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Trending upward as an archaeological field of study, protohistoric mobile groups provide fascinating new directions for cutting-edge research in the American Southwest and beyond. These mobile residents represent the ancient and ancestral... more
Trending upward as an archaeological field of study, protohistoric mobile groups provide fascinating new directions for cutting-edge research in the American Southwest and beyond. These mobile residents represent the ancient and ancestral roots of many modern indigenous peoples, including the Apaches, Jumano, Yavapai, and Ute. These important protohistoric and historic mobile people have tended to be ignored because their archaeological sites were deemed too difficult to identify, too scant to be worthy of study, and too different to incorporate. This book brings together information from a diverse collection of authors working throughout the American Southwest and its fringes to make the bold statement that these groups can be identified in the archaeological record and their sites have much to contribute to the study of cultural process, method and theory, and past lifeways. Mobile groups are integral for assessing the grand reorganizational events of the Late Prehistoric period and are key to understanding colonial contact and transformations.

Table of Contents

1. “Fierce, Barbarous, and Untamed”: Ending Archaeological Silence on Southwestern Mobile Peoples
Deni J. Seymour
2. Terminal Puebloan Occupation: An Example from South- Central New Mexico
Meade F. Kemrer
3. Bison, Trade, and Warfare in Late Prehistoric Southeastern New Mexico: The Perspective from Roswell
John D. Speth
4. Conceptualizing Mobility in the Eastern Frontier Pueblo Area: Evidence in Images
Deni J. Seymour
5. Eastern Extension of Lehmer's Jornada Mogollon Ancestors to the Jumano/Suma
Patrick H. Beckett
6. Embracing a Mobile Heritage: Federal Recognition and Lipan Apache Enclavement
Oscar Rodriguez and Deni J. Seymour
7. Excavations in the Carrizalillo Hills of Southwestern New Mexico Reveal Protohistoric Mobile Group Camps
Alexander Kurota
8. From Economic Necessity to Cultural Tradition: Spanish Chipped Stone Technology in New Mexico
James L. Moore
9. Protohistoric Arrowhead Variability in the Greater Southwest
Mark E. Harlan
10. Akimel O’odham and Apache Projectile Point Design
Chris Loendorf
11. Theoretical and Methodological Approaches to the Study of the Ceramics of Protohistoric Hunter-Gatherers
David V. Hill
12. Architectural Visibility and Population Dynamics in Late Hohokam Prehistory
Douglas B. Craig
13. Sobaipuri -O’odham and Mobile Group Relevance to Late Prehistoric Social Networks in the San Pedro Valley
Mark E. Harlan and Deni J. Seymour
14. Needzííii': Diné Game Traps on the Colorado Plateau
James Copeland
15. The Colorado Wickiup Project: Investigations into the Early Historic Ute Occupation of Western Colorado
Curtis Martin
16. A Numic and Ancestral Pueblo Ceramic Assemblage at 42UN5406 in the Uintah Basin
James A. Truesdale, David V. Hill, and Christopher James (CJ) Truesdale
17. Three Sisters Site: An Ancestral Chokonen Apache Encampment in the Dragoon Mountains
Deni J. Seymour
18. A Protohistoric to Historic Yavapai Persistent Place on the Landscape of Central Arizona: An Example from the Lake Pleasant Rockshelter Site
Robert J. Stokes and Joanne C. Tactikos
19. “Now You See ‘Em., . . . Now You Don’t”: In Search of Yavapai Structures in the Verde Valley
Peter J. Pilles, Jr.
20. It’s Complicated: Discerning the Post-Puebloan Period in Southern Nevada’s Archaeological Record
Heidi Roberts
21. Tweaking the Conventional Wisdom in Southwestern Archaeology
David Hurst Thomas

http://content.lib.utah.edu/…/collection/upcat/id/2028/rec/1
Father Eusebio Kino visited Santa Cruz de Gaybanipitea in the 1690s and he and Capt Juan Mateo Manje described the village. Soon after the village of 80 Sobaipuri-O'odham was attacked by Apache, Manso, Suma, Jano, and Jocome. This volume... more
Father Eusebio Kino visited Santa Cruz de Gaybanipitea in the 1690s and he and Capt Juan Mateo Manje described the village. Soon after the village of 80 Sobaipuri-O'odham was attacked by Apache, Manso, Suma, Jano, and Jocome. This volume presents new archaeological and documentary evidence of this battle and the village placed in an ethnographic context. Modern O'odham views of the site and battle are included. Content has relevance to defining historically referenced places and identifying archaeologically the Jano, Jocome, Manso, Suma, and Apache.
Go to www.sobaipuri.com for links to three independent reviews on this book.
under review
Fields of Conflict Conference papers
A multipart legend surrounds the now-annual tradition in Tucson and portions of southern Arizona that celebrates the onset of the monsoon season. According to one origin story, on that day in 1540 explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado... more
A multipart legend surrounds the now-annual tradition in Tucson and portions of southern Arizona that celebrates the onset of the monsoon season. According to one origin story, on that day in 1540 explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado stood on the banks of the Santa Cruz River and prayed for rain. Regrettably, local lore is incorrect in this rendition of the tale, as one might guess by the fact that the claim is usually prefaced in a way that hints at the feebleness of the foundation on which this story is based, usually preceded by “according to legend” or “it is believed.”
Deni J. Seymour and José Antonio Esquibel.

Under review
under review
Research Interests:
under review
Armas de la Tierra are mentioned in the muster roll for the Coronado expedition, but until now scholars have mostly guessed what weapons these referenced. Coronado expedition sites in southern Arizona have yielded considerable evidence to... more
Armas de la Tierra are mentioned in the muster roll for the Coronado expedition, but until now scholars have mostly guessed what weapons these referenced. Coronado expedition sites in southern Arizona have yielded considerable evidence to address this research issue at three different locales, including at Suya/San Geronimo III, the San Pedro intersection site, and on the four landforms that constitute Chichilticale. Crossbow bolt heads and a series of other metal points have been subdivided into different types, based on mode of manufacture and style, as well as weight. These new point types are intermixed with copper crossbow bolt heads and arrow heads and they co-occur with other diagnostic Coronado period artifacts, such as copper bells, medieval horseshoes, gable-headed nails, lace aglets, and so on. Their consistent occurrence makes them another reliable index of the Coronado expedition and provides unexpected details about first contacts between Europeans and the Sobaipuri O’odham. The frequency of these projectile points, their condition, and their spatial distributions indicate that battles occurred at the two-month 1539-1540 winter encampment at Chichilticale and the townsite of San Geronimo III in 1541.
Chichilticale is a long-sought-after location on the Coronado expedition route in southeastern Arizona. As a named place it was referenced numerous times in the documents and various expedition members stayed there, making it potentially... more
Chichilticale is a long-sought-after location on the Coronado expedition route in southeastern Arizona. As a named place it was referenced numerous times in the documents and various expedition members stayed there, making it potentially one of the most discoverable of the Coronado expedition camp sites. Nonetheless, it remained lost until recently when data from a variety of sources provided a basis to establish hypotheses that were then tested and retested until Chichilticale was located. This 1-km-long site has hundreds of Spanish period artifacts related to the 1539-1540 two-month winter encampment established during Melchor Díaz’s reconnaissance north to check on Fray Marcos de Niza’s report. Crossbow bolt heads, copper lace aglets, caret- or gable-headed nails, copper bells, and many other artifacts and features provide a surprisingly rich archaeological record of this place and an unexpected and unrecorded battle that changes history for the Sobaipuri O’odham.
Deni J. Seymour and William P. Mapoles A bronze cannon has been uncovered in the Santa Cruz Valley of southern Arizona that is associated with the 1540-1542 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado expedition. This is the only... more
Deni J. Seymour and William P. Mapoles

A bronze cannon has been uncovered in the Santa Cruz Valley of southern Arizona that is associated with the 1540-1542 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado expedition. This is the only Coronado-expedition-associated firearm known, and as such, answers long-standing questions about the nature of the artillery used. It is the only known surviving example of a weapon of war, an actual gun used in the conquest of North America, and specifically the American Southwest. It was covered in adobe, resting on the floor of a Spanish structure. This structure was situated at the center of what expedition chroniclers referred to as, and we are inferring is, the town of San Geronimo III in the Suya Valley, making it the first European colony in the region. The structure was burned and destroyed during a late 1541 or early 1542 attack by the Sobaipuri O’odham. These Natives prevailed and the Spanish fled, making this the first successful Native American uprising in the continental United States. Europeans did not return for 140 years to what would become southern Arizona. The radiocarbon analysis from this structure is consistent with the Coronado period and firmly establishes provenance for the gun, as do the crossbow bolt heads and other artifacts that have been definitively associated with this expedition and this narrow period of history.

Deni J. Seymour and William P. Mapoles
Recent archaeological findings related to the Francisco Vázquez de Coronado expedition of 1539-1542 in southern Arizona are beginning to reveal substantial implications for our understanding of regional and national history. This is the... more
Recent archaeological findings related to the Francisco Vázquez de Coronado expedition of 1539-1542 in southern Arizona are beginning to reveal substantial implications for our understanding of regional and national history. This is the first European expedition into the American Southwest and so represents first contact between regional natives and these foreign disruptors and would-be conquistadors. Revelations related to the Native populations of the area, specifically the O’odham, are perhaps some of the most noteworthy. It is they, not the Ópata, who were the first in the American Southwest/Mexican Northwest to encounter the earliest Europeans and endure the consequences of this series of encounters. This finding is revelatory in that the O’odham are relatively unknown as a historical people. This new research is beginning to provide insights into the role the O’odham played in the outcome of this earliest period of intercultural contact.
A Vázquez de Coronado expedition site in the San Bernardino Valley, represents one of five of the first verifiable Coronado expedition sites found in the state. Paraje del Malpais (AZ FF:12:69, ASM) is adjacent to a spring and... more
A Vázquez de Coronado expedition site in the San Bernardino Valley, represents
one of five of the first verifiable Coronado expedition sites found in
the state. Paraje del Malpais (AZ FF:12:69, ASM) is adjacent to a spring
and catchment pool that likely once provided reliable surface water. Earlier
and later petroglyphs include water-related symbols suggesting this trail
was used since time immemorial. A spatially separated boulder shows
images that are consistent with sixteenth-century dress, footwear, and headgear.
A related inscription seemingly reads “Tobar” -a member of the
expedition who led a detachment and escorted residents of San Geronimo
north to Tiguex in 1541. Clearings in the rocky terraces represent tent or sleeping
circles and an iron mule shoe is diagnostic of this period. Another Coronado
period artifact is present along this drainage five miles away. Both
suggest this was a route taken by the Coronado expedition.
William P. Mapoles and Deni J. Seymour
Includes discussion of the Coronado expedition.

