What is Chaco Really? with Steve Lekson AmerindFoundation 2021-04-24 | Amerind Free Online LectureWhat Was Chaco, Really? with Steve LeksonRecorded - Saturday, April 24, 2021, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeArchaeologists lament that "no models from ethnography or ethnohistory works for Chaco," and conclude that Chaco remains a "mystery." Declaring Chaco a mystery in effect admits a major failure of Southwestern archaeology -- whose job it is to figure out things like Chaco. Chaco is not a mystery: one model from ethnohistory fits Chaco like a glove, if we broaden our horizons to encompass both ancient Mesoamerica and modern Native American insights. This presentation will discuss how Southwestern archaeology painted itself into a corner on Chaco; and how the evidence strongly indicates that Chaco was something not found in Southwestern ethnography; and offers a suggestion of what Chaco was, really. Stephen Lekson recently retired as Curator of Archaeology at the Museum of Natural History, University of Colorado in Boulder. He received his PhD from the University of New Mexico and directed more than 40 archaeological projects throughout the U.S. Southwest, mainly in the Mimbres and Four Corners areas. Lekson's publications include a dozen books, many chapters in edited volumes, and articles in professional journals and popular magazines. His works include: "A Study of Southwest Archaeology," "Chaco Meridian," and "A History of the Ancient Southwest."
A conversation with artist Akilah Martinez AmerindFoundation 2024-09-13 | Akilah Martinez was awarded Amerind’s Emerging Indigenous Artist Residency 2024. Akilah is an artist who is pioneering work in virtual reality—creating virtual art worlds for her audiences to explore. She enjoyed an Amerind residency from late July 2024 through late August. In this 12-minute recorded interview, Eric Kaldahl has a conversation with Akilah about her work. She discusses her artistic journey and the ways that emerging digital media forms can empower the voices of communities who have been underrepresented in older media formats.
Endangered Fish Species at Amerind: A conversation Brett Montgomery AmerindFoundation 2024-08-30 | The Texas Canyon Nature Preserve at Amerind encompasses a unique geologic environment with a beautiful diversity of native plant and animal species. Thanks to the Arizona Game & Fish Department’s Safe Harbor Program, we introduced two endangered Arizona fish species to the Nature Preserve in 2020. Periodically Arizona Game and Fish Department experts visit this fish population to see how the animals are doing. In July, Arizona Game & Fish Department Topminnow and Pupfish Specialist Brett Montgomery studied our pond and the protected fish who call it home. In this recorded conversation, Eric Kaldahl checks in with Brett about the Safe Harbor program and what he learned in his studies of Amerind’s Bird Pond this summer.
Visiting Researcher Dr. Ismael Sánchez-Morales AmerindFoundation 2024-08-23 | In August 2024, Dr. Ismael Sánchez-Morales, Curator of Anthropology at the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa, visited the Amerind Museum to conduct research into ancient cultural objects collected by the late Julian Hayden from the 1950s through the 1970s. Ismael is part of an international research team investigating the Indigenous people who lived in northern Sonora, Mexico, in an area that today is part of El Pinacate and Gran Desierto de Altar Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In this recorded conversation, Amerind’s Eric Kaldahl has a conversation with Ismael about his research and time at Amerind as a visiting scholar.
Why I Love Amerind…with Dr. Mary Jo Ghory AmerindFoundation 2024-08-12 | Amerind connects people. In the new interview series “Why I Love Amerind,” we will be having conversations with the people who make Amerind possible. We will be talking with artists, scholars, volunteers, donors, and members who form our Amerind community.In the first interview of this new series, Eric Kaldahl has a conversation with Dr. Mary Jo Ghory. A retired pediatric surgeon, Dr. Ghory has been an incredible leader in southern Arizona’s nonprofit education, arts, and culture community. Dr. Ghory has been a volunteer, supporter, and leader at Amerind. We are grateful for Dr. Ghory sharing her thoughts about why she came to love Amerind.
Ryan Moreno Sial Interview AmerindFoundation 2024-08-02 | An interview with Tohono O'odham creative photographer Ryan Moreno Si'al. Ryan was selected for Amerind's Emerging Artist in Residence Program. In this conversation with Amerind's Eric Kaldahl, Ryan discusses his work and experiences during his residency.
Comanches, Captives, Germans: Transactions on the Texas Frontier, 1847 AmerindFoundation 2024-06-23 | Comanches, Captives, Germans: Transactions on the Texas Frontier, 1847With Daniel J. Gelo, PhD & Christopher J. Wickham, PhDIn 2021, three finely worked sketches dating back to the middle of the nineteenth century were brought to the attention of scholars studying the relationship between German settlers and Comanche Indians. Seemingly the work of one artist, and (with one exception) never published, the sketches feature Comanches, Germans, a captive girl, a wagon train, the landscape and wildlife of the Texas Hill Country, and dynamic scenes of cultural contact. Who was the girl? Who were the Comanches involved? Who were the Germans? Where and when did this captive exchange take place? What do we make of the rich Indian and German cultural details that the artist includes? How can we understand his work—as art, as data about Comanche life and customs, and as documentation of a specific cultural encounter? And, of course, who was the artist, and how important is his work? Trying to find answers to these questions, the presenters will examine the drawings in detail and decode information placed by the artist.Daniel J. Gelo is Dean and Professor of Anthropology Emeritus and former Stumberg Distinguished University Chair at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Gelo holds Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A., and B.A. degrees in anthropology from Rutgers University. His publications include: Comanche Vocabulary (University of Texas Press, 1995), Comanches in the New West, 1896-1908 (with Stanley Noyes, University of Texas Press, 1999), Texas Indian Trails (with Wayne L. Pate, Republic of Texas Press, 2003), Comanches and Germans on the Texas Frontier: The Ethnology of Heinrich Berghaus (with Christopher J. Wickham, Texas A&M University Press, 2018), and Indians of the Great Plains (Second Edition, Routledge, 2019). He has won the UTSA President's Distinguished Achievement Award, the University of Texas System Chancellor's Council Outstanding Teaching Award, and the Presidio La Bahia Award for best book on early Texas history.Christopher J. Wickham is Professor Emeritus of German at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He earned his Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Having taught at the Universität Regensburg, Germany, Allegheny College, PA, and the University of Illinois at Chicago he moved to UTSA in 1991. Wickham retired from teaching in 2017. His research focuses on German literature and culture, and most recently on the interaction between German settlers and Comanches in 19th-century Texas. He authored a monograph on the dialect of Diendorf, Bavaria, (1987) and books on the notion of Heimat (1999) and Comanches and Germans in Texas (2018, with Daniel J. Gelo) which won the Presidio La Bahia Award for best book on early Texas history. Comanches, Captives, and Germans, a book coauthored with Dan Gelo, Hoppy Hopkins and Bryden Moon, appeared in January 2023. He is currently working with Dan Gelo on a study of 19th century Texas botanist and newspaperman Ferdinand Lindheimer.Book PublicationGelo, Daniel J., C. B. “Hoppy” Hopkins, Christopher J. Wickham, and Bryden Moon. Comanches, Captives, and Germans: Wilhelm Friedrich’s Drawings from the Texas Frontier. Kerrville, TX: State House Press, 2022.
