Saturday, May 20 and Sunday, May 21, 2017 from 9am until 4pm, both days
Cost of event: $95 for one day and $150 for both days

The Lalo family from the village of Hotevilla on Third Mesa (Hopi Reservation, Arizona) will give an extended presentation on Hopi culture, farming, and art during this two-day event at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology. All four members of the Lalo family take part in their ceremonial duties at Hotevilla, continue to farm staple crops using the Hopi dry-farming method in the sand dunes and gardens below Third Mesa, and supplement their income by creating and marketing their artwork.

Raynard Lalo is an award-winning kachina carver who sells his work at the Heard Museum Fair and the Santa Fe Indian Market, Gene Lalo is also a kachina carver and has won awards at the Hopi Festival at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Dorleen Gashweseoma has won numerous awards for her woven wicker plaques, piki trays, and large willow peach baskets, and Valjean Lalo has earned several awards for his ceremonial clothing, including the very complex technique of diamond twill weaving.

On Saturday, May 20th the Lalo family will begin the weekend by demonstrating Hopi farming methods including a discussion of farming tools, field preparation, sowing seeds, maintenance of their fields, protection from pests and predators, and harvesting and processing their crops; participants will also be given the opportunity to try their hand at planting their own garden plot at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology. Event participants on May 20th will also be shown demonstrations on preparing and cooking somiviki, a traditional Hopi food made of either blue corn or wheat and used regularly for daily meals. On the following day, Sunday, May 21st, the Lalos will exhibit their work at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology; Dorleen will explain Hopi basketry, Raynard and Gene will demonstrate kachina carving, and Valjean will introduce Hopi weaving techniques. All of the artwork created by the Lalo family will be on display throughout the weekend and available for purchase.

Participants at this event will be treated to a catered meal on both Saturday and Sunday from The Feasting Place, owned and operated by Norma and Hutch Naranjo from Ohkay Owinge and Santa Clara Pueblo.

This event is an extremely unique opportunity for hands-on learning about traditional Hopi farming and artwork at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology. This the first event of this kind attempted by the Office of Archaeological Studies and will truly be a weekend of intercultural exchange at the Center for New Mexico Archaeology. The cost of this event is $95 for one day and $150 for both days for FOA members, and $105 for one day and $165 for both days for non-FOA members. To reserve your place for this event, call (505) 982-7799, ext. 5 after 7am, starting Tuesday, April 11.

Please check back on this website and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation's Friends of Archaeology website for updates.