For nearly 1,000 years, the mesa in all its forms has been an American icon

Spanish explorers dubbed the mesas of the American Southwest "mesas," meaning tables, upon encountering them. These flat-topped mountains or hills are the result of millions of years of erosion, with gravity and wind constantly shaping their lands. The Native American inhabitants recognized the mesas' value as natural fortifications, providing high vantage points and protective sides.

Old Oraibi, a Hopi village in Arizona founded in 1150, stands as the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States, deeply connected to the mesas' spiritual significance. Filmmakers like John Ford and Stanley Kubrick have used the dramatic mesas for their Westerns and science fiction films, while historical events such as Robert J. Oppenheimer's decision to conduct nuclear research at Los Alamos mesa in New Mexico have occurred there.

Acoma Pueblo, known as Sky City, is another ancient village on a mesa, dating back centuries before it was discovered by Hernando de Alvarado in 1540. The cemetery atop the mesa holds the graves of tribal veterans who fought in U.S. wars, while the San Esteban del Rey Mission, built with material carried up the steep mesa, still stands as a testament to the enduring power of these iconic natural formations.