Throughout history, the ability of a people to survive has been tied to environmental conditions. The skill to predict the seasons was an essential element in the ability to “control” those conditions. Seasonal calendars became the foundation of early cultures for hunting and gathering, planting and harvesting, worshiping and celebrating. The goal of cultural astronomy […]
In 1864, the Navajo people were forced to walk over 450 miles to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico, an unfortunate event that is known in the Navajo language as Hweeldi. The story of this fatal march has been recorded and interpreted in historical literature by many non-Navajo authors and absent from that literature is […]
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 […]
Winnie Ruth Judd, Eva Dugan, Dr. Rose Boido, and Eva Wilbur Cruz shared one thing in common. All were incarcerated at the Arizona State Prison in Florence. Some of their stories made national headlines. Who were they and how did they end up in the Florence prison? How did their crimes and trials impact Arizona? […]
Facilitated by: Jona Vance, NAU Department of Philosophy Hot Topics Café creates a forum for civil discussion about issues of contemporary concern. Join us to learn more about the issue, and more about other people and their views. NAU’s Philosophy in the Public Interest convenes the Hot Topics Café. Philosophy in the Public Interest is […]
Hang on to your hats as you ride the trails beside some of Arizona’s most wicked renegades during a time when massacres, mayhem and mischief ran rampant throughout Arizona Territory. Learn the sordid details of desperadoes such as cattle/horse rustler and murderer Augustine Chacon who claimed he killed over fifty men, ladies-man Buckskin Frank Leslie […]
Hot Topics Café creates a forum for civil discussion about issues of contemporary concern. Join us to learn more about the issue, and more about other people and their views. NAU’s Philosophy in the Public Interest convenes the Hot Topics Café. Philosophy in the Public Interest is nonpartisan, and does not endorse a position with […]
The American Civil War resulted in the destruction of slavery in the United States, yet it is not always evident how this came about. People argue over who - or what - freed the slaves, the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation, and how the war itself contributed to the destruction of slavery. Perhaps it may […]
In 1933, at the nadir of the Great Depression, the CCC was born. The program was designed to help unemployed and untrained young men learn new skills and earn money to support their families. CCCers fervently claim that the skill-building experiences forever changed their lives. These men built the roads, trails, picnic areas, ranger stations, […]
During the Depression, the Federal Writers Project conducted interviews with over 144 women who arrived in the Arizona Territory between 1850 and 1890. The women spoke of their long and dangerous journeys and with their words paint pictures of the hardships and life-threatening situations of their frontier existence. Through hard work, dedication, tenacity, and humor, […]
During WWII a select group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines with a unique weapon. Using the Navajo language, they devised a secret code that the enemy never deciphered. For over 40 years a cloak of secrecy hung over the Code Talker’s service until the code was declassified and they were finally honored […]
The great West that George Bird Grinnell first encountered in 1870 as a 21-year-old man was shortly to disappear before his eyes. Nobody was quicker to sense the desecration or was more eloquent in crusading against the poachers, the hide-hunters, and the disengaged U.S. Congress than George Bird Grinnell, the “Father of American Conservation.” Grinnell […]
Join Stevenson as she traces Arizona history through women who recorded pieces of their lives in their needlework. Beginning with 1860s Mexican women, through 1990s Hopi women, this presentation introduces women who pioneered Arizona through quilts they stitched. Some of the women featured are Atanacia Santa Cruz Hughes, Tucson; Viola Slaughter, Southeastern Arizona; Alice Gillette Haught, […]
An ancient set of Indian paths and the natural flow of the Gila River created a major artery for travel through Arizona. The Gila provided a ready route for the earliest traders, including Toltecs of Mexico, who traded with the Mogollon, Anasazi and Hohokam. This program focuses on the varied travelers along this route—their struggles, […]
The great West that George Bird Grinnell first encountered in 1870 as a 21-year-old man was shortly to disappear before his eyes. Nobody was quicker to sense the desecration or was more eloquent in crusading against the poachers, the hide-hunters, and the disengaged U.S. Congress than George Bird Grinnell, the “Father of American Conservation.” Grinnell […]
