The Artist-in-Residence program gives visitors to Bandelier a chance to meet and engage with different kinds of artists. Today I had the opportunity to teach some mini writing workshops here in the park. I enjoyed having the chance to share my craft and encourage participants to use writing as a way to connect with this wonderful place. But, the AiR program is not the only chance people have to connect with something new or different. One thing Bandelier does really well is engage with local Pueblo communities and invite them to come here and share their history and culture with us. These are called cultural demonstrations and they are very interesting. They help visitors connect modern pueblo cultures with the ancient Tyuonyi (pronounced QU-weh-nee) culture that lived here in Bandelier through traditions that have been passed down intact over centuries.

Over Labor Day I had the delightful opportunity to get to know two lovely people from the pueblo of Santo Domingo, Harvey Ross Abeyta and his wife Priscilla Nieto. Harvey is a flintknapper. He works with obsidian, chert, and agate which he collects himself, often from sources that were used by the early inhabitants of Bandelier and other ancestors of his tribe. He knew from an early age that he wanted to learn this traditional art. Though he is a master flintknapper, there is always someone that can teach him something new and he enjoys the challenge of learning.

Priscilla makes beautiful jewelry. She learned this art from her mother and has passed it on to her daughter. She does a lot of work with turquoise and can tell just by looking not only what kind of turquoise a stone is, but also which specific mine it came from. I learned that turquoise is primarily a by-product of mining ore. Green turquoise comes from copper mines and blue from silver mines. Priscilla is a prize-winning artist, including a Best of Show from the prestigious Crazy Horse pow-wow.

My time with Harvey and Priscilla was rewarding and informative. I learned many things about their families, including tribal leadership, US military service, and some of their traditions. I also came to understand that there are many thing that I will never learn because they are considered sacred and not shared outside of the community. Perhaps this is why the traditions and practices continue to bind this culture to its roots with an unbroken thread.

For information about upcoming Cultural Demonstrations in Bandelier National Monument, please visit their website: https://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm