Amerind quarterly The Newsletter of the Amerind Foundation fall 2007 ( vol. 4, no. 4 ) Happy 70th to the Amerind! Seventy years ago, on November 26, 1937, the Amerind primary resources for understanding the prehistory and Foundation, Inc., was born as a non-profit organization early history of the Southwestern Borderlands. whose mission was to “foster and promote knowledge Di Peso’s death in 1982 marked the end of an era. In and understanding of the Native Peoples of the Americas the 1980s and ‘90s the Amerind turned inward to focus on through research, education, and conservation.” Amerind’s the interpretation of its 50,000 object museum collection. founder, William Shirley Fulton, was president of a brass Perishable collections were re-housed in climate- foundry in Waterbury, Connecticut, but he retired from controlled spaces, interpretive exhibitions were installed the family business in 1930 to follow his dream westward in the museum and fine art gallery, and the museum to Texas Canyon, Arizona, where he bought land that opened its doors to the walk-in public for the first time in became the “FF Ranch” (Fulton & Fulton) and devoted 1985. (Prior to this the museum could be visited only by the remaining 34 years of his life to his principal passion: appointment). Research continued at the Amerind but the American Indian archaeology. focus shifted from data collection to synthesis. Amerind’s The first half of Amerind’s life was devoted to basic advanced seminar series, initiated in 1987, hosted small archaeological research. From the 1930s through the groups of scholars who had completed their field work 1970s Amerind archaeological crews cycled between field and needed time to discuss and synthesize their findings. and laboratory, collecting and interpreting The original Fulton home was converted data on Southwestern prehistory. Fulton into a seminar house and the proceedings and archaeologist Carr Tuthill conducted of seminars were published through pioneering excavations on sites in the the presses of the Universities of New Dragoon region (Gleeson, Tres Alamos, Mexico and Arizona. Winchester Cave, FF Ranch). Charles In recent years the Amerind has Di Peso, Amerind’s director for 30 expanded its seminar program (we now years, focused his work along the San host from three to five seminars a year), Pedro and Santa Cruz rivers before developed a resident scholar program, turning his attention to uncovering the launched an aggressive changing massive late prehistoric site of Casas exhibitions program, and developed Grandes in northern Mexico. The Joint an active calendar of public programs Casas Grandes Project, a collaboration that brings the Native voice into the between the Amerind Foundation and Charles Di Peso and museum. In 2003 we began our first-ever the government of Mexico and one of William Shirley Fulton membership program and last month we the most comprehensive archaeological enrolled our one-thousandth member. Our projects in the history of North American archaeology, education program now serves nearly one thousand school consumed Amerind staff for nearly 20 years (1958-1974). children every year and has been praised by students From these early excavations the Amerind published over and teachers alike. To those of you who have supported a dozen archaeological monographs—including the eight Amerind’s efforts over the years, we thank you! We can’t volume Casas Grandes report—that continue to serve as wait to start our next 70 years! – John Ware, Director MISSION STATEMENT: Established in 1937, the Amerind Foundation and Museum seeks to foster and promote knowledge and understanding of the Native Peoples of the Americas through research, education, and conservation. from the collections We are pleased to announce the ap- A Giwho (also spelled Giho) pointment of Dr. Eric J. Kaldahl to the position of Chief Curator at the On an Amerind storage shelf rests a Tohono Amerind Foundation. Eric has de- O’odham giwho, bought by the Amerind’s founder grees from the Universities of Nebras- William Shirley Fulton in Sells, Arizona in 1942. ka (B.A.) and Arizona (M.A., Ph.D.) The giwho, called a “burden basket” in English, and his principal field work and pub- is a very distinctive O’odham tool. Mr. Fulton lications focus on the archaeology of bought this basket at the newly constructed the Southwest and Great Plains. Eric’s Papago Tribal complex which included offices, research interests are in the flaked auditorium, gift shop and museum. The Papago stone tools of the Hohokam, ancestral Arts and Crafts Board ran the store. Western Pueblos, and Central Plains The tribe created the Papago Arts and cultures. His research explores tool Crafts Board to assist O’odham in marketing their making techniques in order to study works. The labor demands of the Second World differences between households and the ways families shared their tech- War brought an end to