Tour the VRBO AmerindFoundation 2024-05-29 | Tour the Di Peso Rental House at the Amerind.Nestled amongst magnificent granite rock formations of the Texas Canyon Nature Preserve in the heart of the little Dragoon Mountains is the Di Peso House vacation rental.Off the beaten path in a remote section of the Amerind Museum campus, the Di Peso House is the ideal setting for quiet getaways, family gatherings, retreats, and more.A great place for nature lovers or anyone who wants to get away for a few days.For more details on the Di Peso House and to check availability go to: www.vrbo.com/2294015
Introspection by Larry Redhouse from his new album The Great Mystery AmerindFoundation 2024-04-09 | Larry Redhouse-Jazz Pianist, composer, multi-instrumentalist, Native American dancer and flautist. He is a member of the Navajo Nation. He has shared his musical talents nationally and internationally: the, Museum for the American Indian- Smithsonian, Washington DC, the Grenoble Jazz Festival, France. Larry comes from a musical family, the youngest of six siblings, all successful musicians. His experience growing up included sharing Native Culture and Dance, at Schools and Cultural Events, traveling as far as Gifu, Japan. Mr. Redhouse is a Northern Traditional Dancer. Larry has been playing jazz piano for over 30 years, he and his trio have played concerts at the Kennedy Center's famed Jazz Club in Washington DC.For the Amerind Museum, Larry will perform solo Native American Flute melodies and solo original piano compositions. This song entitled "Introspection" is featured on his new album "the Great Mystery" Larry Redhouse.You can find more information https://@normaorlarryredhouse488
Capturing Water in Chaco Canyon and the Legacy of R. Gwinn Vivian with Samantha Fladd, PhD AmerindFoundation 2024-04-07 | While Chaco Canyon is renowned for massive great houses and concentrations of nonlocal materials, the ability of residents to productively farm the arid landscape has remained contentious within archaeology. These debates have ranged from questions over soil quality to the existence and use of water management features. Throughout his career, Dr. R. Gwinn Vivian worked tirelessly to locate and document evidence of water management, particularly canal systems, from within and around the Canyon. In this talk, I will provide an overview of this evidence and discuss the importance of Dr. Vivian’s legacy on the field of Southwest archaeology.Samantha Fladd is an assistant professor in the Department of Anthropology and Director of the Museum of Anthropology at Washington State University. She received her PhD from the University of Arizona in 2018 and has been doing archaeological research in the Four Corners region of the US Southwest for about 15 years. She is the second author on an upcoming book with Dr. R. Gwinn Vivian on Capturing Water (University of Utah Press), which presents his lifetime of research on water management and agricultural potential in and around Chaco Canyon.
American Indian History and Public Education with Julie Cajune (Salish) AmerindFoundation 2023-12-03 | American Indian History and Public EducationAmerican Indians are a distinct minority in the United States for several reasons. First, they are the original people of this land, and second, they hold political status as tribal nations. Many Americans do not understand the political distinction of American Indian Tribes. If we recall our public school years of social studies, we find scant content on American Indian nations or individuals. This circumstance influenced Salish educator Julie Cajune throughout her career in public education and with her own tribal nation. One of her efforts to address this situation resulted in the book Our Way, A Parallel History. Julie will discuss the importance of history education for a literate society and healthy democracy.Julie Cajune (Salish) holds a master’s degree in education from Montana State University–Billings. After several years of classroom teaching on her home reservation, Julie began developing tribal history materials and curriculum and served as her Tribe’s Education Director. Julie has collaborated with Indigenous scholars, knowledge keepers, artists, and musicians, as well as elders and poets to produce materials in a variety of media including DVDs—Stories from a Nation Within, Art and Identity, Remembering the Songs, and Inside Anna’s Classroom— and children’s books—Gift of the Bitterroot and Huckleberries, Buttercups and Celebrations, and a variety of other publications Julie is a recipient of the national Milken Educator Award, the Montana Governor’s Humanities Award, and two Lifetime Achievement Awards. She continues her work to add Native voices to the master narrative of American history.
The Art of Ryan Singer, Diné (Navajo) AmerindFoundation 2023-11-04 | Online artist talk with Ryan SingerRyan Singer is a Diné (Navajo) artist-painter based in Albuquerque, NM. Creating artwork based on his Navajo heritage and incorporating pop culture elements including science fiction imagery. He weaves stories of his childhood memories with nostalgic iconography. He has been included in the “Indigenous Futurism” movement but has been drawing Star Wars characters since 1977. Ryan also enjoys creating portrait realism of Native subjects with a contemporary appeal. His artwork is in collections of several museums and collectors worldwide. Ryan had garnered several awards including from the renowned SWAIA’s Santa Fe Indian Market. He has acquired his BFA in Art Studio from UNM, where he was in a collaborative lithography class with the Tamarind Institute. He now plans on working towards his MFA. Born in Cedar City, Utah, but originally from Tuba City, Arizona, Ryan is of the Tódich’iinii (Bitter Water) clan and born for the Kinya’aani (Towering House) clan. Having grown up in various parts of the Navajo Reservation, Ryan often reflects on his childhood in his artwork through his depictions of science fiction and pop culture icons. Ryan’s other notable works of art include the popular “Mutton Stew” painting which he modeled after Andy Warhol’s “Campbell’s Tomato Soup Can” series but with a distinct Navajo twist; his iconic “Wagon Burner” which has become his trademark symbol. He has been part of exhibitions featuring this new genre of art. He also co-curated an exhibition along with Tony Abeyta at the Navajo Nation Museum about the “Long Walk”.
Arizonas Creation Story: Important Treaties and... AmerindFoundation 2023-10-29 | Arizona's Creation Story: Important Treaties and Executive Orders Regarding Native Nations and the Arizona Territory from 1846-1912with Millicent Michelle Pepion, PhDNavajo elders say we exist in the “Fourth World,” the glittering world. In this world, we were given all of the support we needed to sustain life within the boundaries of four sacred mountains. For the Mojave people of the Colorado River Indian Tribes, life began with Mvto at Spirit Mountain. For O'odham peoples, whose traditional territory covered much of southern Arizona and northern Mexico, the epicenter of life lies in the Baboquivari Mountains where, in a cave at the base, resides their Creator, I'itoi. As for the Havasu Baaja, the People of the Blue Green Waters, what is now considered the Grand Canyon National Park also served as the womb for their people's existence. This talk will focus on the creation stories of these four nations in comparison to the Creation Story of the State of Arizona. Much of the history shared involves the transfer of ownership from Mexico by way of the Gadsden Purchase, along with agreements, treaties, and Executive Orders signed between the Navajo, Mohave, O'odham, and Havasupai peoples, and what we now consider early Arizona pioneers such as Kit Karson, Charles Poston, Jedidiah Smith, Amiel Weeks Whipple, and Rutherford B. Hayes, all which played a part in the creation of America's last contiguous state signed into the Union.Dr. Millicent Michelle Pepion is Bitter Water Clan born for the Blackfeet Nation. She currently resides in Tucson where she earned a Ph.D. in American Indian Studies from The University of Arizona. Her dissertation research draws connections between U.S. Census data for Native populations and Native Voter Suppression in Arizona. Dr. Pepion's survey included an overview of all 22 Native Nations in Arizona in comparison to county and state statistics regarding history, land, law, and representation. However, her expertise does not end there. Through various work, Dr. Pepion has developed courses, workshops and presentations that span topics such as Federal Indian Law and Policy, Sovereignty, Native and Western Views on Philosophy, Protection of Sacred Places, Introduction to Navajo Literacy and Culture, Positive Indian Parenting, Traditional Indian Medicine, Indigenous Methodologies, and Writing in Two Worlds. Other degrees include: A.A. in Liberal Arts (Haskell Indian Nations University, 2012), B.S. in Liberal Studies (Arizona State University, 2014), and M.S. in Family and Human Development (Arizona State University, 2016). Dr. Pepion is a 2012 Clinton Global Initiative University Commitment Maker and the recipient of the Cal Seciwa Memorial Scholarship (ASU, 2015), the Heard Museum Eagle Spirit Award (ASU, 2016), and the Margaret Susseman Memorial Scholarship (UA, 2017-2020).
Texas Canyon Nature Preserve Ribbon Cutting AmerindFoundation 2023-10-13 | Watch as our Board Member Chris Hard, Trail Designer Sirena Rana and Angelina Saraficio (Tohono O'odham Nation) mark the opening of our new trail system and Texas Canyon Nature Preserve on October 7, 2023.
Caretakers of the Land: History of Land and Water in the San Xavier Community AmerindFoundation 2023-09-30 | with Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan, PhD.San Xavier del Bac is known as the White Dove of the Desert, but not many know the rich history surrounding the community called Wa:k (where the water goes in). Long before our urban centers and city lights lit up the dark desert skies, the Tohono O’odham were cultivating and shaping the land with abundant agriculture—from squash and beans to corn and cotton. For generations they passed down their rich knowledge and culture grown from their connection to the desert. Join us for a program with Dr. Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan as she shares her knowledge about the history and culture of her people, the Wa:k O’odham. Dr. Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan is Tohono O’odham and from the San Xavier District. She serves as faculty in the Tohono O’odham Studies Program at Tohono O’odham Community College. Ramon-Sauberan earned her PhD in American Indian Studies with a minor in Journalism at the University of Arizona in May 2023. Her research focuses on the history of land and water in the San Xavier District and she has written for news publications across the US including Indian Country Today. Ramon-Sauberan is also a communication specialist for the National Science Foundation’s AURA/NOIRLab closely working with Kitt Peak National Observatory.
