Native American Signs and Symbols: Pee-Posh/Kwatsan

Sierra Vista Public Library 2600 E. Tacoma St., Sierra Vista, AZ, United States

Native Americans in the U.S. are diverse, and their contributions have enriched our lives in countless ways. People do not always realize the origins of Native contributions to the language, culture, and traditions of the U.S. What are Native signs and symbols? What do they mean? Where do they appear? They can represent animals, astrological […]

Aviators and the Archaeologists: The Lindberghs’ 1929 Aerial Survey of the Southwest

Apache Junction Library 1177 N. Idaho Rd., Apache Junction, AZ, United States

Famous pilot Charles Lindbergh (the “Lone Eagle”) is best known for his pioneering 1927 flight across the Atlantic Ocean, but few people know that Lindbergh, and his wife Anne, also played an important role in southwestern archaeology. Come see some of their amazing aerial photographs, and learn how Charles and Anne helped share Chaco Canyon, […]

The Gila: River of History

ASU Colleges at Lake Havasu City, ASU Gym 100 University Way, Lake Havasu Ctiy, AZ, United States

Six hundred miles long from its source in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River above Yuma, the Gila has been an important avenue for the movement of birds, animals, plants, and peoples across the desert for millennia. Many cultures have sprung up on its banks, and millions of […]

Honky Tonks, Brothels and Mining Camps: Entertainment in Old Arizona

Church of the Nazarene 55 Rojo Dr, Sedona

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 during the forming of these communities, […]

Coded Messages and Songs of the Underground Railroad

Valley Vista High School 15550 N Parkview Pl., Surprise, AZ, United States

Communication and secrecy were key to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad. Safety was more important than quickness. Both fugitive slaves and members of the Underground Railroad learned to code and decode hidden messages, and to disguise signs to avoid capture. There were code names for routes and code numbers for towns. A quilt […]

The Gila: River of History

Yuma County Library District - Wellton Library 28790 San Jose Ave., Yuma, AZ, United States

Six hundred miles long from its source in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River above Yuma, the Gila has been an important avenue for the movement of birds, animals, plants, and peoples across the desert for millennia. Many cultures have sprung up on its banks, and millions of […]

The Vanishing Trading Posts

Dorothy Powell Senior Adult Center 405 E. 6th St., Casa Grande, AZ, United States

“The Vanishing Trading Posts” presents a snapshot of life in the southwest that has disappeared. In a little over one hundred years, trading posts in the Four Corners were founded, traders and Native Americans flourished, and then the posts faded away. The challenges and unexpected gifts of cross-cultural exchange and stories of trading family dynasties […]

Pearl Hart, the Lady Bandit- Victim or Vixen… or Both?

Buckeye Valley Museum 116 E Hwy 85, Buckeye, AZ, United States

Separating fact from fiction is no easy task with flamboyant stage coach robber Pearl Hart. A mountain of conflicting stories abound, thanks in no small part, to Pearl herself. Enamored of the Wild West, she embellished her own tale to accommodate the interest of newspapers and public fascination. This presentation follows Pearl from her modest […]

Mescal Agave Use in Arizona: Food, Fiber, and Vessel

El Molinito Mexican Restaurant 10180 N. Oracle Rd., Tucson, AZ, United States

The agave plant was used by Native peoples for numerous utilitarian items. Mescal served as a valuable food source still being harvested and prepared to this day by many Indigenous groups. For millennia people have pit roasted the heart of the plant yielding a nutritious food staple rich in calcium and zinc. This talk includes […]

Unsettling Empathy: Working With Groups in Conflict

Patagonia Public Library 346 Duquesne, Patagonia, AZ, United States

Based on over 30 years of facilitating groups in conflict nationally and internationally, Dr. Krondorfer will talk about the dynamics of such work and how to bring groups together: Germans and Jews; Palestinians and Israelis; Christians, Jews, and Muslims; ethnically diverse students; Bedouins and indigenous people. This presentation is about responsibility: What it takes to […]

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