The human quest for spirituality is an eternal tradition, and we are as much engaged in this quest now as we were centuries ago. This presentation will explore medieval mysticism, one of the most powerful, but also often misunderstood, phenomena of the Middle Ages. Mysticism provided medieval religious women with tremendous spiritual power, as well […]
“Growing Up Chicana in Morenci, Arizona” is a plática (informal talk) about Chicanas who lived in the mining town of Morenci, Arizona, during the early to middle 1900s. Through historic photographs, readings from Suffer Smoke and Water from the Moon, and oral history interviews, Björkquist portrays the lives of girls and women of Morenci. Audience […]
The deep time perspective that archaeology, geology, and related disciplines provide about natural hazards, environmental change, and societal development often is ignored when today’s societies make decisions affecting social sustainability and human safety. Studies of ancient peoples and natural events can help modern society deal with problems of environmental and social change, overpopulation, and sustainability. […]
John Wayne was born in Iowa and lived for most of his adult life in California. Yet, he spent many years exploring, living, and investing in Arizona, where he produced his own films, raised cattle, operated a game ranch, and was seemingly everywhere at once. Wayne remains an iconic presence in American popular culture. In […]
Ever since the Grand Canyon became grand, tourists have been flocking to Arizona to see the sights and experience the unique landscape and indigenous cultures. This presentation covers the whole state over more than a century. From 1880s Grand Canyon stagecoach and mule rides, the Fred Harvey railroad era (Harvey Girls and Indian Detours), auto […]
Hot Topics Café creates a forum for civil discussion about issues of contemporary concern. Join us to learn more about the issue, and more about other people and their views. NAU’s Philosophy in the Public Interest convenes the Hot Topics Café. Philosophy in the Public Interest is nonpartisan, and does not endorse a position with […]
On March 12th, 2015 at 3:00 PM at the Arizona Historical Society Museum (1300 N. College, Tempe, AZ 85281), six deceased women and, for the first time, two living women, or Living Legacies, will be inducted into the Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame. There will be a reception with light refreshments to follow the ceremony, […]
Join Arizona Humanities for a workshop free and open to anyone interested in learning more about Arizona Humanities and how to write a competitive Project Grant or Opportunity Grant proposal. Registration is limited and closes one business day prior to the workshop. If you would like to register for a workshop that is already closed, […]
John Wayne was born in Iowa and lived for most of his adult life in California. Yet, he spent many years exploring, living, and investing in Arizona, where he produced his own films, raised cattle, operated a game ranch, and was seemingly everywhere at once. Wayne remains an iconic presence in American popular culture. In […]
Hot Topics Café creates a forum for civil discussion about issues of contemporary concern. Join us to learn more about the issue, and more about other people and their views. NAU’s Philosophy in the Public Interest convenes the Hot Topics Café. Philosophy in the Public Interest is nonpartisan, and does not endorse a position with […]
This engaging program, similar to a “Prairie Home Companion” but with an Arizona twist, uses live music, storytelling, video, and other visual aides to highlight stories of Arizona’s first century. Jay Craváth and Dan Shilling form the nucleus of the program, relating vignettes through song and story, such as the murder of reporter Don Bolles, […]
The Hohokam archaeological culture flourished in southern Arizona as early as the sixth century. Hohokam artifacts, architecture, and other material culture provide clues allowing archaeologists to identify where the Hohokam lived, interpret how they adapted to the Sonoran Desert for centuries, and explain why their culture collapsed in the mid-1400s. This presentation illustrates Hohokam material […]
On March 17, 2015, Will Russell (Arizona State University) will discuss ritual racing and the Perry Mesa Tradition. Archaeology Café is an informal forum where adults can learn more about the Southwest’s deep history and speak directly to experts. We have based Archaeology Café on the science pub or science cafe model that developed in […]
