From Puye to Santa Clara Member Field Trip

Join us for an exploration of the intersection of modern and ancient foodways and traditions of the Northen New Mexico Tewa people across time. Starting with a guided tour of the Puye Cliff Dwellings, National Historic Landmark and ancestral home of the Santa Clara Pueblo people, we will explore what everyday life was in the pueblo with a specific focus on their food practices and culture. From ancient cliff and cave dwellings, and petroglyphs, to early pueblo architecture, an original Harvey House and a stunning panorama of the valley, Puye Cliff never ceases to amaze. In the afternoon, we will join Roxanne Swentzell at her passion project, the non-profit organization, Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute, in the Santa Clara Pueblo. Together we will learn how Flowering Tree is working to maintain cultural knowledge and promote a sustainable way of life through an array of educational offerings and a whole systems approach. After enjoying a traditional lunch, Roxanne will lead us on a guided tour of the Institute and through a harvesting workshop.

Transportation to and from sites provided by SAR.

Study Leader: Roxanne Swentzell – Is a well-known and highly-respected Native artist from Santa Clara Pueblo, with her own studio and gallery – the Tower Gallery on the north side of Santa Fe. The work she does and fosters through Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute is at the forefront of the sustainable food movement. A bit more about her from the eyes of her dear friend and fellow-artist, Mateo Romero: “Rhythm, balance, emotion, shyness, children, love; these are words I use to describe the sculpture, art and life of my friend Roxanne Swentzell. If I were to respond to the essence of her work, it is the mastery of the three-dimensional form within the emotive context of the human figure. The life and work of Rox can be seen as a complex interplay between opposites or polarities. Although she has a mainstream art education, her work and sensibilities are firmly grounded in a sense of Pueblo identity. Risk taking, experimentation, and content-based narratives in the work defy the simplicity of the lowest common denominator of the marketplace. It is the breath of sincerity that emanates; appeal is based on a shared emotional connection between artist and audience. In the regional Southwest, where Native art is synonymous with Native American subject matter, Rox’s work crosses the acceptable paradigms of Indian art into content-based art with specific intellectual meanings. Perhaps most important of all is Rox’s search for home, her diaspora traveling from village, pueblo, and art school; searching for a literal or metaphoric center of Sipapu for her art, family and life. In this journey Rox has been both a student and an instructor at the Poeh Cultural Center, as well as working on a garden project at the Poeh. Those of us who have been touched by Roxanne as she walked with us awhile on her journey, and we think that ultimately home is wherever her children and her clay creatures eat, love, quarrel, and lay themselves down to sleep at night.” Read more about Roxanne and her accomplishments here.

Activity Level: Moderate – Participants must be in good health. Activities may require walking on paved or unpaved surfaces with generally firm footing, over distances of up to 2 miles over the course of the day. The Cliffside Tour involves walking on steep slopes (paved) at high elevations.

Includes: Two guided tours, Study Leader, a traditional lunch, transportation, gratuities, water, and snacks.

An SAR Member Experience

Join SAR today to support innovative research and creativity in the social sciences and humanities. SAR members receive free admission or ticket discounts to public programs and access to special member experiences such as field trips, chef’s tastings, private classes, and more.

To learn more about membership, please contact Brittany Goodrich at (505) 954-7245, goodrich@sarsf.org

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