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Linking Southwest Heritage through archaeology By Cynthia Esquer Rico

My Motivation

I had different motivations for wanting to apply into this program. First, if you haven’t noticed, I’m a very socially awkward and anxious person and I felt like this program would help push me out of my comfort zone. Secondly, I wanted to further my teacher tool kit. I knew that through this program I would gain new knowledge and inspiration that I could incorporate within my units on indigenous history. Lastly, I wanted to connect with my family, specifically my Tata through learning about my roots.

Starting at the top from left to right: Corey Knox and Cynthia at the Grand Canyon; Cynthia guiding Enrique, Karla, and Joann at the Grand Canyon; Bobby, Joann and Nathania cleaning artifacts at Pima Community College; Group photo at Montezuma Castle; Cynthia at Wutpatki National Monument; Group picture looking out at the Grand Canyon; Cynthia and Enrique at the Grand Canyon
Art
On the left, Casa Grande Ruins; above Wupatki National Monument

One of my passions in life is the arts so being able to see the petroglyphs, indigenous pottery, basket weaving, architecture, etc. was very inspiring. Through the field trips I was able to get a diverse set of examples of how indigenous cultures, past and present, were innovative, and resourceful. What was available to them was used, and if it wasn’t around, they formed connections with other tribes through trading.

At Arizona State Museum

Below you’ll find one of the pieces I created that was inspired by this program

One of my favorite moments I had in this program was the flint knapping activity. Despite the fact that I sliced my hand in multiple areas, it was 100% worth it as I had so much fun creating something and I’m currently ordering the tools so that I can do some flint knapping on my own time.

Flint knapping activity, taught by Allen Denoyer at the University of Arizona
What I Gained

As a history teacher it’s my job to learn about other cultures, their history, etc. and to communicate that with my students. Through this program I’ve reflected on the role land has played in the lives of indigenous people. Their survival depended on the land, their relationship with it, and knowing when it was time to let go and move on. As we approach the next school year, my goal will be to challenge my students to think about these themes, and to connect that with their current lives, and of others.

In terms of personal growth, as mentioned before my goal was to connect with my Tata and his Yaqui heritage. Since his passing, it has been really important for me to connect the dots in my life so that I can acknowledge those who came before me, and pay my respects by honoring their memory. That’s why I appreciated Jason Nez, the fire archaeologist, and his story. His words and perspective were something I needed to hear in the moment. He emphasized the importance of storytelling and recording history in order to pass down those traditions to the next generation. Additionally it matters who tells it… we have to reclaim our past and be the ones who move our history forward.

“When Teddy Roosevelt came here in 1903, and he’s talking about this wilderness, he’s talking about this garden of Eden… he didn’t see who was living here. So when they wrote these laws and policies, they wrote it without our input. So when Native people were taken off these landscapes, it created this false image, an image of wilderness that didn’t actually exist.” - Jason Nez

Jason Nez, a Diné fire archaeologist, at the Grand Canyon
This is a collage of multiple generations of my family members.
Thank you!

A big thank you to everyone who played a role in making this program possible. Because of a program like this, participants had the opportunity to reconnect with these landscapes.

Group picture at Saguaro National Park; Group picture at the University of Arizona archaeology lab; Katie Portman giving a lesson at the University of Arizona archaeology lab; Group picture at Tuzigoot; Tree ring lab at the University of Arizona; Vivianna, Cesar, and Katie at Wupatki National Monument; Wim vanLeeuwen and Raeshaun Ramon flying a drone at University Indian Ruins; Sara Chavarria and Corey Knox at the Grand Canyon; Katie Portman, Corey Knox and Karla Paredes at the Grand Canyon; Katie and her glow worm at the Grand Canyon; Valerie, Sara, and Katie at the University of Arizona; Barbara Mills, Joanne, Nathania and Corey at Wupatki.
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