Peer reviewed entry in
Americas Section for the  Routledge Resources Online—The Renaissance World, digital.
The Sobaipuri O'odham village site of S-cuk Shon is the namesake of modern Tucson. Recent discovery of this settlement from the 1600s and 1700s places the actual birthplace of Tucson on the map, literally. The history of this, adjacent,... more
The Sobaipuri O'odham village site of S-cuk Shon is the namesake of modern Tucson. Recent discovery of this settlement from the 1600s and 1700s places the actual birthplace of Tucson on the map, literally. The history of this, adjacent, and related Sobaipuri O'odham sites and the transfer of the name to new places is detailed in this paper.
2023 The Xoum-Ma-No Pueblos. “Where They Come Often to Trade” Chapter in Pushing Boundaries: Proceedings of the 16th Biennial Southwest Symposium, edited by Stephen E. Nash and Erin L. Baxter, pp. 384-406. University Press of Colorado,... more
2023 The Xoum-Ma-No Pueblos. “Where They Come Often to Trade” Chapter in Pushing Boundaries: Proceedings of the 16th Biennial Southwest Symposium, edited by Stephen E. Nash and Erin L. Baxter, pp. 384-406. University Press of Colorado, Louisville.
Chapter in A Green Band in a Parched and Burning Land.
Chapter in A Green Band in a Parched and Burning Land.
Chapter in A Green Band in a Parched and Burning Land.
Chapter in A Green Band in a Parched and Burning Land.
Routledge Handbook of Global Historical Archaeology,  edited by Charles Orser, Pedro Funari, Susan Lawrence,  James Symonds, and Andrés Zarankin, pp. 458-477. Routledge, Taylor Francis Group, London and New York.
The Santa Cruz River, like all the major rivers in southeastern Arizona, had a permanent year-round flow that was restricted to limited segments of the river. This is where the Sobaipuri O’odham established their villages because the... more
The Santa Cruz River, like all the major rivers in southeastern Arizona, had a permanent year-round flow that was restricted to limited segments of the river. This is where the Sobaipuri O’odham established their villages because the reliable surface flow allowed them to farm with irrigation canals. Early historical period observations indicate that the Santa Cruz and other regional rivers were characterized by patchworks of pasturelands, agricultural fields and canals, shady groves of mature trees, marshes, and expanses of dry sand, in contrast to the many previously suggested reconstructions. The underlying fundamentals of the river valley have been determined by surface water availability and although periodically transformed by floods, downcutting, drought, and humans the riparian corridor has regenerated.
Journal of Arizona Archaeology Vol. 7, No. 2:179-199.
2019 Contradictions in History: Who Chose The 1886 Geronimo Surrender Site at Cañon De Los Embudos? Reflections of the Past and Recent Discoveries: Proceedings of the 3rd and 4th Tularosa Basin Conferences, edited by David H. Greenwald... more
2019 Contradictions in History: Who Chose The 1886 Geronimo Surrender Site at Cañon De Los Embudos? Reflections of the Past and Recent Discoveries: Proceedings of the 3rd and 4th Tularosa Basin Conferences, edited by David H. Greenwald and Nancy J. Hewitt, pp. 151-160.  Jornada Research Institute Contributions to Archaeology, Volume 3, Tularosa.
January 12 2019
When in 1692 Jesuit Father Francisco Eusebio Kino first visited the Wa:k community and referenced it as San Xavier del Bac it was located to the north of its present location. The church would have been located within the Sobaipuri... more
When in 1692 Jesuit Father Francisco Eusebio Kino first visited the Wa:k community and referenced it as San Xavier del Bac it was located to the north of its present location. The church would have been located within the Sobaipuri village, but debate surrounding the location of the first church is complicated by the question as to what constitutes a church in this frontier region, which part of the textual record should be privileged, and, accordingly, who can be credited with constructing the first church. Evidence from a variety of sources elucidates the history of Wa:k, including archaeology, Spanish documentary sources, and oral history. Alternative suggestions as to the location of San Xavier’s first churches are discussed. It is argued that the first two churches were built in Kino’s time and these were located to the north of the current Franciscan church, as were the Segesser and Espinosa churches, before the village was moved south and a new Franciscan church was built in the 1770s.
Oscar Rodriguez and Deni Seymour
Article in the Sierra Vista Herald...contrary to what scientists have been saying, the historical record, when used appropriately tells a different story.
Winner of the 2018 Arizona History Convention Goldwater award (Best convention paper) and Bufkin award (Best cartographic and/or Territorial period paper).
download or click on link
Key issues regarding Ute and Dené occupations in the Southwest relate to their basic identification in the archaeological record and the timing and routes of arrival. Each of these groups is relatively late-arriving, in the late or... more
Key issues regarding Ute and Dené occupations in the Southwest relate to their basic identification in the archaeological record and the timing and routes of arrival. Each of these groups is relatively late-arriving, in the late or terminal prehistoric period. These groups must both be considered and distinguished because they are thought to have used some of the same territories, moved within some of the same routes, and practiced mobile lifeways that resulted in similarities in much of their archaeological signature. An important element of the argument and an issue that must be resolved first involves connecting chronometric evidence to a distinctive subset of material culture. This will allow archaeologists to distinguish between contemporaneous archaeological culture groups. As a separate step it is possible to construct arguments that may allow us to connect these archaeological cultures to ethnohistoric and ethnographic groups, as has been done further south for the southernmost ancestral Apache (Seymour 2012a, 2012b, 2013a). Equally important is confidence in actually and accurately dating the target events and understanding the protracted and intermittent nature of the process of migration and culture change. At the same time, evidence of interaction between groups provides one important key to chronometrically targeting their mutual presence in the region, whether through the presence of trade items or spoils from raiding. Special problems are presented for dating mobile group sites and the solution will require innovative approaches and new conceptualizations. Understanding mobile group behavior requires different ways of understanding than is required for sedentary farming groups and using chronometric evidence in new ways.
Here we discuss three major issues that inhibit the study of terminal prehistoric-protohistoric groups and understanding the origins of indigenous populations in the western United States. The first involves the absence of detailed information about the material culture of the people who eventually became the Ute and Shoshone. The second issue relates to archaeologically differentiating contemporary populations within the area that would allow for comparisons between them and serve as a basis for inference building regarding cultural identity and connections to descendant populations. The third issue relates to problems in dating occupations from the terminal prehistoric-protohistoric period. This third issue is fundamental for successful completion of the first two issues and requires consideration of a number of problems before chronometric dates may be considered reliable.
Research Interests:
The most rewarding aspect of community archaeology or public ethnographic work.

Wa:k Newsletter

And 76 more

Northern Arizona University,
College of Environment, Forestry, and Natural Sciences,
School of Earth and Sustainability,
SOUTHWEST ENVIRONMENTS THROUGH TIME,
Field Course – Summer 2024
The first genuine Coronado expedition site in Arizona was found in July 2020, unexpectedly in the Santa Cruz River Valley. Now four years later, with excavations and additional reconnaissance underway, 12 Coronado expedition sites are... more
The first genuine Coronado expedition site in Arizona was found in July 2020, unexpectedly in the Santa Cruz River Valley. Now four years later, with excavations and additional reconnaissance underway, 12 Coronado expedition sites are known between Nogales, AZ and the Gila River. Among the new sites are those named in the documents, including Chichilticale and San Geronimo III/Suya. These discoveries substantially change standard versions of history and provide evidence for significant alternations to the route taken by this first European expedition. This new evidence also has important implications for the O’odham, whose pivotal role in this initial encounter can now be understood. In addition to the first European settlement in the American Southwest, we have evidence of the earliest Southwestern battle between Europeans and Natives (at Chichilticale), the earliest gun (cannon) specimens on the continental landmass, the first firearms known from the Coronado expedition, and the first successful Native American uprising in the continental U.S. at Suya.  As a result of this project the range of diagnostic evidence has been substantially expanded, including identification of the nature of the Armas de la Tierra, the weapons used by rank-and-file Spaniards and their native allies.
Fields of Conflict Conference, 2024 Over the last three years, the first Coronado Expedition sites have been defined in Arizona, now totaling 11. These sites relate to the earliest Europeans in the American Southwest, between 1539 and... more
Fields of Conflict Conference, 2024
Over the last three years, the first Coronado Expedition sites have been defined in Arizona, now totaling 11. These sites relate to the earliest Europeans in the American Southwest, between 1539 and 1542. Among these are two sites that show evidence of battles between Europeans and the native populations, the Sobaipuri O’odham. One represents the earliest successful Native American uprising in the continental US and the other represents the earliest battle in the American Southwest. These conflicts have been demarcated on the basis of a previously defined and published battlefield signature, and a series of newly defined, previously recognized projectile types related to this time period and this expedition. A dozen point types recognized and described for the first time, include iron, copper, stone, and other materials and these are inferred to be what the muster roll referred to as “arms of the land”—weapons used by rank-and-file Europeans as well as Native allies. Native stone points represent the non-European side of the battle. Green obsidian from macuahuitls and lances and also what are inferred to be atlatl points and arrow points represent the Native allies. In addition, bronze cannons (wall guns or hook guns) are the first identified from the expedition and represent what are believed to be the earliest firearms recovered from verifiable contexts in the Americas. Pieces of matchlocks, wheellocks, and crossbow bolt heads have also been recovered, along with other weapon types.
Zoom; Border Community Alliance
Historians, get out your rumpled tweed coat! Archaeologists, dust off that fedora! This trip has something for both, plus all who have a yen for studying Spanish Colonial history in the most intimate way. The tour is jointly led by Kiki... more
Historians, get out your rumpled tweed coat! Archaeologists, dust off that fedora! This trip has something for both, plus all who have a yen for studying Spanish Colonial history in the most intimate way. The tour is jointly led by Kiki Rodriguez and Dr. Deni Seymour.



