Join us at the museum for a fun day celebrating the heritage, culture, and continued contributions of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples.

The festivities include a Native American Artist market featuring over 30 artists specializing in fine-art, weavings, pottery, jewelry, katsinas, silversmith work, apparel, and crafts! Plus, homemade fry bread will be available for purchase.

At 12:00 pm enjoy an engaging talk presented by Clive J. Hustito, Zuni Pathfinder of The Light.

Clive is a wisdom keeper and a master Zuni fetish carver and sculptor. He is the son of the late, Clifford Mahooty. Seating for the presentation is located inside the museum and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Following Clive J. Hustito’s talk a complimentary reception of hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.

Join VVAC trip leaders, Richard McGaugh and Monica Buckle, for an immersive VIP planetary and stargazing experience at Lowell Observatory located in Flagstaff. Lowell Observatory is notable for its role in the discovery of Pluto and as the location where A.E. Douglas first brought attention to the emerging field of Southwestern Dendrochronology. Lowell Observatory has been recognized as TIME’s 100 Greatest Places.

This presentation features examples of pre-contact pictographs and petroglyphs found in West-Central Arizona.  The discussion includes descriptions of how pre-contact groups in West-Central Arizona created pictographs and petroglyphs, the variety of local pictograph and petroglyph elements, panel composition, landscape placement, recording methods, and inferences toward interpretation.

Join VVAC for a behind-the-scenes experience of Meteor Crater. Over 50,000 years ago space and earth came together when an iron-nickel meteorite, approximately 150 feet wide and weighing several hundred thousand tons, impacted an area outside of Flagstaff, Arizona. The result of this impact created the giant bowl-shaped cavity we call Meteor Crater, which measures 550 feet deep and almost a mile wide.

Hopi connection to Ongtupqa, Place of the Salt goes back to the beginning of time. Ongtupqa, a place of emergence for Hopi to this world we call Tuuwaqatsi and the clans that eventually migrated through all four corners of this world. Hopi ancestors the Hi'sot Se'nom, migrated through the canyons of Ongtupqa. Although Hopi ancestors left this area to permanently settle on the mesas to the west, there is still a connection to Ongtupqa, as evident by ceremonies and rituals.