In 1540, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado entered Arizona with the largest European expedition ever gathered in North America. Historians have puzzled over Coronado’s exact route through Arizona. This program will allow audiences to travel with the entourage through images by famous artists, maps, and scenic and historic photographs of the pueblos, crossbow dart points, and […]
Few symbols have been more durable than the American cowboy. This program will give an overview of this populist figure, whose image was first defined by painters Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell. Also important to the story are brave cowgirls and the Mexican vaqueros. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show showcased mythic cowboy culture, with […]
Between 2011 and 2015 Americans will commemorate the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War. Different people have looked at this event in different ways at different times, reminding us that history is in part a conversation between past and present, and that in deciding how we approach this event we say something about ourselves. How […]
In 1940, photographer Clyde A. McCoy hiked down the South Kaibab trail at Grand Canyon National Park making color, stereo photographs as part of a nationwide project. Two years later he was murdered in a Detroit robbery. In 1996, Dr. Amundson purchased McCoy’s photograph collection and has been researching McCoy’s story ever since. This presentation […]
Join Arizona Humanities for a workshop FREE and open to anyone interested in learning more about Arizona Humanities and how to write a competitive Project Grant or Opportunity Grant proposal. Registration is limited and closes one business day prior to the workshop. If you would like to register for a workshop that is already closed, […]
Consider the taco, that favorite treat, a staple of Mexican and Mexican American cooking and an old standby on an Arizonan’s plate. The corn in the tortilla comes from Mexico, the cheese from the Sahara, the lettuce from Egypt, the onion from Syria, the tomatoes from South America, the chicken from Indochina, and the beef […]
Join the Colorado River Indian Tribes in Parker for Bird Song Gathering - Mega Throw XI. This event includes Bird Singing, interpretive presentations, and youth and adult dance performances. Visit their website for more information on events. This project is funded, in part, by a Project Grant from Arizona Humanities.
Join the Colorado River Indian Tribes in Parker for Bird Song Gathering - Mega Throw XI. This event includes Bird Singing, interpretive presentations, and youth and adult dance performances. Visit their website for more information on events. This project is funded, in part, by a Project Grant from Arizona Humanities.
Arizona has a tremendous record of electing women to office, but there is one position that has been dominated by men – that of sheriff. Was the West just too wild for female sheriffs? Learn how early women got involved in policing the state and find out about the early female pioneers in this field, […]
John Wayne was born in Iowa and lived for most of his adult life in California. Yet, he spent many years exploring, living, and investing in Arizona, where he produced his own films, raised cattle, operated a game ranch, and was seemingly everywhere at once. Wayne remains an iconic presence in American popular culture. In […]
Through this visually rich presentation, Weber carries his listeners along a historical timeline. Beginning with a Hopi legend, he takes his audience through the years of human history in the Grand Canyon, culminating in the river runners of today. Weber recounts the fascinating experiences of those who have been drawn to the wonders of the […]
Through this visually rich presentation, Weber carries his listeners along a historical timeline. Beginning with a Hopi legend, he takes his audience through the years of human history in the Grand Canyon, culminating in the river runners of today. Weber recounts the fascinating experiences of those who have been drawn to the wonders of the […]
The rise of car travel in the 40s, 50s and 60s meant that thousands of people were traversing the broad expanses of the Southwest looking for new landscapes and adventure. As the cars sped past, restaurants, motels, curio shops and gas stations needed large, bright signs to make an impression. This informative and entertaining visual […]
With the exception of the most ardent collectors and the older generations, the influence and legacy of the big bands is largely forgotten despite their overwhelming popularity and significant role in early radio. Join Larson as he revisits the sounds that America listened and danced to for more than three decades. Learn how iconic artists […]
