Center to host panel on innovations in tribal education

The Center of Southwest Studies will host a panel discussion, “Innovations in Tribal Education: Community and Classroom Advances,” on Tuesday, March 26^th at 6:00pm. Panelists will share recent improvements and emerging innovations in regional tribal education. Participants include representatives from Diné College, the Southern Ute Education Department, the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum, the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs and Fort Lewis College. This event is free and open to the public, and will be held in the Center’s Lyceum Room. 

American Indian Horse Masks: A Book Review from Delaney Library

American Indian Horse Masks by authors Mike Cowdrey, Ned Martin, Jody Martin, and Winfield Coleman, is a colorful book with over 200 illustrations of horse masks, primarily from the 19^th century. The symbolism of the horse mask and the decoration and painting of horses during times of war and times of celebration is explored through detailed pictures and descriptions. Horse masks of various Native American plains tribes, as well as the Apache and Pueblo tribes of the Southwest, are represented. The authors explain that the people of Native North America observed Spanish-armored horses, which led to their own creative uses and implementation of horse armor. The book is divided by geographical region, and the photographs are well-positioned to prompt explanation and interpretation. American Indian Horse Masks was produced in conjunction with the Smithsonian exhibition A Song for the Horse Nation, which included interviews from local Navajos, examples of horse gear, and other remarkable artifacts. Patrons interested in this book may also enjoy They Sang for Horses: the Impact of the Horse on Navajo & Apache Folklore.

This book review was written by student worker Tia Flippin.

Blood and Thunder: A Book Review from the Delaney Library Collection

This book review by library student worker Arielle Liakat is on a historical work that investigates the life of one of the West’s most well-known figures, Kit Carson:

Hampton Sides magnificently details the history of westward expansion in his epic book on the American West, Blood and Thunder. In the summer of 1846, the Army of the West was ferociously driven by the Manifest Destiny ideology. They rode through Santa Fe on one of the longest marches in American military history and continued their conquest of other Western territories. This march led to two decades of resistance by the Navajos against these “blue suited, New Men.” At the center of this tale, we come to understand the life and times of Kit Carson - trapper, scout, soldier, and frontiersman of the American West. Sides shows us that Carson, who was an illiterate mountain man - while credited with understanding and respecting Native American people better than any other American of his time - was still willing to follow army orders at the cost of many Native American lives. Blood and Thunder is an eloquently told tale of a controversial man and times of turmoil in the history of the American West.

Financial Aid information session hosted by the CSWS on March 12th

Spring Break closure week of March 4-8

The Center of Southwest Studies will be closed for Spring Break the week of March 4-8, returning to normal operations on Monday, March 11th.

Happy spring!

America's First Warriors: A Book Review from Delaney Library

The Delaney Library holds many historical works in its collection, and it also holds works on current topics of significance on the landscape and cultures of the Southwest. One such book is

America’s First Warriors: Native Americans and Iraq by Steven Clevenger, which is reviewed by library student worker Stone Tighe:

 America’s First Warriors: Native Americans and Iraq is a collection of interviews and photographs of Native Americans who have served in Iraq. Most of the interviewees are from the New Mexico State National Guard. The writer investigates the traditional culture of the warrior and the way these traditions are carried on by Native American soldiers in today’s army culture. Steven Clevenger, who is Osage, documents major conflicts and his photographs have appeared in Newsweek and CNN. This book gives insight to the duality of the worlds that Native American people navigate between cultural traditions and the modern military. This book is ideal for anyone who is interested in the service of Native Americans in the U.S. military, who often occupy an in-between cultural space.

Alumni event in Flagstaff celebrates CSWS partnership with Museum of Northern Arizona

The Center of Southwest Studies is pleased to announce a Fort Lewis College Alumni Reunion event hosted by the Foundation/ Development Office on Saturday, March 2, 2013 from 2:00 pm-4:00 pm at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, AZ. The Center traveled its very popular Mountain Lion! exhibit to the Museum of Northern Arizona, and in celebration of that partnership, alumni and their families are invited to attend a private reception and tour the exhibit.
Please RSVP to the Foundation Office, 970-247-7177 by February 27th.
at 3101 N Fort Valley Rd  Flagstaff, AZ  (928) 774-5213.
The Museum of Northern Arizona is located at 3101 North Fort Valley Road in Flagstaff. Visit their webpage: http://www.musnaz.org/