Kiki Rodriguez is Board Treasurer of Pimeria Alta Historical Society Museum (PAHS), and was born in Santa Cruz, Sonora. Kiki will share his vast knowledge of our destination, a place he knows intimately and where some of his relatives still reside. Dr. Deni Seymour, Archaeologist and Ethnohistorian, is the author of many books and articles. Deni is the first to produce incontrovertible evidence of the real route followed by Coronado on his bumbling search for the fabled Cíbola, the seven cities of gold.



We will walk into Mexico at the DeConcini Port of Entry, board the bus, and follow some of the same trails Padre Kino traveled. We will visit San Lazaro, a farming and ranching locale, and a crossroads for Kino on visits to nearby missions and villages. Santa Cruz, Sonora - our destination and lunch stop - is a village of less than 1000 souls. It is ancient - as is the previous site of Santa Cruz de Terrenate - and is in close proximity to a prehistoric native site! A delicious typical Mexican meal will be served to us in the home of a local Santa Cruz resident.



This authentic adventure will excite and educate you!



Please be sure to bring your passport, water bottle, and any snacks you might need for the journey!

Lunch will be provided.
Key note presentation for Santa Cruz River Research Days. April 24, 2024. A series of new cultural and environmental understandings have heightened our ability to both find Coronado expedition sites and to effectively interpret them.... more
Key note presentation for Santa Cruz River Research Days. April 24, 2024.

A series of new cultural and environmental understandings have heightened our ability to both find Coronado expedition sites and to effectively interpret them. Historically accurate considerations of river flow and vegetative characteristics provided a basis for route expectations which resulted in the discovery of 10 Coronado expedition sites. Among these is a substantial townsite on the Santa Cruz River which is the first European colony in the American Southwest. From there the route has been charted through the heart of the Sobaipuri O'odham homeland. These new data reposition the ancestors of the modern-day O'odham, plucking them from obscurity and placing them front and center in history-changing events, including two early battles. At the same time, several personalities are emerging from the data that provide a more personal look into members of the expedition, including Arizona’s first resident ecclesiastic, and the provocation of the resident Sobaipuri.

https://sonoraninstitute.org/events/scrrd-24/#:~:text=April%2024%2C%202024%20%2D%20April%2026%2C%202024&text=This%20FREE%20event%20is%20a,Stories%20of%20a%20Multinational%20River.
Tony Burrell, David Tenario, and Deni Seymour present a talk on the Sobaipuri O'odham

Rio Rico Historical Society
6 pm
March 9, 2024
Research Interests:
We’re excited to announce that Coronado: The New Evidence will screen on THE big screen Saturday, Dec. 9 at 10am at Nogales, AZ’s Oasis Theatre. Frances and I very much would like to screen the film in the county in which the discovery... more
We’re excited to announce that Coronado: The New Evidence will screen on THE big screen Saturday, Dec. 9 at 10am at Nogales, AZ’s Oasis Theatre. Frances and I very much would like to screen the film in the county in which the discovery was made- also the film-maker's home county.  Tickets are $20. @BorderCommunityAlliance is taking reservations.
https://bca.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/bca/eventRegistration.jsp?event=2958&fbclid=IwAR3uFGjr_BoifTNQL8cZ5XjtCYZN5hrbYxGMmU9vluMMXwZHC6Tqr55Y3JA

Deni and Frances will take questions afterwards. The screening is sponsored by Pimería Alta Museum, Rio Rico Historical Society, Border Community Alliance and the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Museum.

All proceeds go to benefit the film maker's (Frances Causey) company: Coronado Films LLC.
One time showing is at:
Oasis Theater
240 West East Roper Road, Nogales, AZ 85621
Saturday December 9 at 10:00 AM
Admission $20.
Research Interests:
World Premiere at the Loft Film Festival in Tucson Saturday, October 14, 1:45 PM Buy your tickets now before they are sold out. https://loftcinema.org/film/coronado-the-new-evidence/ Q&A after the film with Frances Causey (film... more
World Premiere at the
Loft Film Festival in Tucson
Saturday, October 14, 1:45 PM
Buy your tickets now before they are sold out.

https://loftcinema.org/film/coronado-the-new-evidence/

Q&A after the film with Frances Causey (film maker), Deni Seymour, Tony Burrell, moderated by Allen Dart.

This is the world premiere of the new documentary film that has shadowed the archaeology work in Arizona related to the Coronado expedition route and the first townsite in the American Southwest. The film highlights the implications of this research for the O'odham, whose ancestors (we now know from this project) were instrumental in the earliest recorded history of the American Southwest, the United States, and the continent.
The Arizona Coronado Project continues to astound as expedition sites are found in improbable valleys, as evidence reveals encounters with unexpected Native groups, artifacts are uncovered that are unknown from other Coronado sites, and... more
The Arizona Coronado Project continues to astound as expedition sites are found in improbable valleys, as evidence reveals encounters with unexpected Native groups, artifacts are uncovered that are unknown from other Coronado sites, and features excavated demonstrate the beginnings of a permanent European settlement.
There is also clear evidence of the battle that is described in documents that annihilated the region's first townsite and contributed to the termination of the expedition as a whole.


To register for the Zoom program go to:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_wwC9iKfWROOXPQM6e-OWYg

For more information contact Old Pueblo at 520-798-1201 or info@oldpueblo.org.
UNLV Anthropology Proseminar for Spring 2023, talk via Webex with Tony Burrell and David Tenario. Recent discoveries of sites relating to the Francisco Vázquez de Coronado expedition of 1539/1540-1542 significantly alter perceptions of... more
UNLV Anthropology Proseminar for Spring 2023, talk via Webex with Tony Burrell and David Tenario.

Recent discoveries of sites relating to the Francisco Vázquez de Coronado expedition of 1539/1540-1542 significantly alter perceptions of where the expedition went and which native populations were encountered. Five new sites represent the first from this expedition in Arizona and the implications for the O’odham are substantial, especially those relating to the occupation and attack of an expedition townsite. Provided are ethnographic details relating to first contact, information on the earliest successful Native American rebellion in the continental US, and ways in which these findings are becoming relevant to descendant populations whose ancestors received and then repelled these first Europeans.
Cochise County Historical Society, Dec 17, 2022, 11 am Coronado Discoveries talk along with a Medals of Honor plaque unveiling A Medals of Honor plaque unveiling event is going to take place on Saturday, December 17 at 11:00 am at... more
Cochise County Historical Society, Dec 17, 2022, 11 am
Coronado Discoveries talk along with a Medals of Honor plaque unveiling
A Medals of Honor plaque unveiling event is going to take place on Saturday, December 17 at 11:00 am at the Veteran's Cemetery, Fort Huachuca. It's located on S. Buffalo Soldier Trail. The unveiling itself will take place at a special garden area of the cemetery that contains the memorials and plaques (no graves).  Admission is free.
Dr. Deni Seymour’s Coronado talk is going to take place immediately after the unveiling, estimated to be around 11:30. The talk will take place indoors, in the chapel, which seats 100. Presentation will be about 45 minutes.  RSVP required. Admission is free.
Email Cindy at:  larussa.cindy@gmail.com
Time: Event starts at 11:00 am
Place: Veteran’s Cemetery, Sierra Vista, AZ
Coronado Power point presentation will be indoors, in a building at the cemetery near where the plaque-unveiling ceremony will be held
Events:
--Emcee and welcome: Bill Cavaliere, President, Cochise County Historical Society
--Guest speaker: Colonel John Ives, Garrison Commander, Fort Huachuca
--Guest speaker: Michael Eberhardt, Life Member, Cochise County Historical Society and member, US Medal of Honor Society
--Comments: Craig McEwan, Vice President, Cochise County Historical Society
--Unveiling of plaque
11:30/11:45 or so: Power point presentation: “Men of Iron, Gods of Thunder and Lightning: Coronado in Arizona” by Dr. Deni Seymour
Luncheon: La Casita restaurant, Fry Blvd., Sierra Vista. $22/person.
Tubac Historical Society, Tubac AZ
4 - 6 pm
Keynote address for Tularosa Basin Conference put on by Jornada Research Institute
Santa Cruz de Terrenate site tour Saturday, April 23rd - 9:00 AM led by Deni Seymour AAHS@HOME - VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP AND THE RETURN OF IN PERSON FIELD TRIPS! We are excited to announce the return of in-person field trips come April 23rd!... more
Santa Cruz de Terrenate site tour
Saturday, April 23rd - 9:00 AM
led by Deni Seymour
AAHS@HOME - VIRTUAL FIELD TRIP AND THE RETURN OF IN PERSON FIELD TRIPS!
We are excited to announce the return of in-person field trips come
April 23rd!

Santa Cruz de Terrenate
Saturday, April 23rd - 9:00 AM
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Dr. Deni Seymour will lead us on a tour of Santa Cruz de Terrenate, the best-preserved example of three presidios established by the Spanish colonial government in what is now southern Arizona. The objective was to provide the missions, settlers, and Christianized Native Americans of New Spain military protection from Apaches and other mobile Natives by forming a line of presidios along the frontier, so as to enclose the area under Spanish control. Santa Cruz presidio was founded on a steep bluff overlooking the San Pedro River on December 10, 1775 and was abandoned in March of 1780. The only other settlement on the river at the time was a Sobaipuri O’odham village called Quiburi that had moved far to the north from its Kino-period placement near where the presidio was later built. The presidio housed soldiers, civilians, Ópata scouts, O’odham laborers, and domestic servants of a variety of origins. Originally excavated by Charles Di Peso, more recently Dr. Seymour carried out a multi-year field research program including excavations there revealing quite a bit of new information about the Spanish occupation, the earlier Sobaipuri O’odham village, and the nature of life at this remote outpost. As usual, with the addition of new data, her findings build on and revise many of the established truths of this frontier region.
This tour is limited to 20 people and you must be an AAHS member to participate. Attendees will be responsible for their own transportation to the site which is approximately 70 miles south of Tucson. The tour will be completely outdoors so masks are optional and social distancing is encouraged. Access to the site is an easy one mile walk each way. There is no handicap access. To register contact Chris Sugnet, sugnetc@yahoo.com
Video presentation and discussion at the 25th Annual Juan Bautista de Anza Conference, Banamichi, Sonora
Keynote address for 25th Annual Juan Bautista de Anza Conference.
Saturday January 22, - 10-11:30 am at Historic Canoa Ranch, Manning’s House. Historical documents provide valuable insights into the character of southern Arizona’s rivers that sometimes differ from those conveyed in the environmental... more
Saturday January 22, - 10-11:30 am at Historic Canoa Ranch, Manning’s House.

