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Petrified Forest National Parktarantula, Photo by Marge Post/NPS
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Petrified Forest National Park
Cultural Demonstrations
several pots are manipulated by tongs in a firepit
NPS
Firing pottery at Painted Desert Inn.

The Cultural Demonstrator Program at Petrified Forest National Park provides the opportunity for regional peoples to share their history and traditional crafts in the dynamic setting of Petrified Forest National Park.

The park is pleased to promote awareness and appreciation for the diverse history and cultures of the region on Saturdays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. Through cultural demonstrators, we can recognize the ancient peoples, intertribal relationships, European-descent cultures and even Route 66 history.

Artisans are typically available 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time at the Painted Desert Inn National Historical Landmark. See below for dates. For more information about this program, contact us.

10:00 am to 4:00 pm Saturday, April 25

Zuni Silversmith Demonstration
Otto Lucio of Zuni Pueblo will demonstrate his traditional silversmithing art during National Park Week. Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark
 
Apache beadwork
NPS photo
Tina James

Some past demonstrators:

Marcus Coochwikvia: Hopi jewelry-maker

Teddy Goodluck, Sr. and Rebekah Goodluck: Navajo silversmiths 

Tina James: Apache/Navajo beadwork artist

Michael Kabotie: Hopi painter

Alex Laweka, Jr.: Zuni fetish carver

Otto Lucio: Zuni silversmithing and jewelry-making

Lucinda “Dusty” Nastacio:  Zuni beadwork

Dee and Gwen Setalla: Hopi potters

Sam Truax: White Mountain Apache “tse hailgath—which means one who works with rocks.”

The Westika Family: Zuni fetish carving and pottery

Ruth Wilson: Navajo weaver

David Wolf’s Robe: Native American flute performer and educator

Eileen Yatsattie: Zuni traditional pottery

For more information call (928) 524-6228 weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time; or write to the Superintendent, Petrified Forest National Park, P.O. Box 2217, Petrified Forest, AZ 86028; or e-mail the park. 

Agate House pueblo made with petrified wood chunks  

Did You Know?
Petrified wood was so abundant when the ancestral Puebloan people were living in the area that they used it not only for stone tools but also as building material, such as the "brick" used in Agate House at Petrified Forest National Park.

Last Updated: March 26, 2009 at 18:23 EST