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Covert Federal Effort Rescues Remains of Army Indian Wars Graves from Further Looting

2008-08-30T20:14:21Z

Mention grave robbers and many people think about Egypt's ancient desert tombs being looted. But mention grave robbers to two of the federal government's top archeologists in the West and they will tell you about the looting that took place in recent times at the almost forgotten military cemetery at New Mexico's Civil War-era Fort Craig.

The archeologists, Jeff Hanson and Mark Hungerford with the Bureau of Reclamation, spoke with OldWestNewWest.Com about a covert effort that began in 2007 to exhume as many bodies as they could find at the post cemetery after the agency was tipped off to looting that had taken place, possibly even as recent as a few years ago.

Scottsdale’s Native Trails Celebration Marks 10th Anniversary of Free Noontime Festivals

2011-12-15T17:17:11Z

Native Trails, a series of free outdoor festivals held in Scottsdale, Ariz. honoring the Native American cultures of the Southwest through song and dance, is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in 2012 with an extended season of 19 performances.

Presented by the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation and produced by the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts , the noontime festivals will kick off Jan. 19 and run through April 14, 2012.

Native American Heritage Days Set for Grand Canyon’s North Rim

2011-08-02T13:48:03Z

The 18th annual Native American Heritage Days at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park gets underway Aug. 11-12, 2011 and visitors will find lots of activities to enjoy.

The event, celebrating the rich cultural diversity of the Colorado Plateau, the Arizona Strip and the Grand Canyon, begins with a morning nature walk on Thursday, and ends with a special evening program on Friday.

Cherokee Nation Tour Commemorates the American Civil War

2011-04-11T03:44:10Z

Cherokee Nation Cultural Tourism will commemorate the American Civil War's 150th Anniversary with an April 16, 2011 tour focusing on how the war impacted the Cherokee Nation.

The tour includes a visit to historic Capitol Square in Tahlequah, Okla., to learn about the destruction by Confederate troops. Guests will also visit the Murrell Home, an antebellum home that survived the fires of the Civil War.

Lakota Sioux Hold Historic Ride Through Badlands National Park

2011-01-23T22:40:47Z

Honoring those who lost their lives at the Wounded Knee massacre, Badlands National Park and Buffalo Gap National Grasslands ended 2010 by hosting an annual ride that is now renamed to connect with future generations.

Known for the past 23 years as the Bigfoot Memorial Ride, made up Lakota Sioux from the Pine Ridge, Standing Rock, and Cheyenne River Reservations, the new name from the annual ride is now the Future Generations ride (Omaka Tokatakiya).

For Visitors, New Mexico’s Acoma Pueblo Is ‘Haak’u’ – A Place Prepared

2010-10-11T00:38:04Z

Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico is a progressive model of the old customs of a proud culture moving seamlessly into the 21st century.

With the unexplained collapse of the great commercial and spiritual center of Chaco Canyon, legend has it that the Acoma tribe, searching for a home, wandered in the southwest calling out "Haak'u" - which in their native Keresan means "a place prepared." Upon entering this other-worldly valley their words echoed back from the surrounding mesas; they had the sign - they were home.

Gathering of Nations 2010, World’s Largest Native American Cultural Event, Set for April 22-24 in Albuquerque, N.M.

2010-04-15T09:00:00Z

The Gathering of Nations, what organizers call the world's largest gathering of Native American and indigenous people, will take place in Albuquerque, New Mexico between April 22 and 24, 2010.

The 27th Annual Gathering of Nations, considered the most prominent Native American powwow in the world, will host more than 150,000 persons and more than 500 tribes from throughout the United States, Canada, and around the world celebrating their culture and traditions through dance, music, food and indigenous dress including feathers, bells, jingles and fringes.

Plains Indian Museum Powwow Set for June 19-20 at Buffalo Bill Historical Center

2010-06-07T10:00:00Z

Native American dancers representing 42 tribes from across the United States will be gathering June 19-20 in Cody, Wyoming for the 29th annual Plains Indian Museum Powwow to be held at the Robbie Powwow Garden at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

The dancers, in handcrafted regalia, will compete for more than $30,000 in cash and other prizes. Competitive dance categories include traditional, jingle dress, fancy, grass, team dancing, tiny tots, and chicken dance.

Record Breaking Crowds Attend Autry’s Native American Heritage Weekend

2009-11-10T22:39:43Z

Nearly 3,000 visitors enjoyed a weekend of Native American history and culture at the Autry National Center Nov. 6-8, 2009 in Los Angeles, which featured three major events including the annual Intertribal Arts Marketplace.

The other events included the much-anticipated exhibition, "The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Tradition," and the kick-off of the 10th Anniversary season of "Native Voices" at the Autry with the play Carbon Black by Terry Gomez (Comanche).

“Horse Nation” Exhibition Premieres At Smithsonian in New York

2009-11-10T00:42:07Z

For those who appreciate the history of the West's Native peoples, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in New York (www.americanindian.si.edu) has a new exhibition that is reason enough to book a flight to the Big Apple.

Opening Saturday, Nov. 14, "A Song for the Horse Nation" vividly details the enduring relationship between Native people and the horse with personal accounts and a spectacular array of objects.