The Distribution of Cultural Lac Scale Use (Tachardiella spp.) in the Arid Southwest AmerindFoundation 2023-08-12 | With Marilen Pool, PhD.This talk will discuss the examination of the lac scale insect in the arid Southwest and the distribution of its cultural use. Three species, Tachardiella fulgens, Tachardiella larreae and Tachardiella pustulata are those most known to have been utilized by the indigenous peoples of the region from as early as the Archaic period to the modern era as an adhesive, mastic, and coating for the fabrication of tools, weapons, musical instruments, kicking balls, ornaments, and amulets. It was also used for hermetic sealing of containers to protect foods and seeds from pests and as a repair material for mending pottery. Marilen Pool, PhD, is a Senior Project Conservator at the Arizona State Museum and Objects Conservator and owner of Sonoran Art Conservation Services in Tucson. She recently earned her doctorate degree in Arid Lands Resource Sciences at the University of Arizona. She has a graduate degree in Museum Studies from Oregon State University and is a graduate of the Sir Sanford Fleming Art Conservation Program in Ontario, Canada.
The Art of Matagi Sorensen AmerindFoundation 2023-07-16 | Matagi Sorensen (Yavapai-Apache) is a contemporary jeweler/metalsmith who creates hand fabricated and lost wax-cast jewelry. His contemporary style has garnered the attention of many. His designs are sleek and modern with an urban aesthetic that draws from traditional and natural motifs rooted in his Yavapai-Apache heritage. His curiosity and drive to learn more about his craft make him an exciting artist to follow. Please take this opportunity to join us as Matagi discusses his work, journey, and the inspiration behind his incredible creations.Matagi Sorensen was born in Cottonwood, Arizona. He had an interesting childhood, traveling around the Southwest with his family, making small craft items to sell. When he was 15 his family moved back to the reservation where Matagi began working for a summer youth program. At 18 he went to work for his tribe and contemplated becoming a social worker. He went on to enroll at Yavapai Community College eventually taking a jewelry making class, beginning his journey to become a professional jeweler. He graduated from Northern Arizona University with BFA in 2011 followed by an MFA from Arizona State University in 2021 where he was able to further his knowledge and skills in metalsmithing and design, as well as experiment with natural and culturally traditional materials. Matagi has gone on to exhibit his work throughout the country at various shows including Santa Fe Indian Market, Heard Museum Fair, Eiteljorg Indian Market, and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian Art Market among others. See more of his work at: www.matagifineart.com
The Art of Shaun Bayale AmerindFoundation 2023-07-01 | Shaun Beyale (Diné) Navajo will discuss his art and his journey as a comic book artist, illustrator, painter, screen printer and digital artist. From growing up in Shiprock, New Mexico on the Navajo Nation to his early interest in comics, superheroes, and his passion for drawing that sparked a lifelong journey to create. Shaun was drawn toward the genre of comic books and superheroes because it reminds him of the old traditional stories of good versus evil. Using his cultural stories as inspiration to create something new and more modern, Shaun created his own Indigenous Superheroes. Powerful Native women define Beyale’s characters, reflecting his upbringing surrounded by generations of strong women who inspired him. The Navajo culture is a matrilineal society, women tend to have more power and have a strong presence in cultural stories.Shaun has recently created Indigenous Superheroes for the Marvel Universe, a lifelong dream. He hopes that his characters and comics will be a source of education about contemporary Indigenous culture. His motto is “Empowerment thru Art”. He creates and shares his empowering art with hope to inspire future generations to find their inner “Monster Slayer” to face life’s challenges.
Origins of Maya Civilization Examined at Aguada Fénix, Mexico with Takeshi Inomata, PhD. AmerindFoundation 2023-06-04 | This talk will discuss recent findings from the site of Aguada Fénix, Mexico, which was discovered in 2018.Its central platform, which measures 1400 x 400 m horizontally and 10-15 m in height and was built around 1000 BC, is the largest and oldest monumental building in the Maya area. The results of investigations at this site are changing our understanding of how the Maya civilization and surrounding societies developed. Takeshi Inomata, PhD, is a professor at the School of Anthropology, University of Arizona.He has been investigating social changes in the Maya area through field projects at Aguateca and Ceibal in Guatemala and in the Middle Usumacinta region of Mexico.
Prehispanic Jewelry from the Sea with Elisa Villalpando, PhD AmerindFoundation 2023-05-14 | Since very ancient times, people have transformed all sort of objects into personal ornaments to denote differences in rank, gender, age, or simply to embellish themselves. These objects are not only carried in life, but often accompany individuals after death, or are offered by the mourners when performing funerary rituals.Among the pre-Hispanic societies of Northwestern Mexico/Southwestern United States, most of these ornamental objects were made from pelecypods and gastropods collected from the Gulf of California and the Pacific Ocean.In this talk I will focus on the ornamental use of shell among the Early Agriculture Period communities of the Sonoran Desert (800 BC-50 AD) and how same species could be transformed over time to become more sophisticated ornaments, highlighting the differences in manufacturing techniques and styles that allow archaeologist to associate shell jewelry with different archaeological traditions. I will emphasize with some examples of shell jewelry from the Trincheras tradition of northwest Sonora, collected at its regional center in the middle Magdalena Valley: Cerro de Trincheras, in the Late Pre-hispanic Period (AD 1200-1450).Elisa Villalpando was born in Baja California Sur, graduated as archaeologist from the Escuela Nacional de Antropología e Historia (ENAH) in 1984, and the Centro de Estudios Históricos de El Colegio de México (COLMEX) in 1992. Has participated and directed archaeological projects for Instituto Nacional de Antroplogía e Historia (INAH) in Sonora since 1979, initially on hunter-gatherers and fishermen at San Esteban and Tiburón islands in the Gulf of California and the Sonoran coast, and later leading binational projects on Early Agriculture Period communities and trincheras' prehistoric settlements of the Sonoran Desert. Is the author of numerous articles and some books on these topics, and has organized several symposiums and exhibits across the Arizona-Sonora border. She directed Cerro de Trincheras’ opening as a site for public visit in 2011, working with local community in public archaeology. She has produced museum scripts and curatorship for Cerro de Trincheras’ visitor’s center and for INAH’s Regional Museum of Sonora. As a result of the experience of collaborating in the design of exhibits and the interpretive trail in the archaeological zone, she is interested in the accessibility and inclusion of all people to cultural heritage. She is currently member of Society for American Archaeology, Arizona Archaeological Historical Society, Amerind Museum Board of Directors, Sociedad Mexicana de Antropología, and recently, Consejo de Museos y Exposiciones INAH. Has been awarded international recognition for her work in the diffusion of archaeological knowledge of northwestern Mexico on both sides of the border.