Historical documents provide valuable insights into the character of southern Arizona’s rivers that sometimes differ from those conveyed in the environmental literature. Understanding the long-term character of the Santa Cruz River allows us to comprehend how the Sobaipuri O’odham residents used the river and where they settled. Sobaipuri landscape use is best understood through places mentioned in historical accounts and archaeological sites documented along the rivers throughout this region, including in the Canoa area.

Lecture Series to Commemorated the 200th Anniversary of the San Ignacio de la Canoa Land Grant.
Register here:
https://apm.activecommunities.com/nrpr/Activity_Search/historical-reconstruction-santa-cruz-river-sobaipuri_lecture/6226
Definitive evidence has been discovered of the 1539 and 1540 expeditions of Fray Marcos de Niza and Francisco Vazquez de Coronado through Arizona. SOLD OUT/WAIT LIST ONLY See video announcement: https://youtu.be/q3RVbdYTwDw... more
Definitive evidence has been discovered of the 1539 and 1540 expeditions of Fray Marcos de Niza and Francisco Vazquez de Coronado through Arizona.

SOLD OUT/WAIT LIST ONLY


See video announcement:
https://youtu.be/q3RVbdYTwDw

One of the longest standing mysteries in the American Southwest is the route taken by Fray Marcos de Niza and Francisco Vazquez de Coronado through Sonora and Arizona. They were the first Europeans to step foot into this region in 1539 and 1540.

Abundant evidence has been found in neighboring New Mexico and also a site has been found in Texas, but their path through Arizona and Sonora has remained a question for nearly 500 years.

Recent discoveries in southern Arizona reveal evidence of the presence of this important expedition, that represents the moment of first contact between Europeans and Native populations in what is now the Southwestern US.

Among the findings is a large encampment with hundreds of the diagnostic mid-16th century artifacts that are required to prove the presence of these expeditionaries here in Arizona.

Join us for the revelation of this discovery at Tubac Presidio, for a one-time only presentation of Discovering the "Discoverers."

Early 16th-century weapons, like those used on the expedition, will be displayed with weapons experts on hand to discuss their use.

This is a fund raiser for Tubac Presidio and the documentary film. Limited seating is available, so make reservations now for the big reveal.

Bring your own chair.

Sign up here on line: https://www.tubacpresidio.org/events

or make a reservation request: info@tubacpresidio.org

January 29, 2022, 2pm; Tubac Presidio.
The Mystery Unfolds: Implications and Surprises of the Coronado Discovery, Feb 5, 2022, 2pm, Tubac Presidio This is second in a series of one-time only lectures on the new archaeological sites relating to the Vazquez de Coronado... more
The Mystery Unfolds: Implications and Surprises of the Coronado Discovery, Feb 5, 2022, 2pm, Tubac Presidio


This is second in a series of one-time only lectures on the new archaeological sites relating to the Vazquez de Coronado expedition in southern Arizona.

This presentation discusses many of the most important and surprising implications of the finds. These include discussion of a greater portion of the route/trail, the nature of interaction with Natives, and the region-wide relevance of the largest site, which seems to be a place that was actually named in the documents, along with implications for Cabeza de Vaca (1536) and Marcos de Niza (1539).

These presentations are fund raisers for Tubac Presidio and the documentary film. Limited seating available.
This is  outdoors. Bring your own chair. Small coolers ok.

Sign up here on line: https://www.tubacpresidio.org/events

or make a reservation request: info@tubacpresidio.org
Native Perspectives on the Discovery of Themselves and Their Land. Until now Coronado's Arizona route has defied discovery for 480 years. We'll convey the discovery process and examine exploration and its consequences with special... more
Native Perspectives on the Discovery of Themselves and Their Land.

Until now Coronado's Arizona route has defied discovery for 480 years. We'll convey the discovery process and examine exploration and its consequences with special relevance to the O'odham who were central to an expedition in which they were previously considered inconsequential. They will provide personal insights into the events surrounding the expedition and the implications for their ancestors and their community today.
Of local and international interest this project steps outside long-held assumptions and considers alternative views, with data grounded in three archaeological sites. We move beyond misconceptions, allowing for the wonder of exploration while considering immediate & long-term consequences for the "discovered". This 2-hour-long program includes videos supplemented by an interactive panel presentation to invite and maximize audience input.

This is the third in a series of one-time only lectures on the Vasquez de Coronado expedition in southern Arizona. These are fund raisers for Tubac Presidio and the documentary film. Limited seating available.

Sign up here on line: https://www.tubacpresidio.org/events

or make a reservation request: info@tubacpresidio.org
Many place names throughout southeastern Arizona were originally based on Native words. Attempts have been made to translate these, but in many instances incorrect assumptions about ethnicity underlie their inferred meanings. New... more
Many place names throughout southeastern Arizona were originally based on Native words. Attempts have been made to translate these, but in many instances incorrect assumptions about ethnicity underlie their inferred meanings. New understandings about the geographical extent of O’odham territory and the early presence of Apache and Jocome significantly change perceptions of landscape use, territories, and therefore place names that appear in historical documents and have in some instances survived the ages. By combining newer evidence with existing interpretations, a comprehensive view of the ancient historical landscape is revealed.


[Pima County will be celebrating the opening of the Southern Arizona Heritage & Visitor Center and UA Mineral Museum in the domed historic County Courthouse in Tucson during the week of November 15-19, 2021.

We plan to offer a series of daytime lectures and presentations by prominent organizations, authors, and scholars that showcase the southern Arizona region’s natural environment, history, cultures, art, foods, traditions, and more.  The purpose is to engage our residents and visitors alike to better understand and appreciate our borderland region. ]
Zoom presentation. Please preregister so we can send a link. Register by emailing me at deni.talks@yahoo.com I will then send a link to the program. In April 1780, Military Governor Ugarte and Chief Engineer Rocha were sent on a... more
Zoom presentation. Please preregister so we can send a link.
Register by emailing me at deni.talks@yahoo.com
I will then send a link to the program.


In April 1780, Military Governor Ugarte and Chief Engineer Rocha were sent on a reconnaissance mission through the northwestern frontier of New Spain, land that today is northern Sonora and southeastern Arizona. Seeking information on the advisability of placing a presidio at the junction of the San Pedro and Gila rivers, Ugarte and Rocha described the landscape in unprecedented detail. Their accounts provide valuable baseline information on environment and culture that allows for analysis of changes at a critical moment in borderland history.  Drawing on ethnography, borderland history, ethnohistory, oral history, and archaeology,  Seymour discusses the significance of these documents, providing a glimpse  into environmental conditions and culture change along the Santa Cruz and San Pedro rivers. Seymour’s more than thirty years’ experience working in this part of the Southwest adds depth and perspective to the narrative.
Socially distanced Two-site tour sponsored and organized by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center: Santa Cruz de Terrenate is the best-preserved example of three presidios (forts) established in what is now the southern Arizona by... more
Socially distanced
Two-site tour sponsored and organized by Old Pueblo Archaeology Center:

            Santa Cruz de Terrenate is the best-preserved example of three presidios (forts) established in what is now the southern Arizona by the Spanish colonial government. The objective was to provide the missions, settlers, and Christianized Native Americans of New Spain with military protection from Apaches and other mobile Natives by forming a line of presidios that enclosed the area under Spanish control. Santa Cruz presidio was founded on a steep bluff overlooking the San Pedro River on December 10, 1775 and was abandoned in March of 1780. The only other settlement on the river at the time was a Sobaipuri O’odham village called Quiburi that had moved far to the north from its Kino-period placement near where the presidio was later built. The presidio housed soldiers, civilians, Ópata scouts, O’odham laborers, and domestic servants of a variety of origins. Originally excavated by Charles Di Peso, more recently our tour leader, Dr. Deni Seymour, carried out excavations there revealing quite a bit new information about the Spanish occupation, the earlier Sobaipuri O’odham village, and the nature of life at this remote outpost. As usual, with the addition of new data, her findings run counter to many of the established truths of this frontier region.

Santa Cruz del Pitaitutgam is a large Sobaípuri village occupied off-and-on for centuries. Charles Di Peso excavated a portion of this site in the 1950s making it the first ever Sobaipuri site identified and excavated. He called it Santa Cruz de Gaybanipitea, but further ethnohistoric research shows definitively that this was the place Father Kino called Santa Cruz del Pitaitutgam (shown as Pitaitutgam on an early map). More recently, Dr. Seymour carried out additional excavations on the site, which was important in clarifying new ideas about the Sobaipuri, their village layout, length of occupation in the valley, and many other issues of current interest.

Reservations required, limited spaces:

Allen Dart, RPA 12244, Executive Director (Volunteer)
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center
PO Box 40577
Tucson AZ 85717-0577  USA
        520-798-1201
        adart@oldpueblo.org
        www.oldpueblo.org
This will be a Zoom presentation Revisiting Santa Cruz de Terrenate Presidio Ever wonder what Spanish life was like within the presidio as the Apache roamed freely beyond its walls? In 1775/6, the government of New Spain created a... more
This will be a Zoom presentation

Revisiting Santa Cruz de Terrenate Presidio

Ever wonder what Spanish life was like within the presidio as the Apache roamed freely beyond its walls? In 1775/6, the government of New Spain created a series of frontier presidios along its northern frontier. Three of these are in Arizona. Archaeologist Deni Seymour, Ph.D. conducted a multi-year field research program at what remains of Santa Cruz de Terrenate, located on the San Pedro River near Sierra Vista. This is the best preserved of all the Spanish period presidios in the American Southwest. Join Dr. Seymour for a discussion of the history of this adobe fortress, information about recent archaeological and ethnohistoric investigations, and revisions to interpretations of work carried out by Charles Di Peso almost 70 years ago. New findings include 240-year old footprints, information relevant to the location of the Sobaipuri sites of Quiburi and Santa Cruz, and insights into hygiene, population, and status.

