Place names are like fossil poetry: they afford a kind of folk history, a snapshot in time that enables us to read them and reconstruct how people have assigned names to the places to which they come. The U.S. has over 3.5 million place names, and there is no part of the world where nomenclature […]
Join Goodwin in a conversation about sustainability issues facing Arizona. Topics can include the coal-burning Navajo Generating Station, the Colorado River dams, uranium mining around the Grand Canyon, wind turbines, water conservation and catchment, the costs of water and electricity, preservation of natural landscapes, and others. The presentation can be focused on one or more […]
Knowing one’s culture implies being educated about who you are, what social order expects of you, and it provides the primary steps to individual identity.  Stories of the Emergence, Trotting Coyote, First Man and Spider Woman, among others, teach the past, suggest the present, and create a pathway to a satisfying future. Through recurring themes […]
A Taste of Chanukah: A Celebration of the Joys and Music of the Holiday Starring Theodore Bikel FREE RSVP to: lbell@azjhs.org or call 602-241-7870 People of all faiths welcome A Taste of Chanukah is a joyous celebration of Chanukah that the whole family can enjoy. Hosted by Theodore Bikel and led by Artistic Director Hankus […]
This presentation explains who the mountain men were, how they lived, and why they were in Arizona. Using a colorful presentation, Weber, clad in buckskins, focuses on the life and times of Pauline Weaver, Prescott, Arizona's first white citizen, and other famous mountain men who made their way through this territory. Using photos, maps and […]
Visit Arizona Humanities in the Family Zone for storytelling, trivia, give-aways, and more! Enjoy activities with our program partners The Chandler Museum and Heritage Square! Stay tuned, more information coming soon! Dates: December 12-14, 2014 Hours: Friday, December 12 from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, December 13 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, […]
In pioneer Arizona, among the best places to experience the performing arts were in the mining towns. Striking it rich meant having disposable income and miners, like the well-heeled of the Gilded Age, wanted to demonstrate their sophistication with culture. From the early popular music of ragtime and minstrelsy evolved orchestras, operas and glee clubs […]
Beginning with a short overview of the epic 1804 journey of Lewis and Clark, Weber then focuses on the little known history of Sacagawea's son, Jean Baptiste Charbonneau. Jean Baptiste Charbonneau was born on the expedition, adopted by William Clark, and went on to become one of the most interesting and foremost figures in early […]
Arizona’s New Deal built sidewalks, post offices, provided school lunches and outhouses. It produced roadside shrines and monuments to encourage tourism, check dams and mud stock tanks to support Arizona ranchers, as well as golf courses and pools for recreation. The federal investment in the built and cultural landscape of 1930s Arizona and the nation […]
In 1933, at the nadir of the Great Depression, the CCC was born. The program was designed to help unemployed and untrained young men learn new skills and earn money to support their families. CCCers fervently claim that the skill-building experiences forever changed their lives. These men built the roads, trails, picnic areas, ranger stations, […]
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Arizona Humanities builds a just and civil society by creating opportunities to explore our shared human experiences through discussion, learning and reflection.