Today we’d like to introduce you to Louis Williams.
Hi Louis, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Our story begins on the beaches and waters of the San Juan River in Utah. The thoughts of creating a company focused on responsible outdoor recreation and culture preservation flowed through the mind of a guide from the Deer Springs People long ago, as he rowed through his ancestral homelands.
Ancient Wayves River and Hiking Adventures is 100% Indigenous owned and operated. The company was envisioned long ago by Louis Williams who has been guiding on this river since 2012. This unique outfit was created in 2020 and began operating in 2021, providing guided tours in several regions within Southeast Utah. Activities offered include multiple-day backpacking, river rafting, IK paddling, day hiking, and photography tours.
Tours are conducted in scenic locations filled with immense history. The areas where we conduct tours are in the Bears Ears National Monument and on the San Juan River.
Ancient Wayves is making waves in the outdoor recreation industry. We are unique because this year in 2022, we became the first and only Navajo-owned company running river tours on the San Juan River. Our group is composed of guides who are experienced hikers and river runners with local knowledge of the waters and landscapes.
Our company has had an interesting road, the scenic route, to be where we are today because we are a company from the Navajo Nation and have to deal with multiple management agencies to obtain green lights to operate.
We are currently the only Indigenous owned/operated outfit, commercially permitted to provide guided tours within the Bears Ears National Monument. Our company has been providing backpacking, day hiking, and photo tours in the monument since 2021.
It has been a wild and fun journey for us, and we look forward to spreading the indigenous vibe throughout the region while providing memorable experiences for visitors to this special place in Utah.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Our company has seen struggles along the way since we entered the realms of commerce and outdoor recreation.
We encountered our first major obstacle as soon as we were granted our business license in February of 2020. In March of that year, the pandemic halted the travelling of tourists and caused many Indigenous tribes to close their borders to outside visitation. It was tough to maneuver and grow our business during that time.
There was an untraveled road to becoming a permitted river rafting outfitter on the Navajo Nation and our company was determined to navigate that road. It was a long one and at times, bumpy, but we succeeded in making the trip. We obtained the first-ever commercial river rafting permit granted by the Navajo Nation.
Another untraveled road we managed to navigate through was the route to becoming a commercial river outfitter on the San Juan River. Through the BLM (Bureau of Land Management), we were granted permission to provide tours on the San Juan River.
The San Juan River is an interesting body of water because in some areas, it is designated as the northern border of the Navajo Nation. As one floats, they’ll notice that each side of the river is managed by different government agencies. “River Left” are lands of the Dine (Navajo) and “River Right” is managed by the BLM or are private sections of land.
This situation of multiple agencies designated to manage this one river makes it interesting regarding jurisdiction and permitting issues along the river.
We’ve been impressed with Ancient Wayves River and Hiking Adventures, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Our Indigenous-owned company provides tours that are unique to the San Juan River and Bears Ears National Monument. Our knowledgeable guides are local and have ancestral connections to the land and waters. We often lead trips that are educational and related to the world of natural science.
Tourists come to this region because of the unique landscapes and rich archaeological history. The Southwest United States is known for the architectural marvels of the ancient civilizations who occupied this region thousands of years ago. Our guides are descendants of the people who built these ancient cities. There is no better way to explore this region than with a guide whose stories of the land, plants, and waters have been passed down generations since time immemorial.
If you want a fun tour while learning about this landscape’s many wonders, come on out with Ancient Wayves River and Hiking Adventures!
How do you think about luck?
The Navajo word “Hozho” is a concept that refers to the interconnectedness or balance between one’s mentality, physicality, spirituality and nature. I try to achieve hozho every day when it comes to everyday life and growing the business.
Here is our true story that shows how luck may look bad at one point but can be great at another:
One day we were out at a campground and a raven flew off with our van keys. We had to leave the van parked there and go to the nearest town over 200 miles away to have new keys made at the dealership. After we got the keys made, we were fixing to exit the parking lot and noticed across the street a different dealership. There was a beautiful dark gray van parked there, winking at me. I went over and inquired about it, and they told me it had just arrived and was ready for a new owner.
We wheeled and dealed and that day, I became the new owner of the van that would soon be taking people out on tours. Guess what we named the van? It is now known as “the Raven”.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tourancientwayves.com
- Instagram: @ancientwayves
- Facebook: @Ancient Wayves River and Hiking Adventures
Image Credits
Louis Williams