This presentation focuses on the lively and lawless days of Eloy, Arizona. Eloy might have had a reputation that rivaled that of Tombstone, with its killings, graft, good time houses, and mysterious murders. Explore this turbulent time in Territorial Eloy, when the influx of seasonal cotton pickers "raised hell" on the weekends. Geta LeSeur […]
Discovered in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg, the Vulture Gold Mine was the first big gold mine in Arizona. The mine and its colorful cast of characters, along with the town of Wickenburg, were instrumental in stimulating considerable growth and development in Central Arizona. This presentation will share the multi-layered story of the gold mine, thus […]
Join DeBarbieri for a lively overview of motion picture history in Arizona from 1896 to present day. Discuss the silver screen magic of the West through stories, film clips and stills of the people, places and scenes of Hollywood in Arizona. Journey to significant sites in Arizona’s movie history near and far and go behind the scenes with classic Westerns, musicals, Indie flicks and […]
This presentation explains who the mountain men were, how they lived, and why they were in Arizona. Using a colorful presentation, Weber, clad in buckskins, focuses on the life and times of Pauline Weaver, Prescott, Arizona's first white citizen, and other famous mountain men who made their way through this territory. Using photos, maps and […]
Female and Male veterans are welcome to join this FREE five-session book group with dinner included. The group will read short stories and essays from classic and contemporary authors and talk about their own stories with fellow veterans. Facilitators: Dan Shilling, Ph.D. Arizona State University and Vietnam Veteran Dr. Gina Lang, Transpersonal & Integrative Psychologist […]
Through his many diaries and letters it is obvious that Father Kino was more than a missionary who worked among the Native Americans. While his name is often associated with the San Xavier del Bac Mission, he was also a skilled mathematician and cartographer. He made more than 40 expeditions during his life while living […]
Charles Lindbergh is best known for his famous 1927 flight across the Atlantic Ocean. But few realize that Lindbergh and his wife, Anne, played a brief but important role in archaeology. In 1929 they teamed up with noted archaeologist Alfred Kidder to conduct an unprecedented aerial photographic survey of Southwest prehistoric sites and geologic features […]
Ancient 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? Dart illustrates how petroglyph and pictograph styles changed through time and over different regions of the American […]
U.S. Route 66, known as the “Mother Road,” was built in 1926. It ran from Chicago to L. A. During the depression of the 1930s, it became the major path by which people migrated west, seeking work, warm weather and new opportunities. Shore shares the history of Route 66 in Arizona, including the impact it […]
The great West that George Bird Grinnell first encountered in 1870 as a 21-year-old man was shortly to disappear before his eyes. Nobody was quicker to sense the desecration or was more eloquent in crusading against the poachers, the hide-hunters, and the disengaged U.S. Congress than George Bird Grinnell, the “Father of American Conservation.” Grinnell […]
Early traders traveled through Arizona Territory, selling goods from their wagons, but they soon built stores that evolved into trading and social centers where wool, sheep, and Native arts were exchanged for sugar and salt, pots, pans, bridles, and saddles. Navajo trading posts are best known, but trading posts existed on every reservation in Arizona. […]
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 evolved orchestras, operas and glee clubs […]
The Value of Live Performance - Facilitated by: Russ Pryba, NAU Department of Philosophy Click Here for a Flyer Hot Topics Café creates a forum for civil discussion about issues of contemporary concern. Join us to learn more about the issue, and more about other people and their views. NAU’s Philosophy in the Public Interest […]
Join ONEBOOKAZ for a free writing workshop with author and teacher Kristen Kauffman! This workshop will cover: the creative process of writing using journaling techniques for poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction beginning any form of writing with a dream or with art, and learning to trust the writerly intuition setting writing goals, developing ideas into […]
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info@azhumanities.org
Mission:
Arizona Humanities builds a just and civil society by creating opportunities to explore our shared human experiences through discussion, learning and reflection.
