In this section we will share more information about our educational outreach initiatives – a core component of the Friends of Chaco mission.
The most recent gathering of youth participating in Yakanal brought them to Laguna Pueblo and Chaco to participate in a Media Training program that allowed the youth to edit their own footage taken during prior cultural exchange gatherings towards the development of a short video on the importance of water from cultural and preservation perspectives.
“Every time I’ve gone out there, another handful of drilling sites appear somewhere in the general vicinity,” said Steve Speth, longtime park astronomer and president of Friends of Chaco. “It’s really been kind of astounding.”
On summer solstice, Saturday, June 20th the Friends of Chaco sponsored the Kitzit Dancers from Laguna Pueblo who danced at Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
On summer solstice, Saturday, June 20th the Friends of Chaco will be sponsoring the Kitzit Dancers from Laguna Pueblo at Chaco Culture National Historical Park. There will be two sets of dances at 9:30 and 11:30 am
On Camping at Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Aztec Ruins National Monument provided an immersive experience to the 49 participants with the opportunity to learn about Ancestral Pueblo culture.August 14-22, Maya and Pueblo youth and elders met for a cultural exchange in New Mexico and Colorado for the Third Pueblo-Maya Cultural Exchange.
During our April Friends of Chaco Board meeting, park Superintendent Larry Turk and his staff presented us with a list of projects that would benefit from the support of the Friends. After deliberation, we decided to fund six exciting projects. We will support: Maya-Pueblo Youth Cultural Exchange: This August, a group of approximately 45 youth and elders from the Pueblos in New Mexico and Maya towns in Mexico and Guatemala will visit Chaco and two other ancestral sites–Aztec Ruins National Monument and Mesa Verde National Park–as well as the contemporary Pueblos of Laguna, Zia, and Acoma. These special places will offer…
The Park owns several telescopes which are used for public viewing during the night sky programs. One of these, a 17.5” reflecting telescope, had deteriorated over the years. The primary mirror was still in very good condition, but the mechanical parts of the telescope originally had been built in such a manner that the telescope could be sold fairly cheaply 10 years ago when it was purchased. Private donations were secured to provide one half of the funding to purchase parts and materials to build a modern truss tube Dobsonian telescope utilizing the existing 17.5” primary mirror. Friends of Chaco…