Acoma focus of workshop series

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — A 10-week series of Tuesday workshops open to the public titled "Acoma Unbounded," and sponsored jointly by the Pueblo of Acoma and New Mexico State University-Grants, begins Feb. 28.

The workshops will present information about the Acoma's history, language, traditional agriculture, a film, "Daughters of the Anasazi," the story of Acoma Business Enterprises, a tour of Acoma's Sky City on a Saturday and a special presentation on a Thursday by well-known author and college professor Simon Ortiz.

Anyone may attend for a $5 fee. These workshops may also be taken for a three-hour credit class at the university if the student pays the three-hour tuition fee, said Sandee Kosmo, spokeswoman for the university.

A similar series of workshops was presented last spring by the Pueblo of Laguna and the university, Kosmo said.

"These are educational programs to get to get to know our neighbors," she said. "Last year's was so successful we decided to do another series, and this year it is Acoma."

Prudy Correa, who is the Haaku Museum planner at the pueblo helped put the series together, Kosmo said.

Correa said the word Haaku means "A place prepared." It is the name of the new cultural museum, that the pueblo is opening in May at Sky City.

Correa provided a some information about a few of the people who are involved in the workshops.

Petuuche Ortiz, who will be presenting the history of Acoma on Feb. 28, worked with archeologist Dr. Hettrick when he was doing excavations in the 1960s or 1970s, she said.

William Esteban Jr., who will be presenting the workshop on traditional Acoma crops and agriculture is a teacher at Grants High School.

Some of the workshops have had instructors replaced and are in the process of changing focus.

Members of the original Acoma Business Enterprises board are being invited to the April 25 workshop where the story of the business organization will be presented, Correa said.

"I hope we can get all five of the members."

On May 2, elderly Acomas are being asked to provide old pictures of the pueblo and possibly tell some stories during the "Show and Tell" workshop, Correa said.

The book signing event with Simon Ortiz, on May 25, is also being touted as part of the grand opening of the museum that weekend. A preview of the museum may be presented at that workshop, she said.

The schedule of workshops, which will all be at Sky City Hotel Casino's Conference Room at 7 p.m., Tuesdays, unless otherwise noted, are:

• Feb. 28 Pueblo of Acoma History, Petucche Ortiz
  
  
• March 7 Storytelling, a tribal elder is being sought.
  
  
• March 14 The Keresan Language a native language teacher is being sought.
  
  
• March 21 No workshop-NMSU spring break
  
  
• April 1 Tour of Acoma's Sky City, 1-5 p.m. Vans from the parking lot at NMSU in Grants will take attendees to the village. A 45-minute guided tour will be offered as part of the workshop.
  
  
• April 4 Movies produced at the Pueblo of Acoma, Jonathan Sims.
  
  
• April 11 The 30-minute film "Daughters of the Anasazi" will be presented.
  
  
• April 18 Preview of the new Haaku Museum, Damien Garcia, museum curator.
  
  
• April 25 The Acoma Business Enterprise story.
  
  
• May 2 Acoma "Show and Tell," Pueblo of Acoma members.
  
  
• May 25 (Thursday) Simon Ortiz, noted author and English professor at the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada, will be on hand for a book signing. A preview of the new museum will be presented. The museum is slated to open Memorial Day weekend, May 27-28.

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: tiffin.independent@yahoo.com.