The Lightning Field is a land art work under territorial protection of Dinétah. Since Doomsday, it has attracted a widespread following that has impacted local customs.
Pre-Doomsday[]
The work was first commissioned by the Dia Art Foundation in the early 1970's. Sculptor Walter De Maria and two assistants had traveled around the western United States for over five years before settling on the grounds in Catron County, New Mexico. Work on The Lightning Field began construction in 1977. It is located 11.5 miles east of the continental divide, and about 40 miles from the town of Quemado.
Post-Doomsday[]
After Doomsday, many in the town of Quemado stayed relatively intact. Much like the town itself, the artwork persisted as well.
Weather patterns began to shift over much of the Rockies over the course of the coming decade. As such, thundershowers became more frequent in the area. With them came lightning. Suddenly, the work had redirected countless bolts of lightning over the plateau. In July of 1992, a Zuni man traveling by took note of this, reporting that the Ahayu'da were granting the land a sign of protection and good hope. The Navajo Nation caught wind of this, and symbols of lightning were used to portray the faith of those fighting in the Spokane War against the forces of the Aryan Nations. Their victory the following year would regain notoriety to The Lightning Field. As such, a pilgrimage to the site has been regularly conducted since 1993. The 30th of these pilgrimages had taken place on July 29th, 2022.
In recent times, the site has began to deteriorate. Calls for renovation have been disputed between local authorities and traditionalists who wished for the artwork to remain as is. In 2015, the artwork was called for restoration. The act was delayed for the following year due to budget cuts. In 2016, reinforcements to the structure have been made.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||
