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 […]

The boundary between Mexico and the United States is forefront in the American imagination. But unless we are from the borderland or have spent significant time there ourselves, most of what we think about the border is likely shaped by what we hear from the media and our political leaders. This presentation takes a broad […]

Non-Native news media too often fail to offer authentic representation of Indigenous identity, issues, and individuals. Media representations in the modern moment fall prey to a legacy of stereotyping established by long-ago editors and publishers, in part due to issues around naming and labeling, but, most importantly, because Native people are not given a voice […]

In addition to an entertaining, visual display of the communities, towns and settlements that contributed to the early growth of the state, this presentation also focuses on respect for these diminishing historic resources. Most of the photographs represent a comprehensive exploration of Arizona ghost towns made by Mr. Mark in the 1960’s and 1970’s. This […]

Health care in early Arizona was hardly reliable and frequently nonexistent. Often, settlers were on their own when tragedy struck with women taking on the responsibility for the well-being of their families. And if women were considered incapable of earning the title “Doctor,” they could certainly save souls. Meet a handful of women who influenced […]

A discussion of the power of storytelling in the fight for immigrant and racial justice. En nuestras propias palabras/In Our Own Words is a bilingual immigrant storytelling and art event that seeks to provide Phoenicians with a glimpse into immigrant life and to build bridges over shared identities as Arizonans to fight back against the impulse […]

The first issue of Arizona Highways magazine was published in April, 1925. In this presentation, former publisher Win Holden will share the fascinating story of how a brochure produced by the Arizona Highway Department evolved into one of the most respected and revered publications in the world. With annual economic impact of over $65 million, […]

  African American women have had a tremendous impact on the lives of Arizonans. In a project I’ve been working on for the past 20 years, I have had the privilege of interviewing some of these amazing women. I call them othermothers/community mothers–these social activist who emerged from the Black woman-centered network of community. Let […]

Barnaby Lewis will discuss Akimel O’Odham perspectives on the past and present of the homeland of the O’Odham (Pima) and PiiPaash/Pee Posh (Maricopa) people and their ancestors (central Arizona), with a special focus on Pueblo Grande. Following his presentation, tours of the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park will be provided by members of the […]

It has been said that “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting.” This is especially true of water politics in the American Southwest, a region defined by its lack of water. The massive 20th century federal investments into dam systems controlled the great rivers of the West, allowing cities like Phoenix to “bloom like […]