New Insights into the Old Period in Casas Grandes: 10 Years of Viejo Period Research in Northern Mex AmerindFoundation 2023-04-30 | The Roots of Casas Grandes Project (RCG) began in 2013 with the goal of understanding more about the Viejo period people who lived in the well-watered valleys of the eastern edge of the Chihuahuan Desert in northwestern Chihuahua, Mexico, for over 500 years.This is also a time period that preceded the better known Medio period when the large city of Paquime was built and the Casas Grandes region underwent significant cultural transformations. The combination of surveys, excavations, archival research, and various analyses of Viejo period materials has brought to light many new discoveries regarding the Casas Grandes people who populated the same river valleys that gave way to a thirteenth-century cultural revolution and the construction of one of the largest city centers ever built in the U.S. Southwest/Northwest Mexico in precolonial times.Michael Searcy is an associate professor of anthropology and archaeology in the Department of Anthropology at Brigham Young University. He is currently serving as the department chair and director of the New World Archaeological Foundation. For over fifteen years, he has worked in northern Mexico researching Casas Grandes cultural traditions with a focus on the Viejo Period (A.D. 700-1200). Michael recently co-authored the book Hinterlands to Cities: The Archaeology of Northwest Mexico with Matthew Pailes, and his recent research includes an ancient DNA study as well as a reanalysis of chronology in the Casas Grandes region.This lecture was recorded 4/29/2023
Creative Collaboration: A Dialog between Artist & Collector. AmerindFoundation 2023-04-06 | A candid conversation with Master Jeweler-Metalsmith Duane Maktima (Hopi/Laguna Pueblo) and longtime collector Joanne Conrad.*Please excuse and bear with the screen captures during the Q & A, it should have shown Duane & Joanne speaking. Thank you.Duane Maktima is master jeweler-metalsmith of Hopi and Laguna Pueblo descent. Duane is a graduate of Northern Arizona University’s College of Creative Arts. He has gone on to have an extensive career over last 49 years and has won numerous awards and accolades throughout his career as a working artist. In addition to selling in the best galleries, his pieces are held by several museums worldwide, including Amerind’s. He has been an artist in residence at Amerind many times and is also a member of Amerind’s board of directors.Duane’s work reflects and is inspired by his Hopi and Laguna Pueblo heritage. His knowledge of design from ancient iconography to contemporary art deco motifs, create his distinctive jewelry. His designs are simple and clean, using vibrant color in his work. A distinctive characteristic of Maktima’s jewelry is its sculptural quality, created by a hollow form technique combined with reticulated metal used as a decorative overlay. Duane’s work is widely collected and lives on as heirloom pieces for many distinguished patrons and collections. Duane has long been a source of encouragement and empowerment to many artists, through his role as teacher, mentor, advocate and friend. Making him one of the most highly respected contemporary artists working today.To see more of Duane’s work go to: www.duanemaktima.comYou can also see his work at the FreeMarket in Santa Fe during Indian Market in August.Joanne Conrad’s deep interest in Native Art and Southwestern culture began as a child in Tucson. Returning to Arizona after a legal career, she now devotes her time to learning as much as possible about indigenous artists and their work. Her “collection” began many years ago, with a tiny silver Roadrunner pin, and now includes examples of Hopi, Pueblo, Dine, Zuni, Apache, Tohono and Pascua Yaqui handcrafted works. She credits places like Amerind with providing the resources to learn more about the artists and their cultures.This program was recorded 4/1/2023.
Amerind Museum: An Overview AmerindFoundation 2023-03-11 | In this narrated slide show, viewers will learn more about the programs, activities, and exhibits conducted at the Amerind Museum, Art Gallery, Research Center, and Nature Preserve.
Poems by creative writer Manny Loley, awarded Amerind’s Emerging Indigenous Artist Residency 2022 AmerindFoundation 2023-03-10 | I want to express Amerind’s deep appreciation to the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. Their foundation, along with a few private donors, awarded Amerind a grant to launch a new program that we call the Emerging Indigenous Artist Residency program.One of the first artists supported through that new program is Mr. Manny Loley of the Navajo Nation. Manny is a poet and creative writer currently finishing up his doctoral degree in English and Literary Arts at the University of Denver. He was in residence at Amerind from December 2022 through January 2023. Manny kindly allowed me to interview him about his work, his time at Amerind, and his future. That interview is available on Amerind’s YouTube channel with a running time of 46 minutes.During that interview, Manny shared seven of his original poems with our viewers. With Manny’s permission, the video clips shared here contain excerpts from his longer interview, so that you can concentrate your attention on those seven poems. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Manny for the wonderful writings he is creating and sharing with the world.
Interview with Creative Writer Manny Loley, awarded Amerind’s Emerging Indigenous Artist Residency AmerindFoundation 2023-03-10 | Amerind extends its thanks to the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. Their Foundation awarded Amerind a grant to launch the Emerging Indigenous Artist in Residence program. Artists who are starting their careers often face difficulties finding the time, space, and peace they need to concentrate on their art form. The Emerging Artist in Residence program provides emerging Indigenous artists with a cash stipend, as well as a place for the artist and family members to work on their creative projects. The first two recipients in this new program are Derrick Gonzales and Manny Loley. Derrick is a visual artist, and Manny is a poet and creative writer. They both stayed at Amerind for one month while they worked on their respective projects. In the second of two videos, Eric Kaldahl has a conversation with Manny Loley about his writing and his time as an Amerind artist in residence.
Amerinds 2023 Texas Canyon Mountain Bike Fun Ride: Interview with past participant Doug Moseke AmerindFoundation 2023-02-27 | In the month of March, Amerind will hold its 3rd annual Texas Canyon Mountain Bike Fun Ride, on March 11, 2023, starting at 8 am. If you are thinking about bringing you friends and family out for that event, we thought you might appreciate hearing from one of the event’s past participants. Doug Moseke and his children are avid mountain bike riders. They participated in both the first and second annual Fun Rides. Last year Amerind’s Eric Kaldahl interviewed Doug about his experiences just before his family participated in the second annual Fun Ride 2022. We wanted to share that interview with all of you once again. Come out and ride the scenic 7.8-mile course in beautiful Texas Canyon. Enjoy time riding with your friends, family, or by yourself in this awe-inspiring region that is normally closed to the public. Participation in the event enables Amerind to further its mission of fostering and promoting knowledge and understanding of the Native Peoples of the Americas through research, education, conservation, and community engagement.The Fun Ride will have a "rolling start." After you arrive and collect your participant packet, you are free to start your ride anytime between 8:00 am and 8:30 am. To keep the event both fun and safe, helmets are required to be worn by all participants. Riders must be at least 8 years old. The Youth Division (Ages 8-14) participant fee is $15. The participant fee for those 15 years and older is $20.You can register the day of the event. You can also preregister by going to the Events page on the Amerind website: www.amerind.org/events.
Amerinds 2023 Texas Canyon Mountain Bike Fun Ride: A general information video AmerindFoundation 2023-02-27 | Amerind will host its Third Annual Texas Canyon Mountain Bike Fun Ride on March 11, 2023, at 8 am. If you would like to learn more about this event, this short video has information for you, including photos from prior Fun Rides. Both mountain bike riders and e-bike riders are welcome. Come out and ride the scenic 7.8-mile course in beautiful Texas Canyon. Enjoy time riding with your friends, family, or by yourself in this awe-inspiring region that is normally closed to the public. Participation in the event enables Amerind to further its mission of fostering and promoting knowledge and understanding of the Native Peoples of the Americas through research, education, conservation, and community engagement. The Fun Ride will have a "rolling start." After you arrive and collect your packet, you are free to start your ride anytime between 8:00 am and 8:30 am. To keep the event both fun and safe, helmets are required to be worn by all participants. Riders must be at least 8 years old. The Youth Division (ages 8-14) participant fee is $15. The participant fee for those 15 years and older is $20.Shirts commemorating your ride can be purchased during the registration process for $20. Commemorative finishers' medals will be given to the first 175 registrants. After the Fun Ride, step inside the Museum to explore the exhibits. Your race registration includes free entry into the Amerind Museum and Art Gallery. Simply show your bike plate number to the admissions desk to take advantage of this offer.You can register the day of the event. You can also preregister by going to the Events page on the Amerind website: www.amerind.org/events.
