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A Journey with Kabotie and Lekson: Transcendence of Ideas Through Time and Culture

A Learning Vacation in New Mexico
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With Hopi artist Michael Kabotie and archaeologist Steve Lekson, we journey to culturally significant sites in the greater Southwest—including sites in the Galisteo Basin, Coronado State Monument, and Chaco Canyon—and confront perplexing questions regarding movement across the landscape and the connectivity of cultures and ideas. Certain symbols, archetypes, or stories, such as twins, water gods, the serpent, and a great flood, appear to be shared cross-culturally. Do these similarities come about through cultural exchange and migration, or are they a result of a shared human experience?

With different but complementary perspectives, these two remarkable scholars explore the past and present in an ongoing dialogue, demonstrating that archaeologists and artists can be colleagues—fellow travelers on a creative journey to explore the human spirit.

Trip Scholars: Michael Kabotie and Dr. Steve Lekson

Michael Kabotie is a renowned painter and silversmith working in the Hopi overlay style. His work is rooted in ancient Hopi iconography, but also embraces other artistic and intellectual traditions from around the world. Following in the footsteps of his artist father, Fred Kabotie, he is perhaps best known for his thought-provoking murals at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff.

Dr. Steve Lekson, associate professor and curator of anthropology, University Museum, University of Colorado at Boulder, is a recognized authority on the "Chaco phenomenon." He consistently frames his questions within the big picture of the greater Southwest and often challenges conventional archaeological wisdom with his provocative interpretations of the past.

Educational Focus

The imagery and ideas that are shared across cultural boundaries and through time

The lives of the ancestral Pueblo people (the Anasazi) and possible reasons for their leaving large parts of the northern Southwest in the late A.D. 1200s

The culture, arts, and traditions of the Pueblo people, including continuity and change in Pueblo artistic styles

Trip Dates and Cost

Dates: Monday, September 21–Sunday, September 27, 2009

Tuition: Donor* $2,595; Nondonor: $2,720

Deposit: $400

Balance due: July 20, 2009

Daily Trip Itinerary

Monday, September 21: Albuquerque

Arrive in Albuquerque by 5 p.m. and transfer to our hotel for dinner and introductions, followed by an overview of the week. Overnight in Albuquerque. (D)

Tuesday, September 22: Maxwell Museum • Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

We tour the Maxwell Museum at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where Michael presents "Journey of the Human Spirit," introducing us to the theme we’ll explore throughout the week: the connectivity of ideas through time and across cultures. At the museum, we examine photos of kiva murals, as well as a fragment of an actual mural, found at Pottery Mound, a fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Pueblo site located south of Albuquerque. During the 2001–2003 Southwest Mural Project at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Michael Kabotie and Delbridge Honanie painted several murals inspired by the Pottery Mound murals. Next we travel to Santa Fe and visit the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, where we enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the underground curation facilities. Afterward, we tour the museum’s permanent exhibit, which highlights the complexity and beauty of Southwestern indigenous cultures. Overnight in Santa Fe. (B, L, D)

Wednesday, September 23: Galisteo Basin

In the Galisteo Basin, south of Santa Fe, we visit a large archaeological site, one of eight major pueblos in the basin that were established during the great migrations of the thirteenth century and occupied continuously for almost 400 years. We view rock art at the site, created at the height of kachina symbolism before the arrival of the Spanish. After a picnic lunch, we tour the ruins of the 2,000-room pueblo, including the nave of the Spanish mission church that was established in the 1630s. The site and its setting inspire discussion on the transformation of Pueblo culture following the thirteenth-century migrations, the dramatic effects of climate change on the history of the Southwest, and the benefits and detriments of private ownership of archaeological sites. Overnight in Santa Fe. (B, L)

Thursday, September 24: Coronado State Monument • Chaco Canyon

We drive to Coronado State Monument, north of Albuquerque, to visit a large Tiwa pueblo. A kiva with many layers of wall paintings was found here, and the preserved murals are on exhibit. The kiva itself has been reconstructed with an excellent replication of one of the mural layers depicting people wearing necklaces and pendants. The mural prompts a discussion on the symbolic use of ornament and ornamental materials in the Pueblo world. After a picnic lunch at the monument, we travel to Chaco Canyon, where we explore the great house of Chetro Ketl, and then follow the petroglyph trail to the spectacular 800-room Pueblo Bonito. Michael discusses how, for the Hopi, Chaco Canyon is Palangwu, an important site of mythic ancestry. Steve presents his theory on the "Chaco Meridian"—how Chaco, Aztec, and the major center at Casas Grandes in northern Mexico all follow a longitudinal line that is traced by the great north and south roads leading out of Chaco. Around the campfire tonight, Michael shares Hopi stories about Chaco and the fascinating history and fate of the people who lived there. Overnight at Chaco Campground or Ruby Ranch. (B, L, D)

Friday, September 25: Chaco Canyon

We continue our exploration of "downtown Chaco," visiting the smaller great houses of Hungo Pavi, Kin Kletso, and Pueblo Arroyo, and the isolated great kiva, Casa Rinconada. As we examine the architecture and orientation of the various monuments, Steve and Michael share ideas on how the unique features of these structures might relate to symbolism in other cultures. The discussions continue this evening under the sparkling desert skies. Overnight at Chaco Campground or Ruby Ranch. (B, L, D)

Saturday, September 26: Acoma Pueblo • Traditional Meal

The dialects of the Acoma, Cochiti, Laguna, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Santo Domingo, and Zia pueblos are so closely related that linguists usually consider them a single language known as Keres or Keresan. We visit Acoma Pueblo, also called "Sky City," which sits atop a mesa at the southeastern margin of the Colorado Plateau and is known as the oldest continually occupied village in the United States. Could there be a link between Keresan speakers and the ancient Chacoans? Many archaeologists have taken note of Acoma origin stories that suggest connections with Chaco, and they have examined similarities between the architecture, pottery, tools, and jewelry from Acoma and Chaco. Michael counters with his own knowledge of Hopi origin stories that contain references to Chaco, making clear that answers are rarely simple or straightforward. Lunch is a special event, as we share a traditional meal as guests of an Acoma resident, and a storyteller shares the origin story of the "egg." We return to Albuquerque for our farewell dinner and closing program. Overnight in Albuquerque. (B, L, D)

Sunday, September 27: Departures from Albuquerque

Departures can be scheduled anytime after breakfast. (B)

B = breakfast; L = lunch; D = dinner

Tour Details

General Itinerary: Begins and ends in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Travels to Santa Fe, archaeological sites south of Santa Fe, Acoma Pueblo, and Chaco Canyon. Plan to arrive in Albuquerque by 5 p.m., September 21. Schedule departure from Albuquerque anytime after breakfast on September 27.

Tuition: Tuition is per person and is based on shared accommodations. Tuition includes accommodations, meals listed, entry fees and permits, most gratuities, and transportation from arrival in Albuquerque on September 21, 2009, until departure from Albuquerque on September 27, 2009. Transportation to and from Albuquerque is your responsibility.

Accommodations: Two nights are spent camping; you may bring your own equipment, or we will rent equipment for you. Four nights are in a hotel or motel. Accommodations are based on double occupancy. Single accommodations are available for an additional fee of $395.

What to Expect: Hikes are less than 2 miles. Some hikes are on uneven terrain, sometimes without trails, at elevations of more than 5000 feet. Occasionally, it might be necessary to scramble up rock slopes to closely examine sites and rock art panels. Most site visits require standing for 30 minutes or more at a time. Our pace is leisurely and assistance is given, but you must be in reasonably good physical condition. Expect drives on rough back roads. Two nights are spent camping.

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