Reservations required, limited spaces:

Allen Dart, RPA 12244, Executive Director (Volunteer)
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center
PO Box 40577
Tucson AZ 85717-0577  USA
        520-798-1201
        adart@oldpueblo.org
        www.oldpueblo.org
Voices of the West radio hour, 4 pm May 9, 2020

Live stream over the website, voicesofthewest.net, Saturday at 4pm MST.
The O'odham have been portrayed in film and videos in a variety of ways. Many of these portrayals present inaccurate views of the O'odham today and in the past; many others effectively convey experiences they encounter as native people.... more
The O'odham have been portrayed in film and videos in a variety of ways. Many of these portrayals present inaccurate views of the O'odham today and in the past; many others effectively convey experiences they encounter as native people. The team will use video and film along with a discussion of how these media have shaped views about them and their ancestors. This program will be an open forum that will consist of a series of discussion sets, that include short video clips, a short accompanying presentation, followed by an open-floor discussion. Each set will be guided by the video content itself and by audience questions and comments.
11-12, Tubac Community Center
50 Bridge Road
BEFORE PONCE DE LEÓN: THE MESCALERO APACHES AT EL PASO DEL NORTE OCTOBER 14, 5:00-7:45PM MAGOFFIN AUDITORIUM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO Hosts Dr. Max Grossman, Associate Professor of Art History Angel Diaz, President, Academic... more
BEFORE PONCE DE LEÓN: THE
MESCALERO APACHES AT EL PASO DEL NORTE
OCTOBER 14, 5:00-7:45PM
MAGOFFIN AUDITORIUM
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO
Hosts
Dr. Max Grossman, Associate Professor of Art History
Angel Diaz, President, Academic Revival of Indigenous Studies & Education
Presentations
Dr. Rick Hendricks, New Mexico State Records Administrator
Historiography of the Mescalero Apaches in the US-Mexico Borderlands
Dr. Matthew Babcock, Associate Professor of History, University of North Texas at
Dallas, Contextualizing the Apache Presence at El Paso del Norte, 1778-1825
Mark Santiago, Director, New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, Las Cruces,
The Rise and Fall of the Mescalero Reservation at El Paso del Norte, 1790-1799
Dr. David Romo, Borderlands Historian,
Mescalero Apache Leaders of the “Establecimiento de Paz”
Opposite El Paso del Norte
Dr. Deni Seymour, Archaeologist,
Apache de Paz Settlements: What to Expect Archaeologically
Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an advance, during which Lt Cushing found his way into herodom, falling with two others in a remote canyon in Cochise County, Arizona... more
Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an advance, during which Lt Cushing found his way into herodom, falling with two others in a remote canyon in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. This Medals of Honor ambush site has defied discovery, despite detailed narrative accounts by survivors and a recovery party. Using Apache landscape use and ambush behavior this hallowed location has now been found. This discovery brings into question many long-held misconceptions regarding Apache battle tactics and organization. It also provides important insights into assumptions we bring to our interpretation of narrative accounts, battlefield behavior, landscape references, and weapons in use at the time.
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic... more
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic information (including rarely used land claims documents) indicates were used for storage. These features, called platform caches, provide rare and ideal material for accurate dating because they are often covered with grass or leaves. Dates from these features, on Apache pottery, and from roasting pits, all in direct association with Apache material culture of other types (including rock art), provide a continuous sequence of use from at least as early as the A.D. 1300s through the late 1700s. New information about a western route south to this region is combined with other evidence regarding the presence of the earliest ancestral Apache three centuries earlier than many have argued, even in areas where Coronado did not see them.
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic... more
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic information (including rarely used land claims documents) indicates were used for storage. These features, called platform caches, provide rare and ideal material for accurate dating because they are often covered with grass or leaves. Dates from these features, on Apache pottery, and from roasting pits, all in direct association with Apache material culture of other types (including rock art), provide a continuous sequence of use from at least as early as the A.D. 1300s through the late 1700s. New information about a western route south to this region is combined with other evidence regarding the presence of the earliest ancestral Apache three centuries earlier than many have argued, even in areas where Coronado did not see them.

Red Rock State Park. 4050 Red Rock Loop Rd. Sedona, AZ. 86336 (in the parks theater).
June 19, Wednesday, 3:45-4:30 p.m.: Panel: Mission San Xavier del Bac Moderator: C.K. Crigger. Panelists: Paul Schmelzer, Deni Seymour, Clague Van Slyke III.             Learn the history of one of the most significant attractions in... more
June 19, Wednesday, 3:45-4:30 p.m.: Panel: Mission San Xavier del Bac
Moderator: C.K. Crigger. Panelists: Paul Schmelzer, Deni Seymour, Clague Van Slyke III.
            Learn the history of one of the most significant attractions in Southern Arizona, the San Xavier Mission. Located 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, the mission is the oldest intact European structure in the state. 

2019, 66th Annual Western Writers of America Convention
TUCSON, AZ
JUNE 19-22, 2019
Hilton Hotel East, 7600 East Broadway. Tucson, Arizona
Session in honor of Edwin R. Sweeney. Archaeological research that incorporates ethnographic and historic data serves as a reliable basis for inference building regarding Apachean landscape use and terrain selection. Predictive success,... more
Session in honor of Edwin R. Sweeney.
Archaeological research that incorporates ethnographic and historic data serves as a reliable basis for inference building regarding Apachean landscape use and terrain selection. Predictive success, explanatory value, and incorporation into modern understandings raise confidence levels, while avoiding the pitfalls of unexamined assumptions of continuity. Understanding relevant social and economic issues explains the lifeways practiced by the mobile hunter-raiders known as mountain people. Ed Sweeney's publications have served a foundational role in this work.
Verde Valley Archaeology Center at 385 S. Main St., Camp Verde; Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month activity. Arizona Humanities It has been said that the Apache do not become Apache until the adoption of the horse, which... more
Verde Valley Archaeology Center at 385 S. Main St., Camp Verde; Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month activity. Arizona Humanities

It has been said that the Apache do not become Apache until the adoption of the horse, which triggered the
raiding adaptation. Dr. Deni Seymour will explain that while horses played a central role in the Apachean
world, the horse divide is not as pronounced as thought. Horses changed the ancestral Apache lifeway and
horses survived and thrived without European horse culture. Horses shaped warfare and intercultural
relations, were intertwined with family and inter-band relations, and were integrated into Apachean lives
through use of horse power and in ceremonies. The horse is maintained in contemporary culture and
archaeological traces document the historical role of horses in rock art, bones, landscape use, and artifacts.
The talk is being given by Tony Burrell (O'odham elder, councilman, and cultural committee member), David Tenario (Wa:k O'odham and team member), and Dr. Deni Seymour. The O'odham who lived along the river were not Tohono O'odham. Just as... more
The talk is being given by Tony Burrell (O'odham elder, councilman, and cultural committee member), David Tenario (Wa:k O'odham and team member), and Dr. Deni Seymour. The O'odham who lived along the river were not Tohono O'odham. Just as today the (San Xavier del) Wa:k O'odham are Akimel O'odham, so were their Sobaipuri ancestors. Come learn what this means with respect to shaping the s-ap ki:himdag (good living) for the Akimel O'odham along the Santa Cruz River and discover how our team is uncovering the character of southeast Arizona's River People more generally. This presentation conveys the nature of our research, the kinds of data used to shape our perspectives, and presents the results that we are creating and collecting together. We combine traditional knowledge with other forms of evidence to critically assess, evaluate, and validate inferences and conclusions. Our work both involves and assists the Wa:k community in understanding their past in new ways and at the same time helps the public understand who these unique O'odham are with their distinct heritage.
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic... more
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic information (including rarely used land claims documents) indicates were used for storage. These features, called platform caches, provide rare and ideal material for accurate dating because they are often covered with grass or leaves. Dates from these features, on Apache pottery, and from roasting pits, all in direct association with Apache material culture of other types (including rock art), provide a continuous sequence of use from at least as early as the A.D. 1300s through the late 1700s. New information about a western route south to this region is combined with other evidence regarding the presence of the earliest ancestral Apache three centuries earlier than many have argued, even in areas where Coronado did not see them.
Much has been learned about the Sobaipuri-O'odham over the last couple of decades and their actual history differs substantially in many ways from commonly held notions. The archaeological and ethnohistoric research of the presenters... more
Much has been learned about the Sobaipuri-O'odham over the last couple of decades and their actual history differs substantially in many ways from commonly held notions. The archaeological and ethnohistoric research of the presenters provides new perspectives on where and how they lived, how long they occupied the valleys of southern Arizona, their relationship to the Hohokam, and so on. Special reference will be made to the Sobaipuri of San Xavier del Bac or Wa:k where descendant populations reside. Dr. Deni Seymour is joined by her associates Elder Tony Burrell and Cultural Specialist David Tenario of Wa:k in presenting their video entitled “Who Are the Sobaipuri O’odham?” followed by interactive lectures and discussions. Through these means they strive to promote understanding of the human experience through the eyes of the Wa:k O’odham and their ancestors. Using discussions and interviews with Wa:k O’odham community members, the video and subsequent discussions highlight the issues of how public policy, politics, and economic interest have influenced our understanding of the Wa:k O’odham and how their heritage has been shaped and in some cases erased.
Arizona Pathfinders, Arizona History Museum Auditorium, 6 pm brown bag meeting, Tucson 949 E Second Street, Tucson In May 1871 Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an... more
Arizona Pathfinders, Arizona History Museum Auditorium, 6 pm brown bag meeting, Tucson
949 E Second Street, Tucson

