Past Events

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Gallery

Join us in celebrating the summer solstice on Thursday, June 20. At the dawn of the solstice, a spiral of sunlight from the Center's solstice window makes its way across the gallery walls, creating an impressive display. Arrive early to ensure you don't miss the display! Light refreshments will be provided, along with music by keyboardist Jonas Grushkin.

Location: Community Concert Hall, Fort Lewis College

Free and open to the public.

Join us for a special preview of the Solstice Project's latest Chaco film, Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon, with an in-person introduction by Craig Childs. The film addresses the Ancestral Puebloan culture's complex astronomy, which reveals a legacy of scientific observation and spiritual tradition that continues to have a powerful impact on the American Southwest.

This event is sponsored by the San Juan Basin Archeological Society, the Durango Public Library, the Fort Lewis College Center of Southwest Studies, and the Community Concert Hall. 

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum

Join us for an engaging presentation focusing on the Aztec Ruins Historic Inscriptions Project, funded by the National Park Service through Archaeology Southwest. This event highlights efforts to document and preserve historic inscriptions at Aztec Ruins National Monument.

Celebrate Star Wars Day by visiting the Return of the Force exhibition at the Center of Southwest Studies!

Saturday, May 4, 2024
Open House: 9:00 AM – Noon
Free and Open to the Public

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum, Fort Lewis College and via Zoom

Sponsored by the Center of Southwest Studies and FLC's Adventure Education Department

Historian and explorer Steve Allen discusses his many years investigating the canyon country of Southern Utah, addressing his family’s history of desert exploration, his interest in documenting history on the ground, and his thoughts about the ongoing battles over land protection in Utah.

Steve is a widely recognized expert on the human history of the canyon lands of Southern Utah. His popular 'Canyoneering' series of hiking guides is considered a “go-to” source for accurate information.

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum, Fort Lewis College

Sponsored by the CSWS & FLC's Diversity Collaborative

Join us for a special screening of Making of buffalo soldiers: reVision, a film following eight well-known contemporary artists from around the U.S. as they create the dynamic and thought-provoking exhibition buffalo soldiers: reVision at History Colorado's Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center. Led by artist Chip Thomas, the contributors to buffalo soldiers: reVision explore the complicated legacy of Buffalo Soldiers, the all-Black Army regiments established in 1866 following the Civil War. Stationed in places like Colorado's own Fort Garland and Fort Lewis, these regiments played an active role in American westward expansion and the displacement of Indigenous populations.

The film screening will be followed by a discussion with Johnny Taylor Valdez and artists Chip Thomas, Esther Belin, and Rosie Carter. The panel will be moderated by Eric Carpio, director of the Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center.

Light refreshments provided. The Center's exhibition gallery will be open prior to the event from 6:00 to 7:00 PM.

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Gallery, Fort Lewis College

Ron Garnanez is a Diné (Navajo) shepherd and fiber artist from Waterflow, New Mexico. Raised in Oak Springs, Arizona, Ron is well known for his weavings and his love of Diné culinary traditions. Ron began to weave and work with wool as a child, learning the art of weaving from his grandmother. Ron has also been a sheep rancher all his life. He and his family have raised over 200 head of Navajo Churro sheep and goats, keeping the tradition of sheep ranching alive. Ron works with the Diné Bé’Iiná, Rainbow Fiber Co-op, and Peach Tree Project of Santa Fe, and has been recognized by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture for his weavings. This event is open to the public.

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Lyceum, Fort Lewis College

Join the fun by participating in a trivia event hosted by FLC's History Club and the Center of Southwest Studies on Groundhog Day. Whether you're competing solo or with friends, enjoy snacks, refreshments, and the chance to win fabulous prizes. Don't miss this opportunity to test your knowledge and celebrate history! This event is open to the public.

The Center's exhibition gallery will be open prior to the event from 5:00 to 6:00 PM.

Location: Center of Southwest Studies Exhibition Gallery and Lyceum, Fort Lewis College

The Center of Southwest Studies is excited to announce the opening of a new exhibition, The Return of the Force. The Return of the Force explores the significant influence the Star Wars movies have had on contemporary Native artists through an innovative collection of work that addresses themes such as resistance, place, belonging, and Indigenous knowledge. The exhibition will open on Wednesday, September 27 at 5:30 PM in the Center of Southwest Studies exhibit gallery, with an artist panel from 6:00 PM to 6:45 PM in the Lyceum. The Return of the Force will run through August 2024 and include a suite of programming throughout the year.

Location: Student Union Ballroom, Fort Lewis College

Sponsored by the San Juan Basin Archaeological Society, the Center of Southwest Studies, and FLC's Anthropology Department

The film Overshoot and Collapse of the Ancient Four Corners, which premiered at the Durango Film Festival, will be presented on September 22, 2023 by the San Juan Basin Archaeological Society and the Fort Lewis College (FLC) Anthropology Department and Center of Southwest Studies as part of History Live! Durango, from 7:00 – 9:00 PM in the FLC Student Union Ballroom.  The showing is free and open to the public.

The film, by the non-profit Cloudy Ridge Productions, addresses issues of sedentism, aggregation, depopulation, and climatic concerns of the pre-contact Indigenous peoples of the Four Corners region. It transports the viewer on a journey from the beginnings of sedentism to human overshoot in the ancient landscape.  How did these ancient people live? What were their migration patterns? How did they affect the environment and climate? Are we presently experiencing similar patterns of hardship and violence that these ancient ones suffered?