhú and Pamajam – a Brief Sketch
Puhú and Pamajam – a Brief Sketch Upper Black Star Canyon is a well-known location of an Indigenous village site. The site is indicated by dozens of bedrock mortars, which were used to grind foodstuff and pigments. The area has become more frequently visited in recent years due to the exploding popularity of the nearby Black Star Canyon Falls (this isn’t all bad, shout out to the fruit guy who hooked me up at the trailhead after a long slog down a very wet canyon on a hot day). Online map platforms such as Google Maps also mark the village site, making it a destination for outdoor enthusiasts. Increased traffic and at least one documented incident of vandalism calls for a discussion about how to best protect the area and its cultural resources. The purpose of this article is to sketch the history of the village, which is now possible in greater detail than ever before due to the efforts of archeologist Nate Acebo. His research and discoveries can now be contextualized within th...