Creatures and Cosmology of the Casas Grandes World AmerindFoundation 2023-02-19 | Creatures and Cosmology of the Casas Grandes World with Christine VanPool, PhD and Todd VanPool, PhDrecorded 2/18/2023The interactions among humans, plants, animals and the landscape are central to cultures around the world. This is especially true for cultures with animistic worldviews in which aspects of the natural environment have spiritual as well as ecological significance. Within these cultures humans are active agents that treat aspects of the environment as active agents as well. Lightning as a sentient being can punish the wicked or unwise. Bear (a powerful spirit being among many New World Native Americans) can cause or cure illness. Peyote and other entheogens are animate beings that can provide visions and spiritually transform the initiated. The Medio period Casas Grandes culture (AD 1200 to 1450) focused in northern Chihuahua and southernmost New Mexico reflects important relationships among various animals and humans that transcend simple subsistence roles. Snakes, birds (especially macaws and turkeys), turtles, and other animals were significant in Casas Grandes social life, cosmology, and symbolism. Here we provide case studies reflecting the social, cosmological, and spiritual significance of various animals as reflected on pottery, groundstone, and architectural features derived from Paquimé (the political and ceremonial center of much of the Casas Grandes region) and the surrounding settlements.Christine S. VanPool grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico. She earned her B.S. in anthropology at Eastern New Mexico University and her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. In 2006 she joined the anthropology faculty at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Over the last 20 years, her main research focus has been on archaeological method and theory as it pertains to religion and pottery symbolism in the Casas Grandes world. Since 2007 she has been co-directing museum and field projects with Todd L. VanPool in Northern Mexico and southern Arizona and New Mexico. She is the author or editor of five books and numerous articles. Dr. Todd VanPool earned his BA in religion and in anthropology at Eastern New Mexico University and his MA and PhD in anthropology from the University of New Mexico. He is a Professor of Anthropology at the University of Missouri—Columbia. Todd studies the evolution and cognitive structure of religion and its relationship to pilgrimages, social status, economic organization, and cultural stability and change. His research has focused on the archaeology of the ancient North American Southwest, especially the late prehistoric occupation of the Casas Grandes region of Chihuahua, Mexico, and southernmost New Mexico. With Gordon Rakita (University of North Florida) and his wife and colleague, Christine VanPool, he has conducted fieldwork at 76 Draw, a Casas Grandes settlement near Deming, New Mexico since 2009. Reoccurring themes in his research include gender and the organization of craft production, especially as it is reflected in stone artifact production and consumption. An emerging focus of his research is cross-cultural patterns in the use of trance-based religious experiences. Along with Christine VanPool, he is exploring how trance can be initiated with and without entheogens such as tobacco, peyote, ayahuasca, and datura. His publications include over 60 peer-reviewed articles and books including “Bringing the Inert to Life: The Activation of Animate Being” (2023, Religions doi.org/10.3390/rel14010053) and Social Interaction, Social Status, and the Organization of Medio Period Craft Production (2017, Lithic Technology doi.org/10.1080/01977261.2017.1305483), which relate to this presentation.
The Art of Randy Kemp AmerindFoundation 2023-01-07 | Amerind Free Online Artist TalkThe Art of Randy Kemp (Choctaw/Muscogee-Creek and Euchee)Recorded - Saturday, January 7, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona Time Join us as we welcome artist, storyteller, and flute player Randy Kemp for an online artist talk. A tribal member of the Choctaw/Muscogee-Creek and Euchee nations of Oklahoma, he will discuss his art and music. Kemp will also talk about his current Amerind exhibit “Transformation, Spirituality, and Humor.” The exhibit is a retrospective to the present that includes a series of paintings, mixed media, found objects, and printmaking processes.Randy Kemp is an alumnus of the Katherine K. Herberger College of Arts at Arizona State University. Before coming to ASU, Kemp earned an Associate of Arts degree from the reputed Bacone Junior College. Kemp is a noted artist in the contemporary American Indian art world. He is a multidisciplinary artist whose body of work includes painting, printmaking, mixed media, installation, music, and performance. His work includes both traditional tribal life and contemporary works concerning American Indian issues, themes, and views. In the realm of music, he was selected to perform the prelude music for President Barack Obama at Arizona State University’s Graduation Ceremony Commencement, in Sun Devil Stadium. Kemp was also involved in a recording project with his daughter Rykelle Kemp entitled “Artificial Red,” which was a nominee for a Native American Music Award in the “Best Spoken Word” category. Kemp’s latest music project blends Native flute with Spanish guitar.
Amerind Welcomes Emerging Artist in Residence Derrick Gonzales AmerindFoundation 2022-12-15 | Amerind extends its thanks to the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona. Their Foundation awarded Amerind a grant to launch the Emerging Indigenous Artist in Residence program. Artists who are starting their careers often face difficulties finding the time, space, and peace they need to concentrate on their art form. The Emerging Artist in Residence program provides emerging Indigenous artists with a cash stipend, as well as a place for the artist and family members to work on their creative projects.The first two recipients in this new program are Derrick Gonzales and Manny Loley. Derrick is a visual artist, and Manny is a poet and creative writer. They both will be staying at Amerind this month while they work on their respective projects. In the first of two videos, Eric Kaldahl has a conversation with Derrick Gonzales about his art career and his time as an Amerind artist in residence.
Mom, You’ll Be Home by Summer: A Diné Story of Cancer, Death, Grief, and Hope AmerindFoundation 2022-12-10 | Amerind Free Online Lecture“Mom, You’ll Be Home by Summer”: A Diné Story of Cancer, Death, Grief, and Hope with Jennifer Nez Denetdale, PhD (Diné)Recorded - Saturday, December 10, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond Casinos For Diné, death is difficult to talk about. In the wake of so many deaths during COVID-19, Dr. Jennifer Denetdale suggests that we should be more open to addressing what is a part of life, the end of life. Denetdale shares an excerpt from a work in progress about the death of her mother from cancer. It is a story of death, grief, and hope.Dr. Jennifer Nez Denetdale (Diné), is a professor of American Studies at the University of New Mexico. The author of “Reclaiming Diné History: The Legacies of Navajo Chief Manuelito and Juanita,” two books for young adults, she has also published numerous essays, articles, and book chapters. She has been recognized for her scholarship and service to her nation and community with several awards, including the Rainbow Naatsiilid True Colors for her support and advocacy on behalf of the Navajo LGBTQI, the UNM Sarah Brown Belle award for service to her community, and UNM’s Presidential Award of Distinction. She is the recipient of the Women’s International Study Center Fellowship and the Newberry Consortium of American Indian Studies Fellowship, both in 2019. In 2020, she was awarded UNM’s 6th Annual Community Engaged Research Lectureship. Dr. Denetdale is the chair of the Navajo Nation Human Rights Commission (NNHRC) and has served on the Commission for ten years.
Pilgrimage to Magdalena Q&A Panel Discussion AmerindFoundation 2022-11-05 | Amerind and Border Community Alliance Q&A Panel Discussion of “Pilgrimage to Magdalena”Recorded - Saturday, November 5, 2022, 11:30 am On Saturday, November 5, Amerind and Border Community Alliance hosted a free online documentary viewing of the award-winning film “Pilgrimage to Magdalena.” For more than three centuries, indigenous people, Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and others have traveled to Magdalena de Kino, Sonora to celebrate the feast day of St. Francis Xavier and to honor the ministry of Fr. Eusebio Francisco Kino. During this special time at the end of September/early October each year, borders are transcended for the travelers and others completing a manda by their pilgrimage or service. The film honors those individuals, the spirit of the pilgrimage, and the history of the rich borderland that brings us together.After the documentary viewing, a Q&A panel discussion of the film was held. The panel included Dr. Tom Sheridan, Research Anthropologist at the Southwest Center and Professor of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, Regina Siquieros (Tohono O’odham), retired classroom educator, former Senior Coordinator for the American Indian Languages Development Institute at the University of Arizona, and former Government Affairs Assistant for the Chairman and Vice Chairwoman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, Dr. Seth Schermerhorn, Associate Professor of American Studies at Hamilton College and author of “Walking to Magdalena,” Dr. Magda Mankel, Associate Producer of “Pilgrimage to Magdalena” and former Education & Research Specialist at Border Community Alliance. The panel will be moderated by Jerry Haas, Producer of “Pilgrimage to Magdalena” and Border Community Alliance Senior Advisor.To purchase a DVD of “Pilgrimage to Magdalena, visit: bordercommunityalliance.org/pilgrimage-to-magdalena
Contemporary Native Warriors with Warren Queton AmerindFoundation 2022-10-29 | Amerind Free Online LectureContemporary Native Warriors with Warren QuetonRecorded - Saturday, October 29, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosDuring this program, Warren Queton (Kiowa, Cherokee, and Seminole) will discuss American Indian veterans in the military and their relationships to traditional American Indian culture. The talk will examine many aspects of Native American culture, as well as identify and hopefully remove some stereotypes audience members may have acquired over their lifetimes. Among the topics to be discussed are the key components of Warrior Tradition in Native society, information about contemporary American Indian and Alaskan Native veterans, how to distinguish and utilize appropriate American Indian and Alaskan Native vocabulary, and how to apply cultural knowledge to work more effectively with Indigenous community members.Warren Queton is a Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma citizen and descendant of the Cherokee and Seminole Nations. Warren is a military veteran and an active member of the Oklahoma Army National Guard and currently holds the rank of Major. He has completed three tours overseas, serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Operation Spartan Shield (Kuwait). From 2015 to 2016, he worked full-time for the Oklahoma Army National Guard as the State Food Program Manager. In addition to his military service, Warren is currently an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Native American Studies at the University of Oklahoma, where he teaches tribal service-learning and tribal governance. He is also the District 7 Legislator for the Kiowa Tribe and represents all Kiowa tribal citizens living outside the former reservation area.
