February 2023
Set in Stone but Not in Meaning: Southwestern Rock Art with Allen Dart
Ancient American Indian petroglyphs (symbols carved or pecked on rocks) and pictographs (rock paintings) are claimed by some to be forms of writing for which meanings are known. But are such claims supported by archaeology or by Native Americans? Archaeologist Allen Dart illustrates how petroglyph and pictograph styles changed through time and over different parts of the U.S. Southwest both before and after non-Indian peoples entered the region, and discusses how even the same rock art symbol may be interpreted…
Find out more »March 2023
Growing in the Desert: The History & Culture of the Tohono O’odham with Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan
Many Arizonans call the Sonoran Desert and its striking landscapes home. 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 Jacelle Ramon-Sauberan as she shares her knowledge about the history and culture of…
Find out more »April 2023
Writers of the Purple Sage with Jim Turner
This presentation covers five Arizona novelists: Zane Grey spent his honeymoon at the Grand Canyon and went on to be one of the first and most famous Western writers of all time; Harold Bell Wright came to Tucson with lung problems and became a bestseller from 1900 to 1930. University of Arizona writing professor Richard Summers wrote Dark Madonna in 1937. Capturing Hispanic culture and folklore, Eva Antonia Wilbur Cruz beautifully describes ranch life and the blending of Tohono O'odham,…
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