Be sure to come by Delaney Library and see what we have going on in February!
This Wednesday at 5 pm please join us for a Hané Gathering (Navajo Story Time), an introduction to Diné language and culture. This is probably the last month we'll be able to tell stories before the weather warms up. Come learn about the Diné Universe (cosmology and astronomy) and play the Stick Game!
We also have two book displays this month, celebrating Valentine’s Day and showcasing a few of our books on African-Americans in the Southwest. Our Valentine’s Day book selection features love of all sorts: between parents and children, between romantic partners, and between, shall we say, “business” partners. And whether you’re old enough to wax nostalgic about VHS tapes, or young enough to think they’re retro-hip, you may enjoy some of the romantical Western movies from our collection. If you like adventures, you might like the story of the love triangle between a female saloon owner, a new member of Butch Cassidy’s gang, and the Sundance Kid (The Maverick Queen). If you prefer dramas set in the early-to-mid 20th century, try Legends of the Fall or Three Faces West. Or have it all, drama, adventure, and romance, in the critically-acclaimed Inuit movie Atarnajuat: The Fast Runner.
The term “Buffalo Soldiers” may be most familiar to us now from the Bob Marley song, but the nickname for the African American cavalry regiment originated with the Native American people who fought the soldiers during the Indian Wars between 1866 and the early 1890s. Buffalo Soldiers enforced the expansionist goals of the U.S. government through military force, but also through building roads, escorting the U.S. mail, and working as de facto park rangers shortly before the National Park Service was officially established. The hats they wore became the standard “Ranger” (or “Smokey the Bear”) hat worn by park rangers today. Pictured below are Buffalo Soldiers from the Spanish-American War (1898) and from the Battle of Carrizal in Chihuahua, Mexico (1916).