SUMMER 2014 FELLOWSHIP

FINAL REPORT

 Fig. 1 - MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK - CLIFF PALACE

Mesa Verde is a window into the past. Not only of the present Pueblo people, or even earlier Americans, but it is a window into our common past as human beings in our constant search for solutions to the challenges posed by our environment. The solutions are there, but we must discover sustainable ways to make the most out of each opportunity. 

IN SEARCH OF THE ANCIENTS

Project Summary: 

Mesa Verde is also a window into our souls. After the visitors leave and the sun sets, the alcoves fill with the singing of the swallows as they return to their nests. One can only imagine the noises of children playing, of grinding stones, of chipping and building, quiet talk and even music emerging with the smoke out of the Kivas. We can also listen to the canyons talking, the wind rising from the ravines and rustling of leaves. We can hear the souls of the ancient ones.

Fig. 2 - Petroglyph National Monument near Albuquerque, N. M.

My journey to the “four corners” began as an exploration of the geography and ecology of the Texas Mountains and Basins region as it relates to the northern Rio Grande and the Pecos river basins. This is where the high plains meet the Rockies, where few rivers were ancient highways. Many of the Texas Native American groups left their imprint in this area, and their cultures were influenced by adapting to this land: Clovis, Folsom, Mogollon, Piro, Patarabueyes, Jumano, Apache, Coahuiltecan, Tigua, Ysleta and Kickapoo. Some came and left, others stayed.

Fig. 3 - Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon,
New Mexico, A World Heritage site

I travelled from the Gulf Coast to the headwaters of the Rio Grande in southern Colorado, from sea level to a high point of 13,361 feet in altitude. 

This exposed me to the habitats, flora and fauna of the humid lowlands, the semi-arid southern plains, volcano and lava fields, the high desert plains, deep windswept canyons, and the forested southern Rockies.

I travelled in time, from 13,000 b.c. paleosites, to the historic Acoma and Taos Pueblos and missions. My journey was a holistic experience that gave me a new understanding of our past. 

Fig. 4 - Monumental Public Kiva at
Aztec Ruins, New Mexico
A truly religious experience

Fig. 5 - Excavation at the Dillard Site on Blue Sage Mesa,
near Cortez, Colorado

Personal and 

Professional Growth:

A rewarding experience of this fellowship was meeting leading scholars. They conducted the discussions at Crow Canyon about the connections between the archaeological evidence found at ancient sites and the anthropological evidence of the past found in oral traditions, legends and rituals. 

I was impressed by the Native American Scholars Dr. Tessie Naranjo, of Santa Clara Pueblo, and Prof. Porter Swentzell, of the Institute of American Indian Arts. Their interpretive insights were very enriching. The week-long workshop gave me new knowledge and skills that I have begun to incorporate into my teaching of the social sciences.

Fig. 6 - North complex at Taos Pueblo, New MexicoA World Heritage Site inhabited for more than 1,000 years

Benefits to Students and School Community:

• Professional library books for future reference and handbooks available to other teachers
• Classroom library books: short stories, archaeology, history, anthropology
• More than 1,200 photographs of sites visited, plants and geology for classroom use
• More than 3 hours of un-edited video for class room use
• Realia: reproductions of arrowheads, spear points, and Atl-atl. Maps, pamphlets, and rock samples
• A permanent teacher resource in the form of a Blog:

                                             http://magus-memories.blogspot.com/

         It describes all the activities of the fellowship, and has photographs, maps, comments and          video links suitable forthe classroom.

Fig. 7 - San Francisco de Asis Church and Mission at
Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico. Still in active use as a
parish church.  A World Heritage Site

Works in Progress:

I have shared my fellowship experience with colleagues, helping to re-design a teaching unit devoted to the Native American cultures of Texas and their habitats. Using Crow Canyon Archaeological Center’s Guide for Teacher’s, I will build a simulated dig site on campus. The “site” is similar to a large sandbox with different soil layers, each containing “artifacts” of a different epoch. The students will excavate using appropriate archaeological tools, such as small trowels and brushes. They will locate their discoveries in three dimensions, and document them in journals. This unit will incorporate multidisciplinary skills and last several weeks.

Fig. 8 - Ascending the sacred Taos Mountain. Wheeler Peak is its highest point,
and the highest peak in New Mexico, is 13,361 feet in altitude.

My professional gratitude and personal appreciation go to the two institutions that made this exploration possible:  FUND FOR TEACHERS and the National Endowment for the Humanities, through Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. I thank their staffs and donors for believing that educators are a key to a better future.