Season 6 // Episode 4: Winter
/The Hearth
Winter is a crucial time of year for both the landscape and humans of Mesa Verde. While this is generally a time for rest, reflection, and community, the people living at Mesa Verde would not have been sitting idly by waiting for spring.
“ It’s a never ending cycle. I feel a sense of community, especially during the wintertime, where we see those intergenerational households blooming. It’s pretty much everything that our ancestors have known is shared during that winter time.”
In this episode, Indigenous Ranger Interns Jordan Fragua (Picuris, Ohkay Owingeh) and Ian Bowekaty (Zuni) help us picture one of the most important elements of every home across Mesa Verde - the hearth. Fires are a universal piece of human communities, a place for people to gather for warmth, for preparing food, for doing chores, and for spending time together. Jordan and Ian also share how these traditions established at Mesa Verde live on today in their own tribal communities.
And Theresa Pasqual (Acoma) tells us about these traditions at Acoma today. She also talks about the importance of oral tradition and oral histories that have been passed down during winter time around the hearth, and how this has been crucial to the longevity of Mesa Verde’s descendants since time immemorial.
Additional Resources
Winter Activities at Mesa Verde National Park
If you’d like to learn more about winter recreational activities at Mesa Verde National Park, visit this page of the park’s website for current availabilities and guidelines.
Turkey Feather Blankets
To see photos of turkey feather blankets, like those that were woven and used at Mesa Verde, check out the page for Season 3’s Episode 7: A Trade of Textiles. To see a turkey feather blanket on display, visit Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum in Blanding, Utah.
Visiting Picuris
If you’d like to visit Picuris, be sure to check out their tribal tourism website for guidelines on visiting with respect, as well as information about obtaining a photo permit if you intend to take photos: www.visitpicuris.com
Visiting Zuni
If you’d like to visit Zuni, be sure to check the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center website for current information: www.ashiwi-museum.org
Visiting Acoma
If you’d like to visit Acoma, be sure to check the Sky City Cultural Center & Haak’u Museum website for current information: www.acomaskycity.org
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
The mission of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is to empower present and future generations by making the human past accessible and relevant through archaeological research, experiential education, and American Indian knowledge. Crow Canyon is not open to the visitors without an appointment, but visit their website to learn about their current projects, research, and webinar events: https://crowcanyon.org/
Episode Sources
Osborne, Carolyn M. The Wetherill Collections and Perishable Items from Mesa Verde. 24 Mar. 2004, pp 304-305. Accessed Sept 2024.
Nordenskiöld, Gustaf. The Cliff Dwellers of the Mesa Verde. 01 Jan. 1992. Plate XLVIII. Accessed Sept 2024.
“Winter Activities.” Mesa Verde National Park website. Accessed Sept 2024.
“Snowshoe.” Wikipedia article. Accessed Sept. 2024.