Flute Performance with Vince Redhouse AmerindFoundation 2022-10-08 | Amerind Free Online Flute Performance with Vince Redhouse (Diné)Recorded - Saturday, October 8, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosJoin Amerind for an online flute performance by Vince Redhouse (Diné). A member of the Navajo Nation, Redhouse began playing woodwinds at the age of seven and has gone on to be an accomplished flautist. He is a Native American Music Award winner, Grammy nominee, talented tenor saxophone player, and teaches Native flute to Native American youth.
Education beyond the Mesas: Hopi Students at Sherman Institute, 1902-1929 AmerindFoundation 2022-09-24 | Amerind Free Online LectureEducation beyond the Mesas: Hopi Students at Sherman Institute, 1902-1929 with Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, PhDRecorded - Saturday, September 24, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosEducation beyond the Mesas is the fascinating story of how generations of Hopi schoolchildren from northeastern Arizona “turned the power” by using compulsory federal education to affirm their way of life and better their community. Sherman Institute in Riverside, California, one of the largest off-reservation boarding schools in the United States, followed other federally funded boarding schools of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in promoting the assimilation of indigenous people into mainstream America. Many Hopi schoolchildren, deeply conversant in Hopi values and traditional education before being sent to Sherman Institute, resisted this program of acculturation. Immersed in learning about another world, generations of Hopi children drew on their culture to skillfully navigate a system designed to change them irrevocably. In fact, not only did the Hopi children strengthen their commitment to their families and communities while away in the “land of oranges,” they used their new skills, fluency in English, and knowledge of politics and economics to help their people when they eventually returned home.Dr. Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert is Professor and Head of the Department of American Indian Studies and Professor of History at the University of Arizona. He is an enrolled member of the Hopi Tribe from the village of Upper Munqapi. Centering his research and teaching on Native American history and the history of the American West, he examines the history of American Indian education, the Indian boarding school experience, and American Indians and sport. In addition to publishing articles and books on Hopi history, he has produced a documentary film -- Beyond the Mesas -- on the Hopi experience at off-reservation Indian boarding schools, including Sherman Institute, Stewart Indian School, and the Phoenix Indian School.
Children’s Book Reading with Violet Duncan AmerindFoundation 2022-08-13 | Amerind Free OnlineChildren’s Book Reading with Violet DuncanRecorded - Saturday, August 13, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosJoin Amerind as we welcome author Violet Duncan (Plains Cree and Taino from Kehewin Cree Nation) for an online children’s book reading. After becoming a mother of four, Violet saw a need for Native American representation in literature. She took it upon herself to author three children's books; "I am Native," "When We Dance," and "Let's Hoop Dance!" She has recently joined the family of Penguin Random House with two new children’s books coming out in 2023-2024. Violet is currently the Indigenous Cultural Advisor at the Tempe Center for the Arts, where she aims to create space for a permanent program of Indigenous performance and practice. Enjoy this special opportunity to listen to Violet share her stories with you and your family, followed by a Q&A. Find out more about Violet at www.violetduncan.com
Contextualizing “Old” Museum Collections with Maria Martinez and Michael Brandl AmerindFoundation 2022-08-06 | Amerind Free Online Lecture Contextualizing “Old” Museum Collections: The Case of Obsidian “Mirrors” at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian with Maria M. Martinez, PhD and Michael Brandl, PhDRecorded - Saturday, August 6, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona Time Sponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosAnthropological museum collections are an important resource for academic and community-centered research. However, many museum collections have minimal or even lack contextual information. This study exhibits some of the protocols for consulting Indigenous heritage in museum settings and overcomes the challenges related to collections-based research. Recent studies of rectangular polished obsidian items found within museum collections have indicated that these objects were made by Mexican Indigenous artisans during the colonial period for European consumption. Nevertheless, much of this research was not well-grounded within the discipline of anthropology and therefore did not fully address the potential cultures or communities that manufactured these items and the Indigenous and colonial intersections under which they were produced and consumed. We interweave archaeological analytical techniques, provenance and techno-morphological analysis, including experimental archaeology with pre-Columbian archaeological studies, Mesoamerican art and iconography, and historical sources to identify the culture(s) that manufactured rectangular obsidian tablets in the context of Indigenous and colonial entanglements in Mexico. This study in collections-based research contributes to the restoration of ancestral intellectual knowledge and labor to Indigenous peoples that were erased through the process of coloniality, including museum practices of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.Maria M. Martinez is associate curator of collections and exhibits at the Amerind Foundation, Inc. She served as a program specialist for research and collections access at the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of the American Indian, for five years. She received her PhD in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin in 2013. She continues her research in Maya archaeology as a research fellow at the University of Texas at Austin and with lithic provenance studies at the Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences. Her research interests are collections-based community-centered research, Indigenous stewardship of museum collections, Mesoamerican archaeology, lithic raw material provenance studies (chert and obsidian), economic archaeology (mechanisms of exchange, distribution, and consumption), household archaeology, craft production, and contemporary and ancient Maya ritual practices.Michael Brandl is researcher and coordinator of Archaeological Sciences at the Austrian Archaeological Institute (OeAI) at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and lecturer at the University of Vienna, Austria. He received his PhD at the Institute of Prehistoric and Historical Archaeology of the University of Vienna. He developed the “Multi-Layered Chert Sourcing Approach” for lithic provenance studies combining petrographic analyses and geochemistry. His main research interests are lithic raw material and economic analyses.
Prehistoric Moche Politics and Food Along Peru’s North Coast with George “Wolf” Gumerman, PhD AmerindFoundation 2022-07-23 | Amerind Free Online LecturePrehistoric Moche Politics and Food Along Peru’s North Coast with George “Wolf” Gumerman, PhD Recorded - Saturday, July 23, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosJoin Dr. George “Wolf” Gumerman, PhD as he examines one of the most socially and economically important components of Peru’s Moche culture–the food system. Because food is incredibly social, it reflects sociopolitical organization. Food related data from Moche sites indicate the relative independence and self-sufficiency of Moche households and communities, suggesting a decentralized sociopolitical organization rather than a centralized authority with control over production, distribution, and consumption.Dr. George “Wolf” Gumerman was the Founding Dean of the Honors College and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University. Wolf has a strong interest in food and culture stemming from his 20 years of research on the north coast of Peru and from his interest in sustainable food systems. Wolf often applies his archaeological research to broader societal concerns, including collaborating with the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office to promote cultural preservation. Using archaeology and elder knowledge he worked to connect Hopi youth with their past. The collaboration produced four films and a museum exhibit that present the youth’s perspective on Hopi culture and history. He is Co-founder and past Co-editor for the Journal Heritage Management and publishes primarily on topics related to prehistoric foodways. Wolf has taught a range of interactive courses on composition and literature, archaeology, theory, human evolution and food and culture. He is a Board Member for Friends of the Flagstaff Area National Monuments and also for the Arizona Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
Casas Grandes Clothing and Identity with Christine VanPool, PhD AmerindFoundation 2022-07-09 | Amerind Free Online LectureCasas Grandes Clothing and Identity with Christine VanPool, PhDRecorded - Saturday, July 9, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosMedio Period Casas Grandes human effigies portray males and females in different stances and types of clothing. These variances reflect aspects of Casas Grandes gender roles, identity, and ritual. Join Dr. Christine S. VanPool (University of Missouri) as she examines these differences and provides insight into Casas Grandes culture. VanPool has written extensively on Casas Grandes and Southwestern archaeology, iconography, religion, and archaeological method and theory. Christine S. VanPool grew up in Ruidoso, New Mexico. She earned her B.S. in anthropology at Eastern New Mexico University and her M.A. and Ph.D. at the University of New Mexico. In 2006 she joined the anthropology faculty at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Over the last 20 years, her main research focus has been on archaeological method and theory as it pertains to religion and pottery symbolism in the Casas Grandes world. Since 2007 she has been co-directing museum and field projects with Todd L. VanPool in Northern Mexico and southern Arizona and New Mexico. She is the author or editor of five books and numerous articles.
