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Set within the immense walls of the Grand Canyon, this scene honors one of the most daring chapters in Arizona’s history: the 1869 Powell Geographic Expedition. Led by Major John Wesley Powell, this was the first documented journey through the canyon by boat. At its heart is the virtue Exploratio (Exploration), representing the noble pursuit of discovery in the face of the unknown. In the foreground, a striking young woman embodies the spirit of exploration itself. Windswept and resolute, she rows a rugged wooden craft through swift waters. Her boat is modeled after the ones used in the expedition: the Emma Dean, Maid of the Canyon, Kitty Clyde’s Sister, and No Name. Among the fury of the Colorado River, these sturdy vessels carried ten men into uncharted waters. For nearly three months, the crew endured dangerous rapids, scarce supplies, and constant uncertainty. They mapped the Green and Colorado Rivers, documenting a landscape that had remained a blank space on U.S. maps. Their expe