Past Events

Award Winning Tlingit Artist and Carver, James Johnson, will be doing a two day carving demonstration in the Center of Southwest Studies Courtyard.

Hear about the experiences of Indigenous students attending Fort Lewis Indian School during its two decades of operation under the US federal policy of assimilation.

The Center and the Native American and Indigenous Studies Department will co-host this virtual book talk with the authors of "Send A Runner: A Navajo Honors the Long Walk" - Edison Eskeets and Jim Kristofic on March 24th at 4:00 pm.

The book discusses how Eskeets and his family organized a ceremonial run from Spider Rock in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in order to deliver a message, and to honor the survivors of the Long Walk.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT

Books will be available for purchase from our friends at Maria's Bookshop in downtown Durango.

Join us in celebrating PIVOT: Skateboard Deck Art, as we close the exhibit March 12th. Center staff and the PIVOT Exhibit Team will sit down to discuss the significance of exhibits like PIVOT, Indigenizing the museum field, contemporary Native art, and the collaborative effort that made PIVOT at Fort Lewis College a success!

CLICK HERE to register for PIVOT: Retrospective on a Successful Collaboration

Center of Southwest Studies Student Alumni Program – “Where Are They Now?”

Live Q&A chat February 17^th, 4:00-5:00 pm via Zoom // REGISTER HERE

Join us as we catch up with some of our former students and professional Native American interns! Learn more about where they are now and how the Center impacted their lives. The Center takes pride in caring for our collections and creating inspired exhibits – but we couldn’t do our work without our students!

Some have gone on to careers in museums, libraries and archives – others have had success in the financial world, becoming doctors, and sitting Tribal Council leaders.

Working with and training emerging professionals is a core commitment of the Center of Southwest Studies, but we could not do it without our donors and members. A special thanks to all who support us, and we hope you see this as a return on your investment!

Join us Wednesday, November 4^th for a Virtual Roundtable with Artists of the PIVOT Exhibit. Four artists and the two co-curators of PIVOT Skateboard Deck Art, now on display at the Center of Southwest Studies Museum, share more in-depth perspectives on their artistic processes and the influence their cultures have on their work. The Roundtable is pre-recorded (1:07) but a live Question and Answer session with exhibit creators Duane Koyawena (Hopi/ Tewa) and Landis Bahe (Diné) will follow. This honest and inspired conversation starts at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom.

The Roundtable includes artists James Johnson (Tlingit), Kandis Quam (Zuni), Elroy Natachu, Jr. (Zuni), Felicia Gabaldon (Choctaw/ Spanish), and exhibit manager Samantha Honanie and Center curator Liz Quinn MacMillan.

Offered via the Zoom platform on November 4th at 6:00 p.m.
Program platform will be Zoom: ID given 24 hours prior to event; must sign up.

Register for this event with this link: PIVOT Round Table RSVP

Steve Friesen will share the timeline of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody's life and legacy, illuminated by stories, historic photographs and artifacts. It's will include Buffalo Bill's Colorado connections, his relationship with the Lakota people, and his life as a "foodie," all three of which are relatively unexplored, unknown... and surprising!

This is the 2020 Duane Smith Lecture in Southwest Studies.

Register for this event at this link: Buffalo Bill program RSVP
Program platform will be Zoom: ID given 24 hours prior to event; must sign up.

Program scheduled for October 21st at 4:00 p.m.

Documentary filmmaker Sean Owen will virtually present a screening of "Silverton Gold," exploring the town's transition from mining to tourism/ recreation, and the tension between development and preservation.

Part of the History Live Durango series of events celebrating the humanities in Southwest Colorado - coloradohumanities.org

Sign up with this link: Silverton Gold RSVP
Program platform will be Zoom: ID given 24 hours prior to the event; must sign up.
Wednesday, September 30th at 5:30 p.m.

Cony Márquez will present on the research project She's been working on for the academic year utilizing the Center's collections: "Southwest Living as Described in the Parral Files."

Tuesday, April 21st ~ 5:30 pm ~ CSWS Lyceum Room #120

Steve Friesen will share a timeline of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody's life and legacy, illuminated by stories, historic photographs and artifacts. It will include Buffalo Bill's Colorado connections, his relationship with the Lakota people, and his life as a "foodie," all three of which are relatively unexplored, unknown ... and surprising.

Wednesday, April 15th ~ 5:30 pm ~ Noble Hall #130