The Art of Dwayne Manuel AmerindFoundation 2022-06-25 | Amerind Free Online Artist TalkThe Art of Dwayne Manuel (O’odham)Recorded - Saturday, June 25, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosDwayne Manuel is from the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. He graduated from the infamous Desert Eagle Secondary School, located in Salt River, Arizona in 2002. Attending Scottsdale Community College briefly after high school, he would then go on to receive his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the prestigious Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 2010. Dwayne then attended the University of Arizona School of Art where he received a Master of Fine Arts in 2014. Manuel currently teaches painting and drawing at the Tohono O’odham Community College at the Phoenix and Sells, Arizona campuses. In his professional art career, Dwayne has collaborated and been commissioned by organizations such as Nike, Salt River Courts, The New Arizona Prize, The Cheyenne River Youth Project, Tucson Museum of Art, Mesa Arts Center, and the Children’s Museum Tucson.
Jewelry of the Southwest: Evolution of Southwest Jewelry Design and Influences Duane Maktima AmerindFoundation 2022-05-28 | Amerind Free Online Artist TalkJewelry of the Southwest: Evolution of Southwest Jewelry Design and Influences a Synopsis and Metaphors of the Past and Present with Duane Maktima (Hopi/Laguna Pueblo)Recorded - Saturday, May 28, 2022, 11:00 am Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosLike most contemporary Puebloan Artisans, I live in two worlds. As a Designer Craftsman I have often wondered, what are the phenomenal influences and passions for both the craftsmen and consumer when it comes to the creation of Southwestern Native-influenced jewelry? This legacy has been passed on from time immemorial and holds significant purpose. Yet like other material objects, it can be exploited and become an industry. As a contemporary Artist-Designer-Craftsman, I will share my perspective formed through my experiences and Puebloan heritage, exploring what this cultural art form represents to the Indigenous peoples of the Southwest. The “Indian Jewelry" look has seemed to become a typical "look," a representational "given" of the Southwestern Native Peoples, and one of its most stereotypical art forms. In histories, it was something of unique spiritual value and purpose, both in trade and identity of the ancient peoples. During the presentation I will share my views on this subject, hoping to bring awareness and appreciation to this legacy that many Native Peoples who live in a Two World moment of time, hold as a spiritual gift and blessing. This progression through the evolution of materials, such as precious metals and stones, is the ultimate testimony that the "Creative Spirit of our Ancestors” lives on through our hands. Most of all it is another testimony of Indigenous survival to sustain our integrity to be sovereign and culturally sound, in a world of which is moving too fast for its own good.Duane Maktima is master jeweler-metalsmith who is a graduate of Northern Arizona University’s College of Creative Arts. Duane is an award-winning jeweler with nearly 40 years as a working artist. In addition to selling in the best galleries, his pieces are held by several museums, including Amerind’s. He is also a member of Amerind’s board of directors.
Macaws and Parrots in the Ancient Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico AmerindFoundation 2022-05-21 | Amerind Free Online LectureMacaws and Parrots in the Ancient Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico with Pat Gilman, PhD, Steve Plog, PhD, and Christopher W. Schwartz, PhDRecorded - Saturday, May 21, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeSponsored by Desert Diamond CasinosThe multiple, vivid colors of scarlet macaws and their ability to mimic human speech are key reasons macaws were and are significant to the Native peoples of the U.S. Southwest and Mexican Northwest. Scarlet macaws are native to tropical forests ranging from the Gulf Coast and southern regions of Mexico to Bolivia. Surprisingly, they are present at numerous archaeological sites in the U.S. Southwest and Mexican Northwest (SW/NW), but yet they are absent at the vast majority. Although these birds have been noted and marveled at through the decades, new syntheses of early excavations, new analytical methods, and new approaches to understanding the past now allow us to explore the significance and distribution of scarlet macaws to a degree that was previously impossible. Three leading experts explore what we currently know about the scarlet macaws from archaeological sites in the SW/NW.Pat Gilman has done archaeological field work and research in the Mimbres region of southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona for more than 45 years. Her initial interest was architecture and the transition from people living in pithouses to inhabiting pueblos. Recently, Dr. Gilman and her colleagues have investigated the presence of scarlet macaws in Mimbres sites, their DNA and dates, and how and why they might have been brought to the southwestern United States ultimately from the tropical forest of southern Mexico. With Christopher Schwartz and Stephen Plog, she has co-edited a book, Birds of the Sun: Macaws and People in the U.S. Southwest and Mexican Northwest, that has recently been published in Amerind’s Studies in Anthropology book series with the UA Press. Dr. Gilman is also a member of Amerind’s board of directors.Steve Plog is Professor Emeritus at the University of Virginia. His recent work has focused on Chaco Canyon beginning with a decade-long project to build a digital archive, the Chaco Research Archive (www.chacoarchive.org), to digitize and integrate information on the early excavations (1896-1927) in the Chaco, information that was scattered among many museums and repositories. More recently Steve has collaborated with several colleagues to study the 42 scarlet macaws recovered during excavations in Chaco, primarily at Pueblo Bonito. He is a co-editor of Birds of the Sun: Macaws and People in the U.S. Southwest and Mexican Northwest.Christopher W. Schwartz is a Lecturer in the Department of Anthropology at Northern Arizona University and lead editor of Birds of the Sun: Macaws and People in the U.S. Southwest and Mexican Northwest. He is an anthropological archaeologist who works on field- and collections-based projects in the U.S. Southwest and Mexico. His research draws on various lines of evidence, including faunal skeletal material, isotopic analyses, material culture, Indigenous perspectives, and spatial analyses, to understand how interregional interaction and human-animal relationships effected large-scale social transformations in the past.
T-A:ga (Our Story): An Introduction to the Culture and History of the Tohono Oodham AmerindFoundation 2022-04-23 | Amerind Free Online LectureT-A:ga (Our Story): An Introduction to the Culture and History of the Tohono O'odham with Bernard G. SiquierosRecorded - Saturday, April 23, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeIn this slide illustrated talk, Bernard Siquieros will speak about the O’odham—their land, language, history, food, and way of life—all encompassed by the O’odham word himdag. You will learn about the traditional territorial extent of the O’odham, and the many ways that O’odham himdag and O’odham traditional lands in the Sonoran Desert are forever intertwined. Bernard G. Siquieros is an enrolled member of the Tohono O'odham Nation recently retired as the Curator of Education at Himdag Ki: Hekĭhu, Hemu, Im B I-Ha’ap (House of Culture: Past, Present and into the Future) the Tohono O'odham Nation’s Cultural Center and Museum. His experiences also include: Cultural Center and Museum Project Administration; counselor; researcher; program coordinator and education administrator in education entities on and off the Tohono O'odham Nation. He is an avid photographer and has contributed immensely to the tribe’s photo documentation efforts at Himdag Ki.
Writing our Stories with Navajo Master Weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete AmerindFoundation 2022-03-19 | Amerind Free Online Artist TalkWriting our Stories with Navajo Master Weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller PeteRecorded - Saturday, March 19, 2022, 11:00 am - Arizona TimeAmerind welcomes Diné (Navajo) master weavers Barbara Teller Ornelas and Lynda Teller Pete for the free online talk, “Writing our Stories.” Fifth-generation weavers who grew up at the fabled Two Grey Hills trading post, Barbara and Lynda are considered among the most skillful and artistic of Diné weavers today. During their presentation Barbara and Lynda will discuss the experience of writing their book “Spider Woman’s Children,” a work delving into the realm of Diné weaving. Navajo tapestry weaver Lynda Teller Pete was born into the Tábąąhá (Water Edge Clan) and born for the Tó’aheedlíinii (Two Waters Flow Together Clan). Originally from the Two Grey Hills, Newcomb, NM areas of the Navajo Nation. She lives in Denver with her husband Belvin Pete. Weaving is a legacy in the Teller family. For over seven generations, her family has produced award-winning rugs in the traditional Two Grey Hills regional style. Along with her weaving, Lynda is collaborating with fiber art centers, museums, universities, fiber guilds and other art venues to educate the public about Navajo history and the preservation of Navajo weaving traditions. Lynda and her sister Barbara wrote “Spider Woman’s Children, Navajo Weavers Today” in 2018. This book is the first book written about Navajo weavers by Navajo weavers since the time of Spanish and colonial contacts.Barbara Teller Ornelas is a fifth-generation Master Navajo Weaver and culture bearer, raised near the famed Two Grey Hills Trading Post on the Navajo Nation. Her father, Sam Teller (1918–2000), was a Navajo trader for thirty-two years, and her mother, Ruth Teller (1928–2014), was a weaver, gardener, quilter and photographer. When Teller Ornelas was ten, her paternal grandmother dreamt that her granddaughter would become a great weaver who shared their traditions around the world. Fifty-six years later, Teller Ornelas has not only honed her artistry as a Two Grey Hills weaver, but shared it with audiences internationally in the form of workshops, lectures, and exhibitions.
Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau: A Common Thread Through Tradition and Change AmerindFoundation 2022-02-26 | Amerind Free Online ProgramSongs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau: A Common Thread Through Tradition and Change with Chad S. Hamill, PhDRecorded - Saturday, February 26, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeFor centuries, tribes in the Interior Northwest US have utilized song as a catalyst for spiritual power, a means to heal, and as the tie that binds the community together. This talk will discuss the use of song from the pre-contact era through to the present, discussing the ways in which songs continued to act as conduits for spiritual power, even as Indian 19th century Catholic hymns began to dominate the musical landscape. Chad S. Hamill received his PhD in ethnomusicology at the University of Colorado in 2008. His scholarship is focused on song traditions of the Interior Northwest, including those carried by his Spokane ancestors. In addition to his book, Songs of Power and Prayer in the Columbia Plateau, he has produced numerous articles centered on Columbia Plateau songs and ceremony, exploring topics ranging from sovereignty to Indigenous ecological knowledge. Prior to his position as Vice President for Native American Initiatives, Hamill served as Chair of the Department of Applied Indigenous Studies at Northern Arizona University and as Chair of the Indigenous Music Section of the Society for Ethnomusicology. Currently, he sits on the Advisory Council of the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and is a 2020-2021 Fellow for Indigenous Arts and Expression at California Institute of the Arts.
Texas Canyon Mountain Bike Fun Ride AmerindFoundation 2022-02-25 | The Texas Canyon Mountain Bike Fun Ride will take place at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, Arizona on Saturday, March 5, 2022 with an 8:00 am-9:00 am rolling start. Come out and ride the scenic 7.8 mile course in beautiful Texas Canyon. Enjoy time riding with your friends, family, or by yourself in this awe-inspiring region that is normally closed to the public. Participation in the event enables Amerind to further its mission of fostering and promoting knowledge and understanding of the Native Peoples of the Americas through research, education, conservation, and community engagement. To register visit: bit.ly/TCMBFR2022 Are you curious about the Texas Canyon Mountain Bike Fun Ride course and rider experience? In this video, past Fun Ride participant Doug Moseke shares his experience at the 2021 event. Doug and his two children participated last year and plan to return this year.
Dispersing Power with Lewis Borck, PhD AmerindFoundation 2022-02-19 | Amerind Free Online Lecture Dispersing Power: The Contentious, Egalitarian Politics of the Salado Phenomenon in the Hohokam Region of the U.S. Southwest with Lewis Borck, PhDRecorded - Saturday, February 19, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeOne of the great tragedies of global archaeology is that the discipline was started by Europeans entrenched in the ideological detritus of attempts to author legitimacy for their expanding empires through their assumed cultural connections with the so-called Classical societies in and around the Mediterranean. Because of this, we continue to explain movements away from centralization and aggregation of power as anomalies, or collapses, or peripheries, or natural reactions to environmental change. In this talk, I'll start to answer one of archaeology's big what-ifs: What if "collapses" were the result of widespread, intentional actions to create change? To do so, I describe my research on how local communities reacted to the spread of a new ideology that archaeologists call the Salado Phenomenon and address how tensions stretching across political, social, and religious spheres created a pattern observed in the archaeological record that has previously been interpreted as a religious cult. I'll discuss how this pattern relates to acts of resistance and why these acts demonstrate that the Salado Phenomenon represents the remains of a spatially and culturally dispersed religious social movement that burst across the southern Southwest, aimed at contesting the centralization of power by regional elites and councils during the Hohokam Classic period (AD 1100/1200-1450) by using fissures in the ideo-political landscape of the Greater Southwest to contextualize this movement. This view of Salado will be placed alongside Akimel and Tohono O’odham histories as well to argue that "collapses" should always be investigated first from a position that assumes that communities were intentional about reorganizations that dispersed power. Lewis Borck is an assistant professor at New Mexico Highlands University, a founding member of the Black Trowel Collective as well as their microgrants mutual aid project, and the founding president for the non-profit The History Underground. He has worked at the Missouri University Research Reactor in the archaeometry group, as an Assistant Professor at the Universiteit Leiden, at the research and outreach nonprofit Archaeology Southwest, and at the University of Arizona. He is interested in how social movements and contentious politics shaped religion and politics through time as well as how modern politics and worldviews shape the histories and archaeologies we construct, often recreating the histories and ideals of the “West” in the deep past. He has written for periodicals like the Huffington Post, Yes! Magazine, Sapiens, Culturico, and The Conversation about archaeological topics and their impact on the modern world.
The Origin of Our Extinction: The 1851 Yellow Fever Epidemic and the Hia Ced O’odham AmerindFoundation 2022-01-29 | Amerind Free Online LectureThe Origin of Our Extinction: The 1851 Yellow Fever Epidemic and the Hia Ced O’odham with David Martinez, PhDRecorded - Saturday, January 29, 2022, 11:00 am – Arizona TimeWhat became of the people that Spanish explorers called "Areneños" or "Sand people"? After the United States appropriated the New Mexico Territory--first by treaty (1846), then by purchase (1854) --references to the people known for their "sand food" and their "tinajas" disappeared from the historical record. Supposedly, the Sand people, who call themselves Hia-Ced O'odham, succumbed to a yellow fever epidemic in 1851. Supposedly, which means to assume or believe, but not necessarily know for sure. Which begs the question, what do the Hia-Ced O'odham have to say about this? What David Martínez (Akimel O'odham/Hia Ced O'odham) will present is his research on the "extinction" and revitalization of the Hia-Ced O'odham, which is a part of a book he is writing titled "The Resilient History of the Hia Ced O'odham: O'odham Sovereignty During the American Era, 1850-2015."David Martinez, PhD (Akimel O'odham/Hia Ced O'odham/Mexican) is an associate professor of American Indian Studies at Arizona State University and the author of “Dakota Philosopher: Charles Eastman and American Indian Thought” (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2009), editor of “The American Indian Intellectual Tradition: An Anthology of Writings from 1772 to 1972” (Cornell University Press, 2011), and author of “Life of the Indigenous Mind: Vine Deloria Jr and the Birth of the Red Power Movement” (University of Nebraska Press, 2019). His publications appear in, among other venues, the “American Indian Quarterly, the American Indian Culture and Research Journal,” “Studies in American Indian Literatures,” and “Journal of the Southwest.” His areas of concentration are American Indian intellectual and political history, contemporary American Indian art and aesthetics, and O'odham culture and history.
A Conversation with Musician, Composer, and Artist Gabriel Ayala AmerindFoundation 2022-01-20 | Amerind in Tucson PresentsGabriel Ayala Concert for HealingMarch 12, 2022, 3:00-4:30 pmLive at the Fox Tucson TheatreFeaturing Gabriel Ayala and the Ayala 5TetTickets on sale now at the Tucson Fox Theatre Box Office (520) 547-3040 or foxtucson.comIndividual Seats $30Musician, composer, and artist Gabriel Ayala has a conversation over Zoom with Amerind’s Eric Kaldahl about this upcoming event at the Fox Tucson Theatre. If you plan to attend, please be sure to familiarize yourself with the Fox Tucson Theatre’s COVID safety guidelines on their website.
Get to Know Amerind’s New Curator Dr. Maria Martinez AmerindFoundation 2022-01-15 | Dr. Maria Martinez joined the Amerind staff last October as Amerind’s new Associate Curator of Collections and Exhibitions. Dr. Martinez joined our staff after five years working with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). In addition to work on collections management and exhibitions, her critical role a NMAI was to be the point of contact between the Indigenous communities of the Americas and the NMAI collection. An archaeologist by background and training, Dr. Martinez earned her doctorate in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin with research interests among the Mayan peoples of Belize. She completed her master’s degree at Northern Arizona University where she worked with ancient stone tools from the Colorado Plateau. She also spent some years in central Europe working with the Austrian Academy of Sciences. The Amerind is delighted to have Dr. Martinez join the Amerind team.