In May 1871 Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an advance, during which Lt Cushing found his way into herodom, falling with two others in a remote canyon in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. This Medals of Honor ambush site has defied discovery, despite detailed narrative accounts by survivors and a recovery party. Using Apache landscape use and ambush behavior this hallowed location has now been found. This discovery brings into question many long-held misconceptions regarding Apache battle tactics and organization. It also provides important insights into assumptions we bring to our interpretation of narrative accounts, battlefield behavior, landscape references, and weapons in use at the time.
The Sonoita Valley has a rich past spanning the prehistoric era into the historic. The valley's character has been shaped by human-environment interactions. This talk focuses on the early historic period from the time of Father Kino in... more
The Sonoita Valley has a rich past spanning the prehistoric era into the historic. The valley's character has been shaped by human-environment interactions. This talk focuses on the early historic period from the time of Father Kino in the 1690s up through the late 1700s when the Europeans first encountered the Sobaipuri-O'odham and when this interaction had its greatest impact. The Sobaipuri-O'odham settlement of Sonoita played a key role in the area through time were central in the area’s history.
Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an advance, during which Lt Cushing found his way into herodom, falling with two others in a remote canyon in Cochise County, Arizona... more
Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an advance, during which Lt Cushing found his way into herodom, falling with two others in a remote canyon in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. This Medals of Honor ambush site has defied discovery, despite detailed narrative accounts by survivors and a recovery party. Using Apache landscape use and ambush behavior this hallowed location has now been found. This discovery brings into question many long-held misconceptions regarding Apache battle tactics and organization. It also provides important insights into assumptions we bring to our interpretation of narrative accounts, battlefield behavior, landscape references, and weapons in use at the time.
Study Group Leader (SGL) for OLLI-UA-Tucson. Presented by Dr. Deni Seymour, Tony Burrell, and David Tenario Time: 9:00-10:30 Date: November 8 Location: Magee/Golder Ranch Fire Station Community Room 1175 W Magee... more
Study Group Leader (SGL) for OLLI-UA-Tucson. 
Presented by Dr. Deni Seymour, Tony Burrell, and David Tenario

Time: 9:00-10:30
Date: November 8
Location: Magee/Golder Ranch Fire Station Community Room
                  1175 W Magee Rd, Tucson, AZ 85704


Course Description
The O'odham are not a single people. Wa:k O'odham heritage is distinct from the Tohono O'odham, those with whom they are politically grouped today. Originally Akimel O'odham or River People, the Wa:k ancestors were called Sobaipuri O'odham. They farmed, had a ranked society, and planned long-term settlements. In this presentation the Wa:k O'odham Sobaipuri descendants (Tony Burrell and David Tenario) and anthropologist Dr. Deni Seymour discuss Sobaipuri O'odham heritage and the things that make these residents distinct from the rest of the Tohono O'odham Nation. Archaeology, history, ethnography, and family histories are combined to tell a unique story. Come hear this story and ask questions.



Study Group Leader(s)

Deni Seymour

Deni J. Seymour, PhD., is an experienced speaker with engagements across the state and beyond, and is currently with the Arizona Humanities Speaker Bureau. Dr. Seymour has degrees in environmental studies and anthropology and is a widely published author of 100 articles and 6 books on archaeology, ethnography, and ethnohistory. She has studied Sobaipuri history and archaeology for more than three decades and has worked with the Wa:k community for over a decade investigating many issues with community members regarding their Sobaipuri heritage.
November 10, 2018, Burton Barr library, Phoenix Public Library, 1:30 pm Burton Barr Library at 1221 N Central Ave Much has been learned about the Sobaipuri-O'odham over the last couple of decades and their actual history differs... more
November 10, 2018, Burton Barr library, Phoenix Public Library, 1:30 pm
Burton Barr Library at 1221 N Central Ave
Much has been learned about the Sobaipuri-O'odham over the last couple of decades and their actual history differs substantially in many ways from commonly held notions. The archaeological and ethnohistoric research of the presenters provides new perspectives on where and how they lived, how long they occupied the valleys of southern Arizona, their relationship to the Hohokam, and so on. Special reference will be made to the Sobaipuri of San Xavier del Bac or Wa:k where descendant populations reside. Dr. Deni Seymour is joined by her associates Elder Tony Burrell and Cultural Specialist David Tenario of Wa:k in presenting their video entitled “Who Are the Sobaipuri O’odham?” followed by interactive lectures and discussions. Through these means they strive to promote understanding of the human experience through the eyes of the Wa:k O’odham and their ancestors. Using discussions and interviews with Wa:k O’odham community members, the video and subsequent discussions highlight the issues of how public policy, politics, and economic interest have influenced our understanding of the Wa:k O’odham and how their heritage has been shaped and in some cases erased.
Study Group Leader (SGL) for OLLI-UA-Green Valley. Presented by Dr. Deni Seymour, Tony Burrell, and David Tenario Below is the schedule for this fall term study group: O'odham Residents of the Santa Cruz... more
Study Group Leader (SGL) for OLLI-UA-Green Valley. 
Presented by Dr. Deni Seymour, Tony Burrell, and David Tenario

Below is the schedule for this fall term study group:

                    O'odham Residents of the Santa Cruz Valley
                      Tue. 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM    Start:  11/13    End:  11/13
                      Community Learning Center - Green Valley - Room 203

Course Description

The O'odham are not a single people. Wa:k O'odham heritage is distinct from the Tohono O'odham, those with whom they are politically grouped today. Originally Akimel O'odham or River People, the Wa:k ancestors were called Sobaipuri O'odham. They farmed, had a ranked society, and planned long-term settlements. In this presentation the Wa:k O'odham Sobaipuri descendants (Tony Burrell and David Tenario) and anthropologist Dr. Deni Seymour discuss Sobaipuri O'odham heritage and the things that make these residents distinct from the rest of the Tohono O'odham Nation. Archaeology, history, ethnography, and family histories are combined to tell a unique story. Come hear this story and ask questions.
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic... more
Recent research provides evidence of ancestral Apaches in the southern Southwest at least as early as the A.D. 1300s. Some of this evidence comes from chronometric dates obtained from a feature type that comparative ethnographic information (including rarely used land claims documents) indicates were used for storage. These features, called platform caches, provide rare and ideal material for accurate dating because they are often covered with grass or leaves. Dates from these features, on Apache pottery, and from roasting pits, all in direct association with Apache material culture of other types (including rock art), provide a continuous sequence of use from at least as early as the A.D. 1300s through the late 1700s. New information about a western route south to this region is combined with other evidence regarding the presence of the earliest ancestral Apache three centuries earlier than many have argued, even in areas where Coronado did not see them.
Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an advance, during which Lt Cushing found his way into herodom, falling with two others in a remote canyon in Cochise County, Arizona... more
Sgt Mott followed Apache footprints into history. An initial encounter and fall back, was followed by an advance, during which Lt Cushing found his way into herodom, falling with two others in a remote canyon in Cochise County, Arizona Territory. This Medals of Honor ambush site has defied discovery, despite detailed narrative accounts by survivors and a recovery party. Using Apache landscape use and ambush behavior this hallowed location has now been found. This discovery brings into question many long-held misconceptions regarding Apache battle tactics and organization. It also provides important insights into assumptions we bring to our interpretation of narrative accounts, battlefield behavior, landscape references, and weapons in use at the time.


Rio Rico Community Center, 391 Avenida Coatimundi.  This is off of Pendleton Drive south of Rio Rico Drive, eastside of I=19 freeway.
Register with Old Pueblo Archaeology Center During this tour archaeologist Dr. Deni Seymour, whose lifelong research has focused largely on the protohistoric and historic period Native American cultures of the United States’ “southern... more
Register with Old Pueblo Archaeology Center

During this tour archaeologist Dr. Deni Seymour, whose lifelong research has focused largely on the protohistoric and historic period Native American cultures of the United States’ “southern Southwest,” and Norman Wisner will lead us to the historic Dragoon Springs Stage Station and Cochise-Howard Treaty Site archaeological sites in the foothills of southern Arizona’s Dragoon Mountains. Dragoon Springs, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, served the “Jackass Mail” and Butterfield Overland mail companies during the 1850s and 1860s, and was the site of altercations in which construction workers and soldiers of both the Confederate and Union armies were killed, allegedly by Apaches. Debate surrounding the burials will be incorporated into the discussion. A second site, the Cochise-Howard Treaty location, is where Brigadier General Oliver Otis Howard met with the Apache leader Cochise in October 1872 to negotiate the surrender and relocation of Cochise’s Chokonen Apache band. The place of that meeting, which culminated in a peace treaty between Cochise’s band and the U.S. government, has been published by Dr. Seymour based on photographs of unique boulder formations, written historical descriptions of the landscape, and archaeological evidence that she will discuss during our visit. Detailed historical accounts and archaeological investigations enrich our understanding of the location.
An abbreviated history and historical anecdotes of horses among the Apache. For many they do not become the Apache until the adoption of the horse--which is said to have triggered the raiding adaptation. In this presentation I address... more
An abbreviated history and historical anecdotes of horses among the Apache. For many they do not become the Apache until the adoption of the horse--which is said to have triggered the raiding adaptation. In this presentation I address this and many other notions about the Apache and their horses. No doubt, horses played a central role in the Apachean world but the horse divide is not as pronounced as thought. I discuss various ways in which horses changed the ancestral Apache lifeway, how horses survived and thrived without European horse culture, how horses shaped warfare and intercultural relations, and how horses were intertwined with family and inter-band relations through horse trading and gambling. Horses were integrated into Apachean lives in many ways, including through the use of horse power and ceremonies, and they played a role in death rituals. While the horse is maintained in contemporary culture, archaeological traces document the historical role of the horse in rock art, horse bones, landscape use, and artifacts.

And 70 more

Research Interests:
Southwestern Historical Quarterly Volume 118, Number 4, April 2015
The MeatEater Podcast, Episode 364
with host Steven Rinella
Voices of the West radio hour, 4 pm May 9, 2020

O’ODHAM VS APACHE, 5/9/20

Live stream over the website, voicesofthewest.net, Saturday at 4pm MST.

https://voicesofthewest.net/voices-of-the-west-oodham-vs-apache-5-9-20/
Nogales International Story
Comments on Deni's recent grants with the NMHC and work with the Jumano, Piro, and Lipan.
Research Interests:
The Sobaipuri O'odham village of San Cosme del Tucson was noted in the 1690s by Jesuit Father Kino and others. It is Tucson's namesake and birthplace. The name Tucson derives from the O'odham word S-cuk Shon, which means Black Bas,... more
The Sobaipuri O'odham village of San Cosme del Tucson was noted in the 1690s by Jesuit Father Kino and others. It is Tucson's namesake and birthplace. The name Tucson derives from the  O'odham word S-cuk Shon, which means Black Bas, because of the black rock that characterizes the area and its placement at the base of Tumamoc Hill. Hear the modern day Wa:k O'odham talk about their ancestral site, discovered in early 2020.
The route of travel that eventually became known as the Camino Real, or Royal Road, in the El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico areas began as an animal trail, followed by local Natives (the Manso Indians), and then was followed... more
The route of travel that eventually became known as the Camino Real, or Royal Road, in the El Paso, Texas and Las Cruces, New Mexico areas began as an animal trail, followed by local Natives (the Manso Indians), and then was followed north by 16th century Spaniards. Narrated by Manso descendant, Cruz Camargo, this video highlights some of this early history. This project is part of a research grant (CHAM 22-07) from Western National Parks Association in cooperation with Chamizal National Memorial and a research grant for Chamizal National Memorial, National Park Service entitled Ethnohistoric and Ethnographic Study of El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro NHT Along U.S.- Mexican Border (Grant # P20AC00979), undertaken with the History Department, University of Texas, El Paso.
How do archaeologists tell time? For example, how do we know when we have a Vazquez de Coronado site rather than a site related to someone else? How can we be sure that the artifacts said to be indicative of 1540, are, in fact so? An... more
How do archaeologists tell time?

