Season 6 // Episode 5: A Season of Change

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Change is a Never-ending Cycle at Mesa Verde.

While the mission of the National Park Service is to preserve and protect our nation’s natural and cultural resources for future generations, this doesn’t mean that the methods of preservation are stagnant. Over the past decade, park staff at Mesa Verde National Park have taken steps to tell a more accurate, truthful, and equitable story of the people who once lived on this landscape.

“I see it as a mutual thing. I find knowledge here within Mesa Verde, I’ll go back home, and I bring that knowledge back to Mesa Verde. ”
— Ian Bowekaty, Zuni

In this episode, Kristy Sholly, Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services at Mesa Verde National Park, tells about the current renovations being done to the park’s museum, and the contributions of the Native Interpretation Working Group in telling the story of the Mesa Verde.

We also hear more about the Indigenous Ranger Intern program, which is part of Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps. Satchel Martin (Hopi), Ian Bowekaty (Zuni), Jordan Fragua (Picuris, Ohkway Owingeh), and Thomas Maddox (Hopi, Ohkay Owingeh, Fort Belknap) share their experiences as Indigenous Ranger Interns during the 2024 season.

mesa verde museum temporary exhibit july 2024 // photo: kayla woodward

Additional Resources

Mesa Verde Museum

If you’d like to learn more about the Mesa Verde Museum, visit these pages of Mesa Verde National Park’s website: Mesa Verde Museum and Museum Renovations.

To read more about the dioramas at the park, visit this page of the park’s website, and to listen to Season 2’s episode “Augmented Reality” click here.

Ancestral Lands Internships

For more information about internships offered through Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps, check for current listings on their website.

Visiting Hopi

If you plan to visit Hopi, here are links to some useful information to help plan your trip.

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

Episode Sources

  1. “Mesa Verde Museum.” Mesa Verde National Park website. Published 10 May 2024. Accessed Sept. 2024.

  2. “Museum Renovations.” Mesa Verde National Park website. Published 24 Jan. 2025. Accessed Sept. 2024.

  3. “Some Place Names of Mesa Verde.” Cline, Patty. Mesa Verde Notes. VI, Number 1. August 1935. Accessed Sept 2024.