“Talking Code with a Secret Weapon: Navajo Code Talkers Speak” with Laura Tohe

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

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines unaware that they would 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. Excerpts from live interviews with the Code […]

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“Take a Hike! Explore, Enhance, and Experience Your Understanding of Arizona” with Rodo Sofranac

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

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION There are only eleven designated national scenic trails in the United States. Our Grand Canyon State has one of them—the Arizona National Scenic Trail! In this discussion, participants will have opportunities to: explore the history of the creation of Arizona’s greatest volunteer project; enhance their knowledge of Arizona’s diverse geography, animals, plants, and […]

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“By the Time They Came – African American Men of Arizona” with Akua Duku Anoyke

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

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION In this presentation, Dr. Anokye, explores the untold stories and accomplishments of African American men in Arizona. Dr. Anokye focuses on identifying the common threads of the African American community that have enriched and given meaning to their lives–striving for education/schooling, work lives, belonging, turning points, and legacies, established by such prominent folks […]

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Debating Origins: Uncovering the Forgotten History of Horses in Arizona with John Mack

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

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION Although European settlers are commonly credited with introducing horses to Arizona, Native American communities in the state have long had a deep and cultural relationship with these animals. This presentation explores the ongoing conversation about the origins of horses in Arizona, emphasizing the perspectives and insights of Indigenous Arizonans. By delving into the […]

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“To Steal a Kingdom – The Remarkable Story of the Most Outrageous Land Fraud Ever” with Jay Mark

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

PRESENTATION DESCRIPTION In the late-19th century, Arizona was the center of one the grandest land-fraud schemes perpetrated in the U.S. As the result of an apparent 17th century royal decree, more than 12-million acres from central Arizona to western New Mexico were claimed as private property — the largest single land ownership in the country, […]

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Dr. Pearl Tang: Path Breaker in Public Health with Mary Melcher

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

In 1960, Dr. Pearl Mao Tang became chief of the Maricopa County Bureau of Maternal and Child Health. A Chinese American, who had fought to obtain a medical license in Arizona, Tang was instrumental in lowering the infant mortality rate in the state’s most populous county. Working in the Phoenix metropolitan area and rural Maricopa […]

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New Women/New Lives: Arizona Early Women Artists, 1900-1945 with Betsy Fahlman

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

A range of factors attracted the earliest Anglo women artists to Arizona. Some sought sanctuary and solitude in the state’s geologically impressive landscapes, while others sought solace in the vast, spirit-lifting vistas they encountered at every turn. Others found that encounters with Native Americans caused them to question long-held colonialist stereotypes of “the other.” Still […]

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Cantando con Tata with Zarco Guerrero

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

The life and music of an Arizona Legend! Lalo Guerrero, a Mexican American singer-songwriter from Tucson, is considered the Godfather of Chicano Music. He was a Grammy award winner and received the Presidential Medal of Honor for his contribution to Arts and Culture in the US by President Clinton. Join Zarco for a program about […]

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The Selling of the Grand Canyon: the Santa Fe, Harvey Company and the El Tovar with John Mack

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

This presentation discusses the significance of the American Southwest in the early 20th century when national attention shifted to the canyons and deserts of the American Southwest. Although American scientists, artists, writers, fur traders, and explorers had been visiting the Southwest since the early 19th century, the arrival of the railroads eased access which in […]

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Seeing the Desert with Gregory McNamee

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

Most Arizonans are not originally from Arizona, and most come from places that are far greener and milder of climate than our desert. For many of us, it takes a shift of eye and of attitude to appreciate this hot, dry place—but once it gets into one’s soul, there’s nowhere like it. This talk explains […]

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