For example, how do we know when we have a Vazquez de Coronado site rather than a site related to someone else?
How can we be sure that the artifacts said to be indicative of 1540, are, in fact so?

An effective way to explain this is to compare what we're finding to a modern example. Most people are aware of the change in can tops/ pop tops, and by looking at the changes through recent history in the character of pop tops it is possible to see the progression through time that allows us to know precisely the date span during which that can or pop-top was manufactured.

The same kind of distinction can be easily made between 1970 and 1870 in the types of clothing that people wore. No one would confuse the 1970s leisure suit or go-go boots and hot pants with the more conservative attire of the Victorian age in the 1870s. This is how we see change in archaeological terms. Trends leave physical and material residues, or evidence.

The same type of changes occurred in and since the Early Modern period when Coronado passed through our region. For example, in 1540, the beginning of the Renaissance period, crossbows were on their way out. They were being replaced with more efficient and modern weapons.  While crossbows were used on the Coronado expedition, experts have noted that they were obsolete by the time the expedition ended. People may have used them for a while after, but not after the turn of the century for sure, which is the next time anyone of note entered southern Arizona.

We know crossbows were used on the Coronado expedition because we see crossbows listed on the muster roll. Moreover, the distinctive arrow or bolt heads have been found on every verified Coronado site in New Mexico and Texas. But after this expedition they were no longer in widespread use and were not used after the turn of the century; therefore, we should not find crossbow bolt heads in later sites.

No other official large-scale expeditions are known to have come through Arizona, before Coronado or after, that is, until 1692 when Spanish soldiers and Father Kino, began entering the area. In neighboring New Mexico this clarity of the issue is confused by the fact that shortly after Coronado and before the turn of the 17th century several expeditions traveled along the Rio Grande which makes it sometimes difficult to distinguish Coronado from other later 16th-century Spaniards. In southern Arizona we do not have that issue, because no other official expeditions occurred here.

Only official expeditions were allowed by the king of Spain. Evidence from this site indicates that this was a huge group people passing through, consistent with documentary sources. Judging from what has been found it was also a well-funded expedition, and so there is no doubt it was an official expedition.

As noted, this is the only large expedition of the time in this area. Three notable smaller trips are considered scouting parties by historians, and thus earlier extensions of Coronado’s expedition. Fray Marcos de Niza the year before was part of a much smaller group, and without the weapons, horses, and pack animals of the 1540 expedition. Melchior Diaz was sent north through this area to verify the findings of Fray Marcos, but his party was also small, as was his journey to the Colorado River. Each of these would have left a much lighter imprint, with fewer artifacts covering a much smaller area.

In this video I have discussed how the physical traces a group leaves behind will reflect a specific period of time. A fair degree of precision can result from the careful study of artifacts from a site and matching them to the period in which they were made and used. For the Coronado Expedition, there were a number of items that were specific to the time of the journey and that do not occur later in time. One of these is the copper crossbow bolt head. Finding these bolt heads, and other equally diagnostic or characteristic artifacts, in considerable quantities, is proof that the 1540 expedition was at this site, for a significant encounter. These cannot be accounted for by any other identifiable process. The sheer preponderance and consistency of the artifact assemblage and the spatial array of the evidence at this sizable archaeological site is solid evidence of a substantial mid-16th century presence, and that would be Coronado.
Archaeological sites related to the first Europeans to step foot in Arizona have avoided detection until now. One reason for this is that historians and archaeologists have not understood the nature of the archaeological evidence. A... more
Archaeological sites related to the first Europeans to step foot in Arizona have avoided detection until now. One reason for this is that historians and archaeologists have not understood the nature of the archaeological evidence. A simple nail was key in the recent discovery of the first Coronado site in Arizona. These are caret-headed nails, or as one historical source notes "clavos con dos gulpes," that is, requiring only two blows of the hammer to manufacture.
Usually, discussions of the first Europeans to explore the American Southwest are general in nature. One reason for this is there have been few if any details as to the routes they took and where they stopped along the way. There is also... more
Usually, discussions of the first Europeans to explore the American Southwest are general in nature. One reason for this is there have been few if any details as to the routes they took and where they stopped along the way. There is also a lack of understanding of what the specific items and attributes of the material culture are, that characterize these expeditions. Other than experts, people have not understood what the artifacts look like that characterize these expeditions.
There is a long period of Spanish presence in the area during the Colonial period. It is critical to distinguish this later Spanish Colonial material from that associated with the earliest expeditions. There are a few items that are so diagnostic, so characteristic of the Coronado expedition that, when found, it is possible to confirm the presence of this 1540 expedition. Others are indicative of the Spanish in general. Because the Spanish period covers such a long period of time, they are not especially informative. That is, these types of artifacts are not of value for pinpointing Coronado because they were used for an excessively long period of time and therefore could indicate that a place was used or visited by Spaniards at any time between 1539 and the 1800s.
The need to distinguish Coronado-specific artifacts from those of the later Spanish period is exemplified by a previous claim to discovery of a key Coronado site in southern Arizona. Artifacts relating to the general Spanish period are those Brasher uncovered at the Kuykundall site in the early 2000s. While Brasher claimed their Coronado association, they are Spanish period, but not Coronado. This is why not a single archaeologist familiar with the site, the artifacts, and Coronado, has confirmed that Kuykundall is Chichilticali, as Brasher claims. The Spanish period artifacts likely relate to the 1795 José de Zúñiga expedition where Zúñiga blazed a new Spanish trail between Tucson and Santa Fe. Records indicate that Zúñiga was not following a known Spanish trail, but instead, found a new Spanish route to through the mountains.
A handful of artifacts that indicate Coronado are widely recognized by archaeologists familiar with Coronado sites. Among these are the bolt head or arrow head for a crossbow.  All of those recognized as crossbow arrow heads, are made of copper, some of which have been traced to West Mexican sources. Both copper and unequivocal iron bolt heads have now been identified with our Coronado site in southern Arizona. Several styles are present, indicating different sources, makers, also probably different uses. Also considered diagnostic is the caret-head nails or bi-faceted nail, facet-headed nails, “clavos con dos golpes" - "nails with two blows" These are distinctive nails. it is not the shank, but rather, the head, that is diagnostic. The shank is not sufficiently distinct by itself to indicate that Coronado was present, but in contrast, the head by itself, is, in fact, distinctive of Coronado. Brasher had only shanks.

Other items considered diagnostic include: The Clarksdale bell, Venetian beads, green obsidian blades from Native swords, chain mail, plate and scale armor, various helmets, breast plates, and the like. Copper lace aglets. Even portions of the scabbards for daggers and swords are seemingly diagnostic.

There are also some new artifacts to add to the list for southern Arizona, given the limited early Spanish activity in this area. Because known Spanish activity did not occur again until the fourth quarter of the 1600s, we can include a number of artifacts that did not go out of use immediately after the expedition but that were no longer manufactured or in use after the turn of the 17th century, that is about AD 1600. We can be relatively certain that they represent Coronado. If nothing else, they summons the need for more intensive investigation of an area.

One of these is the Late Medieval and Post-Medieval horseshoe. This style of early Spanish horseshoe was no longer made after 1600 or so. This horseshoe style has not been seen as diagnostic of the Coronado expedition because scholars have assumed its continued use into the presidio period, but it only continued in use until about 1600, and here in Arizona that continued use is not a relevant issue, because there was no official presence after Coronado until the late 1600s. Some suggest that perhaps metal horseshoes and nails were too expensive to use but would have been needed for expeditions. The Spanish barb introduced into the colonial period Southwest had tough hooves that did not require expensive metal horseshoes. Horseshoe styles had changed when horseshoes were in vogue again, as metal decreased in price and became more widely available. There are other items as well, but this gives a sense of how archaeologists identify Coronado-period sites.
The Anza trail is well known. This is the historic trail established by Juan Bautista de Anza on his way to the San Francisco Bay area in 1775 and 1776, with some 240 colonists, including men women and children. Juan Bautista de Anza was... more
The Anza trail is well known. This is the historic trail established by Juan Bautista de Anza on his way to the San Francisco Bay area in 1775 and 1776, with some 240 colonists, including men women and children. Juan Bautista de Anza was captain of the Spanish presidio of Tubac, now in southern Arizona. And so, our search for evidence begins here and nearby and then follows the route north to the general area of Picacho Peak.

One of the reasons we know so much about this trail is that some of the participants left journals of this historic journey; even a map has been preserved. Nonetheless, to date, historians and history buffs have only been able to reconstruct the broad outlines of the route. Despite discussions of people and places encountered, and league distances provided, the actual route remains vague. This is because there are discrepancies between accounts and the number of leagues they were said to have traveled. There are differences in the length of leagues used. There are problems with the few longitude and latitude readings they provided. Even the map scale is such that only the excessively broad corridor can be discerned.