the Board and their small niques within communities. museum. O’odham artists, however, continued to Eric worked for the University of grow more famous for their fine baskets, and the tribe kept the dream of having Nebraska and Old Pueblo Archaeolo- their own museum alive for 50 years. gy Center in Tucson before joining the The Papago Tribe renamed itself the Tohono O’odham Nation in 1986 with staff of the Tohono O’odham Nation the adoption of a new constitution. Tohono O’odham means “Desert People,” where he served as Curator of Educa- whereas “Papago” derives from an anglicized O’odham nickname: “Tepary Bean tion and Research, Acting Curator Eaters.” Bawĭ (the tepary bean) is a favorite Tohono O’odham food. of Exhibitions, and helped supervise Revenues from gaming allowed the Nation to open a new Cultural Center the design and implementation of the and Museum in June of this year. It was my privilege to be part of the team tribe’s new Cultural Center and Mu- that helped build that new museum from architectural planning, to establishing seum in Topawa. programs, to developing exhibits. And then, like the giwho, I moved from the Eric has taught anthropology at the Tohono O’odham Nation to the Amerind. Universities of Nebraska, Arizona, The giwho reminds me of an important O’odham value: and Pima Community College, and he industriousness. Historical photographs of O’odham women show will be offering courses in archaeol- their gigiwho (plural form) piled high with pottery, firewood, and ogy at Cochise College this winter baskets. In traditional O’odham homes, girls and (see calendar on back page). As with boys are reminded to get up early, work hard, all Amerind staff members, Eric will and to run to their chores. When burden baskets almost certainly be wearing many were common tools, O’odham families were up hats, but his primary responsibility before dawn, getting water, stirring cook fires, and will be to conserve, care and advocate preparing for work. for Amerind’s collections. In that role, O’odham weavers made use of many materials. Eric will be a regular contributor The supporting sticks of the giwho are wa:pai (saguaro to the Amerind Quarterly, sharing cactus ribs). The carrying net sack is probably woven a’uḍ insights about the wonderful objects (agave) fibers dyed different colors. The sack is joined to the that form the core of Amerind’s world- frame with kawyu mo’o (horse hair) twine. The plaited umug class collections. (sotol) strap passes over a wearer’s forehead to support the Our sincere thanks to Amerind’s basket. A plaited umug mat provides protection for the wearer’s Board of Directors, the estate of back. Elizabeth Husband, and to a very The giwho also reminds me of the importance of the generous anonymous donor who made Amerind’s collection. Only a very few weavers still make gigiwho. it possible to bring Dr. Kaldahl to the Each object in the Amerind has a story to tell about a certain culture Amerind. If you would like to contrib- and artist at a particular point in time. It is my privilege to help care ute to the ongoing effort to endow Am- for this collection and explore its stories with our visitors. erind’s chief curator position, please contact John Ware at 520.586.3666. by Eric J. Kaldahl 2 Exploring Culture Change at Amerind Seminars Watershed changes in human societies was a unifying that occurred with the decline of domestic pit structure use theme of Amerind’s busiest advanced seminar season ever at the end of the first millennium A.D? Answers to these this fall, with over 40 scholars coming to the Amerind to and other questions about the earliest pithouse dwellers of participate in two four-day seminars in October and an the greater Southwest will comprise a volume to be edited intensive two-day seminar in early November. by symposium organizers Lisa Young of the University Our annual Society for American Archaeology of Michigan and Sarah Herr of Desert Archaeology of seminar assembled thirteen scholars who came together Tucson, and published by the University of Arizona Press. to examine colonial interactions between Europeans Finally, Amerind’s first American Anthropological and Native Americans during the early historic period. Society seminar in early October brought together The orthodox view is that the territorial ambitions twelve scholars from around the world to critically and advanced technologies of European colonists examine the work of Pulitzer Prize-winning author overwhelmed the stone age indigenous peoples of North Jared Diamond, of Guns, Germs and Steel and Collapse America, but recent historical research, conducted fame (see John Ware’s article on Diamond’s theories in mostly by archaeologists, suggests that the course of the Fall 2005 Amerind Quarterly). Diamond’s popular colonial interactions was often determined as much by accounts of societal growth and collapse have done as indigenous cultural practices.