Releases | New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

MIAC Celebrates Exhibitions and Awards

May 15th, 2019

(Santa Fe, New Mexico) – The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) will say goodbye to two exhibitions, Hweeldi: The Woven Tribute and Lifeways of the Southern Athabaskans while celebrating its newest accolade from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on June 2, 2019. The celebration will offer light refreshments as well as hands-on activities for children. Guest speakers Oliver Enjady (Mescalero Apache), Vernon Petago (Jicarilla Apache), and Vida Vigil-Garcia (Jicarilla Apache) will discuss the Southern Athabaskan language at 2:00 p.m. with closing comments from Joyce Begay-Foss (Diné), and Dinéhtah dancers will perform at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Hweeldi: The Woven Tribute, measuring an impressive 9 feet by 15 feet, commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Bosque Redondo on June 1, 1968. The weaving’s design comes from a Navajo oral history which may include first-hand accounts from those that endured the Long Walk. The Long Walk, executed by the United States Military, forced more than 8,000 Diné from their homes to the Bosque Redondo more than 300 miles away. The Treaty of Bosque Redondo mandated that the people could return to their Diné Bikéyah (Navajo sacred lands); MIAC’s celebration marks the treaty’s 150th anniversary.

MIAC is pleased to announce that Lifeways of the Southern Athabaskans, curated by Joyce Begay-Foss, has received the 2019 Award of Excellence in National History Leadership from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). The exhibition explores the lives of regional Apache tribes bound by the Athabaskan language and received the AASLH’s most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. The committee selected Lifeways for its singular approach representing the Jicarilla Apache, Mescalero Apache, Fort Sill Apache (Chiricahua), San Carlos Apache, and White Mountain Apache.

“The Leadership in History Award recognizes excellence in the interpretation of state and local history at organizations of all sizes and types,” said Andy Albertson, who represents New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas on the national awards committee. “This year’s award winners demonstrate the power of relevancy, collaboration, experimentation, and a more inclusive history to challenge communities to think critically about the past and present. Lifeways certainly fit the bill when it came to inclusivity and is also an aesthetically pleasing feast for the eyes.”

The Leadership in History Awards Program was initiated in 1945 to build standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout America. Each nomination is peer-reviewed by AASLH’s state captains. Final awards are decided by the Awards Committee, comprised of AASLH’s fourteen regional representatives and the National Awards Chair.

Presentation of the awards will be made at a special banquet during the 2019 AASLH Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA, on Friday, August 30. The banquet is supported by HISTORY™.

 

MIAC’s Celebration of Hweeldi: The Woven Tribute and Lifeways of the Southern Athabaskans

Location: Milner Plaza and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

Date: Sunday, June 2, 2019

Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Dinéhtah dancers perform at 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.; Lecture on Southern Athabaskan language at 2:00 p.m.

This event is free and family friendly

 

For more information, please call Joyce Begay-Foss, Director of Education/Curator at (505) 476-1272 or joyce.begay-foss@state.nm.us

# # #

Lifeways of the Southern Athabaskans

New Mexico CulturePass

Your ticket to New Mexico's exceptional Museums and Historic Sites.
From Indian treasures to space exploration, world-class folk art to awesome dinosaurs—our museums and monuments celebrate the essence of New Mexico every day.
More Info »

The wallet size version of the CulturePass showing the $30 price
An animated image of a cell phone showing various topics presented in the Encounter Culture podcast

Encounter Culture

Take a look inside the museums and historic sites of New Mexico without leaving home. Join host Charlotte Jusinski, and a variety of guest curators, artists, and exhibitors in exploring the art and culture of the state in Encounter Culture, a new podcast from the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

Logo and Link to Google Podcasts Logo and Link to Apple Podcasts Logo and Link to Spotify Podcasts

Featured DCA Exhibitions

A photo featuring items representing the Multiple Visions: A Common Bond exhibition

Multiple Visions: A Common Bond

Multiple Visions: A Common Bond has been the destination for well over a million first-time and repeat visitors to the
more »

A photo featuring items representing the Setting the Standard: The Fred Harvey Company and Its Legacy exhibition

Setting the Standard: The Fred Harvey Company and Its Legacy

Setting the Standard: The Fred Harvey Company and Its Legacy, in the New Mexico History Museum’s main exhibit,
more »

A photo featuring items representing the 18 Miles and That’s As Far As It Got: The Lamy Branch of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad exhibition

18 Miles and That’s As Far As It Got: The Lamy Branch of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad

Enjoy a captivating flashback as the New Mexico History Museum presents "18 Miles and That’s As Far As It Got:
more »

A photo featuring items representing the Icons of Exploration exhibition

Icons of Exploration

Showcases some of the Museum’s most celebrated objects including a real "moon rock," rare replicas of the first
more »