The White Shaman Mural

The next day we toured another pictograph.  This one is down the road from the Seminole Canyon State Park and is on land owned by the Witt Museum in San Antonio.

In January 2017, the Rock Art Foundation officially transferred its assets, property, administration and activities to the Witte Museum.

There were about 25 people on this tour and we all met our guide (Vicky) at the locked gate and drove our cars to the parking lot.

Driving in

We had to sign a release form and Vicky cautioned everyone that the walk was very steep, rugged, and extremely strenuous.  If anyone had any lung or cardiovascular problems, balance problems or leg issues they shouldn’t go on the hike.  Medical help is 45 minutes away.

Our guide, Vicky

No one backed out of the hike.

It was a steep walk with lots of loose rock, high steps and difficult footing.

Going down.

The White Shaman mural is an intricate painting that is 26 feet long and 13 feet high.  It is on the wall of a shallow cave overlooking the Pecos River.

Our guide, Vicky, is an archaeologist with the Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center.  She is very knowledgeable about the story of the mural as written by Carolyn E. Boyd in her book The White Shaman Mural. In fact, Vicky is mentioned in the acknowledgements of the book.

We stayed at the site for over an hour while Vicky talked about the mural and answered questions. 

The mural tells a story of the birth of the sun and the beginning of time.  It’s possibly the oldest pictorial creation narrative in North America.

The walk back out was steep but wasn’t as difficult as thought it would be.

Looking back the way we came, it was a long way down!

The White Shaman tours are paid, guided tours ($15 per person).  They are given about once a week and sell out quickly.