We're sitting in the admin building at the Museum of Northern Arizona after a busy weekend consumed by the wonderful Zuni festival. Before we move any further, we should probably explain who "we" are...
Writing this fantastic blog will be Anne Doyle and her three Heritage Program interns: Grant Adams, Randi Ringnes, and Phoebe Smolin. We come from various corners of the country to take you with us on this year's adventure that is the Heritage Program.
This weekend, we were thrown into the madness of the Zuni Festival (and we mean madness in a good way). I don't think any of us were expecting the craziness! Preparation began well before we arrived, and thus we were thrown right into the thick of it all. After a week of checking in artists, preparing paperwork for the show, and much more, the real fun started Friday afternoon.
We first had the pleasure of meeting the judges, who were both very welcoming and seemed to know exactly what they were doing. We acted as shadows during the judging process, following them around as they placed the pieces into various categories. After writing what seemed like millions of names onto the backs of ribbons, the festival finally got started with the Members' Preview (as interns, we can only truly comment on what happened behind the scenes, but from what we can gather, it was a successful evening... and there were delicious tacos involved).
We arrived around 9 on Saturday to begin setting up for the long day ahead. After watching the Zuni and American flag raising (accompanied by the Zuni Pueblo Band), we headed off in our different directions to help with the speakers, performers, and the barbecue dinner for the artists. In between all of our internly duties, we got to experience the treasures embedded in the Heritage Program. While translating some English words into Zuni with the help of a prominent Zuni scholar, Dan Simplicio, we headed into an enlightening digression about Zuni culture and the difference between their language and western languages. We were all left wide-eyed. We also got to talk to a bunch of Zuni artists about what they do and what it means to them-- their art is more than just beautiful works but also a deeply rooted tradition. We had some witty yet enriching exchanges with the Zuni Pueblo band, the Young Olla Maidens, and the Nowetsa Family dancers as they were waiting to perform for the festival-goers who were all fascinated by what they saw.
After we folded up our last table, we all walked away from the 20th Annual Zuni Festival of Arts and Culture a new perception of and appreciation for a rich and beautiful culture that is often overlooked by mainstream society. As we catch up on our sleep, we are also preparing for the upcoming 77th Annual Hopi Festival of Arts and Culture on July 3rd and 4th. We all can't wait for another spectacular festival and we hope to see you there!
Love,
Anne and the interns.
p.s. You can look forward to more posting as we prepare for the rest of our festivals!
(photo by Michele Mountain)
No comments:
Post a Comment