Flying Through Arizona: The Story of the First National Women’s Air Race with Natalie Stewart-Smith

AZ, United States

In 1929, the first national women’s air race from Santa Monica, CA to Cleveland, OH passed through Arizona. Stopping in Yuma, Phoenix, and Douglas, the intrepid fliers solidified their determination and sisterhood along these Arizona waypoints. Who were these aviators? What were their planes like in 1929? What challenges did they encounter along the way? […]

FREE

They Beat the Heat: How Arizonans Survived the Desert Heat in the Days Before Air Conditioning with Christine Reid

Coolidge Public Library 160 W. Central Avenue, Coolidge, AZ, United States

Drawing from multi-cultural influences of the variety of people who helped build Arizona, discover how creative adaptations in lifestyle, architecture, building materials, town planning and even humor all contributed to surviving intense desert temperatures. What have we forgotten and what can we learn from the wisdom of those who came before as climate becomes a […]

FREE

Where Healthcare Meets the Humanities: The Therapeutic Value of Poetry with Dr. Rosemarie Dombrowski

AZ, United States

In this presentation, we’ll explore the history of poetic therapy in America in both clinical and communal environments. We’ll also discuss the features that make poetry an ideal (and efficacious) form of augmentative therapy—in other words, how it can help us discover creative ways to explore our vulnerabilities, re-cast our narratives, and encourage hope and […]

FREE

Desert Rats, River Runners, and Canyon Crawlers: Four Arizona Explorers with Gregory McNamee

Fountain Hills Activity Center 13001 N. La Montana Dr.,, Fountain Hills, AZ, United States

Francisco Garcés, a Franciscan friar, arrived in what is now Arizona in 1768. Assigned to the church at San Xavier del Bac south of present-day Tucson, he traveled widely throughout Arizona and California, charting overland routes that later travelers would follow. Near where Garcés would meet his death in 1781, an American soldier named Joseph […]

FREE

Chiles & Chocolate: Sweet and Spicy Foods in the American West with Chris Glen and Sandy Sunseri

San Tan Historical Society Museum 20425 S. Old Ellsworth Road, Queen Creek, AZ, United States

Come have a taste of the rich and savory history of these food favorites, explore how early peoples used them, and how they have evolved and spread to all corners of the world. Food is a portal into culture and can convey a range of cultural meaning including occasion, social status, ethnicity, and wealth depending […]

FREE

They Beat the Heat: How Arizonans Survived the Desert Heat in the Days Before Air Conditioning with Christine Reid

Mesquite Branch - Phoenix Public Library 4525 Paradise Village Pkwy N, Phoenix, AZ, United States

Drawing from multi-cultural influences of the variety of people who helped build Arizona, discover how creative adaptations in lifestyle, architecture, building materials, town planning and even humor all contributed to surviving intense desert temperatures. What have we forgotten and what can we learn from the wisdom of those who came before as climate becomes a […]

FREE

From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers with Dr. Laura Tohe

Sedona Public Library 3250 White Bear Road, Sedona, AZ, United States

During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This select group of Code Talkers devised a Navajo language code that was accurate, quick, never broken, and saved many American lives. This talk profiles four […]

FREE

Paper Sons: Tales of Chain Migration in Tucson with Dr. Li Yang

AZ, United States

A “paper son” is a term used for young Chinese immigrants coming to the United States prior to 1943 who claimed to be a son of a citizen but were, in fact, sons on paper only. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act was passed to curb Chinese immigration to the U.S. The passage of this […]

FREE

From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers with Dr. Laura Tohe

Mesa Public Library - Main Branch 64 E. 1st Street, Mesa, United States

During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This select group of Code Talkers devised a Navajo language code that was accurate, quick, never broken, and saved many American lives. This talk profiles four […]

FREE

Arizona Legends, Myths, and Folklore with Jim Turner

Pima County Public Library - Woods Memorial Library 3455 N 1st Avenue, Tucson , AZ, United States

From the time humans began to live in communities myths and legends have sought to explain the universe and teach social values. “Arizona Legends, Myths, and Folklore” presents stories from Hopi, Navajo, Apache, and Tohono O’odham cultures as well as Hispanic, Euro-American and others. You will learn about Navajo constellations, Spider Woman, Hopi katsinas, the […]

FREE

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