NAVAJO ELDER TO SPEAK AT THE ANASAZI HERITAGE CENTER
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DOLORES, Colo.- James Peshlakai, a Navajo elder, storyteller, teacher and artist who successfully bridges cultural gaps, will share his insights at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 30 at the Anasazi Heritage Center.
Peshlakai taught Applied Indigenous Studies as the Elder-in-Residence at Northern Arizona University, where he applied his passion for Navajo cultural preservation to teach students about native plants, geology, self-reliance and cultural values.
He also helped found the Navajo Arts and Crafts Cooperative, one of America’s first native arts cooperatives, and the Peshlakai Dancers troupe, which performs across the country. As a singer he released an album entitled Songs of the Navajo in 2009.
Peshlakai was born near Wupatki National Monument north of Flagstaff, Ariz., where his father, uncles and grandfathers were all hatathli (medicine men).
This event is part of the 2013 Four Corners Lecture Series: “Knowing the Greater Southwest,” a cooperative community project.
The Anasazi Heritage Center (27501 Hwy. 184 in Dolores) is headquarters for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission to the museum is free on the day of the lecture.
For more information, contact the museum at 970-882-5600 or go to www.co.blm.gov/ahc.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.