1966: featured photo is our auntie Grace Oldman in front of her hooghan at Red Mesa AZ, which is a log structure (picture an eight sided one room log cabin) with log roof (picture logs in a bowl shape and turned upside down on the octagon shaped “cabin”) and covered with the clay soil for insulation.
The anglicized spelling and pronunciation is hogan (hoe-gone) and the Navajo would be hooghan (hoe-whan).
The first thing my Dad (David Scates) built at Red Mesa as a stone sided hooghan. I believe he was very impressed with the stone home of Esther Benally at Coyote Canyon (see the story titled The Cadillac and The Airplane). Esther, as a single mother and with the help of a nephew, had quarried stone for a home. This was not at all common in the 1960’s. The traditional home was a round eight sided log structure. So my Dad decided on stone for the sides rather than the logs.
With the help of the Clark brothers, Jimmie and Herbert, my Dad was able to get the hogan up in a month or two.
Peggy, David and Kelly Scates with a tall dark and handsome young man (don’t know who that is).
At one point someone was living here and not sure about that now. It would be a nice place to fix up for an airbnb!
1970: David & evangelist John Peter Yazzie holding a service in the hooghan. 
1970: These ladies are singing a song in Navajo for the church service. Note the stone walls and the log roof. 
1970: Fry Bread prep in the hooghan.
Scates Stories 
I’ve not heard this story, nor do I remember seeing a stone Hooghan at Red Mesa. It’s not still there I presume? If it’s gone, I imagine we’ll hear when, how, and why in some future blog post.
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Mr. Tommy Trfflhntr, I remembered I had a photo from 2006 – see above. Yes, it’s only about a half mile from the church, but when you were there someone lived in the hooghan. Next time you visit Red Mesa just ask Pastor Floyd and he will point you in the right direction.
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stone hogan is still there in red mesa az.
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amazing, right?!
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