Even though some specific reference points have been proclaimed by historians and descendants, no evidence of the trail itself or the specific camping sites have been identified. The exceptions are those that were established at known locations, such as Tubac presidio. Some place names have survived such as Canoa, Las Lagunas, and so on, that allow us to peg the general confines of the route, but not specifically where they walked, rode, and slept. No on-the-ground archaeological evidence has been identified, so one suggestion is as good as any other until actual physical evidence can be connected to the journals and maps. My goal is to remedy this by taking into account what people think they know and by examining existing evidence, such as road segments at Tubac Presidio, and finding new archaeological, physical, and geographic evidence of the actual trail and campsites, whatever character that evidence may entail. This is the first of many planned videos on the Anza route and the archaeological evidence of the actual trail route and camp sites. This video covers what I have been able to discern so far based on limited work undertaken during the first few months of Covid.
The age of discovery, the age of exploration. These are such enticing concepts, especially when set to an epic soundtrack. But one man’s adventure is another’s bane, the disruption of an entire world.
This short video enlists the knowledge of the Wa:k O'odham to explore the meaning of the place names of Sopori, Arivaca, and Aravaipa, all in southern Arizona. These originated as O'odham names, and have been retranslated into the Wa:k... more
This short video enlists the knowledge of the Wa:k O'odham to explore the meaning of the place names of Sopori, Arivaca, and Aravaipa, all in southern Arizona. These originated as O'odham names, and have been retranslated into the Wa:k O'odham dialect to understand their origin and meaning. All of these places were within the territory of their ancestors, the Sobaipuri O'odham.
The Sobaipuri were intimately connected to the rivers of Southeastern Arizona. Their village sites are keyed to locations where the river water was reliably on the surface. The characteristic of regional rivers to flow on the surface and... more
The Sobaipuri were intimately connected to the rivers of Southeastern Arizona. Their village sites are keyed to locations where the river water was reliably on the surface. The characteristic of regional rivers to flow on the surface and then dip beneath the sand was noted by historical observers and meant that village sites were clustered in areas with surface water and were not found in dry stretches. The Sobaipuri were River People or Akimel O'odham whose lifeway depended on the river and whose irrigation canals watered their fields.
Many of the Wa:k O'odham are descendants of the Sobaipuri O'odham, who lived along the river in permanent settlements with canal irrigation to supply their agricultural fields with water. Many know that they have been and are River People... more
Many of the Wa:k O'odham are descendants of the Sobaipuri O'odham, who lived along the river in permanent settlements with canal irrigation to supply their agricultural fields with water. Many know that they have been and are River People or Akimel O'odham, as they have always lived along the river. Their oral history provides corroboration of this fact, as does archaeological and historical information. Their Tohono or Desert O'odham affiliation is only recent and is entirely political.
I was invited to submit a 20 to 30 second greeting video to show as part of the Kino Venerable ceremonies this Sunday: Diretta "Celebrazione PADRE KINO" in Segno (Tn) - Italy. This is all 27 seconds of it.
Another close-up in appreciation of nature's complexity and beauty.
At the request of educators, the original video First Flow was shortened to under 5 minutes. For the longer version (on this channel), see: First Flow: The Santa Cruz River at Wa:k https://youtu.be/B2xGGfLSDWQ This video shows the "first... more
At the request of educators, the original video First Flow was shortened to under 5 minutes.
For the longer version (on this channel), see:
First Flow: The Santa Cruz River at Wa:k
https://youtu.be/B2xGGfLSDWQ

This video shows the "first flow" of the Santa Cruz River in decades in the channel near San Xavier del Wa:k. The video was prepared in fall of 2018 about 6 months after the first evidence of a new perennial flow was identified. Drone footage and comments by Wa:k O'odham community members provide a sense of the importance of the revival of river flow here. Historically, the river used to flow on the surface perennially in this area (until the river was essentially killed as a result of groundwater pumping, channel modification, and wood cutting, after which the river would only flow after up-stream rains). Surface flow was facilitated by the near surface bedrock that pushed the flow to the surface. The spring was to the south/upstream from the community. The flow formed an expansive marsh south of Martinez Hill, where this flow began, and then it flowed as a stream to the north or downstream from that hill where the Sobaipuri used its flow for irrigation agriculture. They had fields and canals so extensive that Kino and his religious companions were impressed. Reasons for the new flow are provided.
Baby bunny cooling down in the evening shade of a saguaro, with a persistent breeze.
Another excuse to relax a bit.
Another relaxation video, this time a relatively long one for all those who desire an extended period of respite.
Relax and watch the Strawberry Moon move across the sky (real time). (Actually, waning gibbous, 97.1%, 6/6/2020; moderate wind gusts.) Background chorus: call of Red Spotted Toads, Tucson, Arizona. June's full moon, known as the... more
Relax and watch the Strawberry Moon move across the sky (real time). (Actually, waning gibbous, 97.1%, 6/6/2020; moderate wind gusts.) Background chorus: call of Red Spotted Toads, Tucson, Arizona. June's full moon, known as the strawberry moon, is named after wild strawberries that ripen during the month.
Relax and watch Exploration of One Square Meter around a yucca in my yard. This photographic study of a small area in my backyard, in Tucson, Arizona, is from May 2020.
Dance group preforming in Banamichi, Sonora in February 2020. The footage was shot impromptu with a smart phone and sound is their sound system. One teacher (Nicolas Alfonso Lizarraga Rivas) and his students performed for our group that... more
Dance group preforming in Banamichi, Sonora in February 2020.
The footage was shot impromptu with a smart phone and sound is their sound system. One teacher  (Nicolas Alfonso Lizarraga Rivas) and his students performed for our group that was to benefit the Patagonia Museum.
The Flower Moon is the final full supermoon of 2020. The moon rises in the southeast above a hill in the Tucson Mountains. Its extra large size and clarity of surface features make this moon a special sight, as does its coal-like glow as... more
The Flower Moon is the final full supermoon of 2020.
The moon rises in the southeast above a hill in the Tucson Mountains. Its extra large size and clarity of surface features make this moon a special sight, as does its coal-like glow as it breaches the ridge line. The moon's movement is real time. The night creatures comprise the sound track.
The Flower Moon is the final full supermoon of 2020. In this short video, watch the rate of the earth's rotation as the moon sinks below the western horizon. In this case, the horizon is a saguaro-covered hill on the eastern slopes of the... more
The Flower Moon is the final full supermoon of 2020.
In this short video, watch the rate of the earth's rotation as the moon sinks below the western horizon. In this case, the horizon is a saguaro-covered hill on the eastern slopes of the Tucson Mountains.
The saguaro cacti bloom in the early spring and are crowed by large white flowers. Many species of birds, insects, and bats come to feast on the nectar and in the process pollenate the flowers so that later in the summer the big... more
The saguaro cacti bloom in the early spring and are crowed by large white flowers. Many species of birds, insects, and bats come to feast on the nectar and in the process pollenate the flowers so that later in the summer the big purple-red fruit ripens on the crowns. The fruit is harvested by native peoples, including the O'odham, and by animals, insects, and birds. This video captures the early spring pollenation in Tucson, Arizona as birds use the saguaro tops as look out roosts.
The Salt River horses roam freely along the banks of the Salt River in Central Arizona and its adjacent grasslands (not far from Phoenix). They are wild horses that at some time in the distant past escaped from the herds held by the... more
The Salt River horses roam freely along the banks of the Salt River in Central Arizona and its adjacent grasslands (not far from Phoenix). They are wild horses that at some time in the distant past escaped from the herds held by the Spanish, Mexican, and American settlers and travelers and Natives. They are therefore a unique herd and are revered by many as an important part of our national heritage.
The Salt River horses roam freely along the banks of the Salt River in Central Arizona and its adjacent grasslands (not far from Phoenix). They are wild horses that at some time in the distant past escaped from the herds held by the... more
The Salt River horses roam freely along the banks of the Salt River in Central Arizona and its adjacent grasslands (not far from Phoenix). They are wild horses that at some time in the distant past escaped from the herds held by the Spanish, Mexican, and American settlers and travelers and Natives. They are therefore a unique herd and are revered by many as an important part of our national heritage.
Milagros, or literally miracles, are small metal religious charms that as part of an act of devotion, milagros are offered to a (statue of a) saint as a reminder of a petitioner's particular need or in gratitude for a prayer answered.... more
Milagros, or literally miracles, are small metal religious charms that as part of an act of devotion, milagros are offered to a (statue of a) saint as a reminder of a petitioner's particular need or in gratitude for a prayer answered. They assist in focusing attention toward a specific ailment, based on the type of charm used.
They are used here respectfully but lighheartedly in this video series Milagros in the Desert.
Milagros, or literally miracles, are small metal religious charms that as part of an act of devotion, milagros are offered to a (statue of a) saint as a reminder of a petitioner's particular need or in gratitude for a prayer answered.... more
Milagros, or literally miracles, are small metal religious charms that as part of an act of devotion, milagros are offered to a (statue of a) saint as a reminder of a petitioner's particular need or in gratitude for a prayer answered. They assist in focusing attention toward a specific ailment, based on the type of charm used.
They are used here respectfully but lighheartedly in this video series Milagros in the Desert.
Sobaipuri descendants talk about their ancestors, the historical village of Tumacacori (Cemaj Galolig), and Father Eusebio Francisco Kino. They address the question as to why their ancestors might have invited Kino north in 1691 to visit... more
Sobaipuri descendants talk about their ancestors, the historical village of Tumacacori (Cemaj Galolig), and Father Eusebio Francisco Kino. They address the question as to why their ancestors might have invited Kino north in 1691 to visit their villages.
This video shows the "first flow" of the Santa Cruz River in decades in the channel near San Xavier del Wa:k. The video was prepared in fall of 2018 about 6 months after the first evidence of a new perennial flow was identified. Drone... more
This video shows the "first flow" of the Santa Cruz River in decades in the channel near San Xavier del Wa:k. The video was prepared in fall of 2018 about 6 months after the first evidence of a new perennial flow was identified. Drone footage and comments by Wa:k O'odham community members provide a sense of the importance of the revival of river flow here. Historically, the river used to flow on the surface perennially in this area (until the river was essentially killed as a result of groundwater pumping, channel modification, and wood cutting, after which the river would only flow after up-stream rains). Surface flow was facilitated by the near surface bedrock that pushed the flow to the surface. The spring was to the south/upstream from the community. The flow formed an expansive marsh south of Martinez Hill, where this flow began, and then it flowed as a stream to the north or downstream from that hill where the Sobaipuri used its flow for irrigation agriculture. They had fields and canals so extensive that Kino and his religious companions were impressed. Reasons for the new flow are provided.
(Publication of this video was delayed at the request of the community.)
Video available for private showings only.
Video can be viewed on YouTube.
Who Are the Sobaipuri O'odham in Spanish
Who Are the Sobaipuri O'odham en Español

Disponible en YouTube: https://youtu.be/bkS6gRnPLwM
Research Interests:
"Who Are the Sobaipuri O'odham" con sottotitoli in italiano.
With Italian subtitles translated by Alessandra Lorini.