Over a millennia ago, it functioned as a celestial observatory for Ancestral Puebloans. There are still extensive remains of ancient houses and structures of those Pueblo peoples. The San Juan Mountains Association is using an SHF grant to conduct an ethnographic research project of 17 Native American tribes with historic connections to the area. The project will document the tribes’ knowledge, stories, and oral histories concerning Chimney Rock. This project will incorporate this traditional knowledge and history into the interpretation and management of Chimney Rock—preserving the voices of the people who maintain cultural and traditional ties to the monument.