Smokey;
The Navajos have many large Ranches that they raise Sheep and Goats on, but they also have very large Cattle and Horse Ranches. Navajo Country is very large and is known as the Four Corners Area, and is in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah and is larger than some of the Eastern States. :o And yes they have Bad Snow Storms in the Winter, and some times they must Air-Lift food in for the People and Animals!!! 
Tell the Little Bloke HI !!!
Chilibill 
Jay;
I think the tall monument that you are thinking about is called " The Totem Pole " and you can see it on the second and third pages of this Site below, and it is just south of the Visitors Center and "The Mittens and Butte A" and just to the right of Thunderbird Mesa. You can see its location on the Map. It is much taller than it looks in the picture!!! 
http://www.wyntoontrip.com/MONUMENT1.html
Chilibill
Nathan and Some of you other people that would like to go to Monument Valley some day, I have a hand drawn map that might give you a Idea of the lay out of Monument Valley some of the Locations of some of those great films that Duke and Ford did there like the first part of "The Angel and the Badman," "Fort Apache," " She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and " The Searchers." Remember this is Very Big Country and it is very hard to see in a short time! 
You can go to MAP OF M. V.
Chilibill
nathan;
The best that I can remember after over 55 years is that both films were done around The Left Mitten Butte and to the West is a large sand and salt flat just North of Gouldings Lodge and Trading Post. I fly right over it when I land at Gouldings Air Strip. 
In the Horse Soldier Charge in Fort Apache and the Paymasters Stagecoach chase at the first of Yellow Ribbon with Ben Johnson, I think what you are talking about in the background is North and East of Gouldings Trading Post and are called "Big Chief Mesa," "Sentinel Mesa" and "Pyramid Rock." They are much larger than they look in the films. 
Just South and East is where Duke is with the Supply Wagons in Fort Apache and watching the Charge and you can clearly see the Left Mitten Butte in the Background. 
In this type of film where you have a chase scene like in these two Films you must have a smooth road for the Camera Truck and the wind must be just right so you do not see the dust from the Camera Truck. In those days the roads were still dirt. 
I will be there for a Shoot next week and I will try to get more Info. for you.
Chilibill
