Pershing’s Chinese: Asylum Seekers amid Chinese Exclusion

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

In 1917, Gen. John J. Pershing brought 527 Chinese refugees from Mexico. These men had attached themselves to the punitive expedition conducted by Gen. Pershing in pursuit of the Mexican revolutionary leader Francisco “Pancho” Villa from 1916 to 1917. When Pershing withdrew, aware that the lives of the Chinese who had served his troops were […]

Shadow Catchers: 150 Years of Arizona Photography

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

For more than a century and a half some of the world’s best photographers focused their lenses on Arizona. In addition to the renowned Edward S. Curtis, Kate Cory lived with the Hopi and represented them in photographs and on canvas, while C. S. Fly gave us the famous Geronimo pictures. In the 20th century […]

The Planet Mars in our Dreams and Reality

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

The Red Planet, Mars, has always held our fascination, more so than any other planet. The very word ‘Mars’ conjures up visions of Martians as well as great voyages of exploration in our imagination. What was once a distant, mysterious, cinnamon colored orb in our night sky is now literally a New World that we […]

The Ballad of Arizona

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

Originally conceived to celebrate Arizona’s Centennial in 2012, “The Ballad of Arizona” has been updated to provide a more complete survey of important, but often little-known, chapters of Arizona’s unique history. A blend of music, video, and lecture, “The Ballad of Arizona” is similar to “A Prairie Home Companion” but with an Arizona twist. The […]

Hopi Quilting Traditions (Arivaca)

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

For centuries, Hopi men grew cotton and wove the fibers into blankets and clothing. In the 1880s, with the arrival of Anglo missionaries and government officials, quilting was introduced to the Hopi people and it quickly became integrated into Hopi culture and ceremony with quilts being used in every Hopi household. Hopis today are 4th […]

Free

Cowpokes, Crooks, and Cactus: Arizona in the Movies (Arivaca)

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

Tyrone Power, Andy Devine,  Katy Jurado, Steve McQueen and, of course, John Wayne. From the earliest days of film, Arizona has been a setting and subject for hundreds of films. Some, like Junior Bonner and Red River, are considered classics, others, such as Billy Jack and Evolution, surely less so. Some may even be classics […]

Free

Empire to Las Cienegas NCA: Ranching and Historic Landscape Change – Arivaca

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

The Empire Ranch, built by Walter Vail and family, was one of the most financially successful and long-lived cattle enterprises in Arizona. For over 140 years, the owners of the Empire wisely managed its natural resources – soils, waters, and vegetation in the Cienega Valley. Today those grasslands are some of the richest and most […]

Free

“Protecting a Way of Life” Kinship Responsibilities – Arivaca

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

Royce Manuel (Akimel O’odham) best describes his work through the “Tools of Yesterday” using plant fiber, primitive bows & arrows, knapping stone, and making agave plant cordage. As a tribal and cultural educator and member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Royce and Debbie specializes in the revival and teaching of artistic traditions while […]

Free

Rising from Invisibility: Indigenous Arizona Women in Charge of Themselves

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

In many Southwestern matrifocal cultures, Indigenous women’s lives are modeled after female heroes and sacred women who exemplify and express courage and kinship values. Among some tribal cultures, rites of passage celebrate female creativity and the transformative nature of women, hence there was not a need for the concept of feminism. Nevertheless, Indigenous women’s lives […]

Free

World War I in the Middle East: Roots of Contemporary Conflict

Arivaca Old School House 17080 W. 4th St, Arivaca, AZ, United States

Although World War I occurred a century ago, its effects are still evident in the Middle East today. The war left memories of suffering and brought about new political realities. The Ottoman Empire ended, and new states were created, yet the peace settlements left many Middle Eastern people dissatisfied. The post-war treaties left millions of […]

Free

Fill out the info below to sign up for our E-Newsletter.