May 5, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Michael Williams (970) 882-5600 

 ZUNI EDUCATORS TO SPEAK AT ANASAZI HERITAGE CENTER

Dolores – Two representatives from the Pueblo of Zuni will discuss cross-cultural communication at the Anasazi Heritage Center on Sunday, May 10 at 1:00 PM. Admission to the museum will be free all day in honor of Colorado Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month.

Jim Enote, a Zuni farmer and artist, has been involved for over 20 years in the conservation and development of indigenous communities worldwide. He is director of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center at Zuni, senior advisor for Mountain Cultures at the Mountain Institute, and co-director for the Indigenous Communities Mapping Initiative.

Mr. Simplicio, a former member of the Zuni Tribal Council, is known for his work on tribal issues including health, language and cultural continuity, and environmental protection. He led a decades-long struggle against mining at Zuni Salt Lake, which is sacred to Zuni and other Pueblo Peoples. Simplicio is currently teaching Zuni Language and Culture at Twin Buttes High School and is a consultants to the A:shiwi A:wan Museum.

The subject of the talk is "Creating Collaborative Interpretations," an appeal for museums and educators to consider a variety of cultural perspectives in designing their projects. A recent partnership between the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff acknowledges the Zuni presence in the Four Corners area and the influence of this ancient people across their aboriginal territory.

According to tradition, the Zunis migrated across the Colorado Plateau from their origin in the the Grand Canyon to their present home at Zuni in western New Mexico (also called Halona:wa, the Middle Place of the World). Archaeologists and historians now collaborate with tribal elders to improve our perspective and understanding of the past.

This talk is part of the 2009 Four Corners Lecture Series, a project in partnership with Mesa Verde National Park, Fort Lewis College, the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, and the Cortez Cultural Center, with support from KSJD Public Radio and Aramark International.

The Bureau of Land Management Anasazi Heritage Center is 3 miles west of Dolores on State Highway 184, and is open daily from 9 to 5. For more information, call the Center at (970)882-5600 or visit the web site at www.blm.gov/ahc.

  -BLM-