The trade of color and a modern-day pochteca.

For thousands of years, an extensive trade network has bonded the people of Mesoamerica and what is currently the Southwestern United States. Pochtecas - which is a Nahuatl word meaning Mesoamerican traders - were responsible for transporting goods and technologies across the landscape, including live birds and their colorful feathers.

In this episode of Season 3, we hear more about the metaphors associated with feathers from Lyle Balenquah Hopi archaeologist; we hear about a very unique artifact on display at Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum from Jonathan Till, Curator of Collections; and we hear from traditional Pueblo weaver Louie Garcia (Tiwa and Piro Pueblo), about the logistics and history of raising Scarlet Macaws and trading their feathers across a desert landscape.

See Feathers on Display

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum [Blanding, Utah]

Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum [Cortez, Colorado]

Mesa Verde National Park Visitor and Research Center

Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum [Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado]

NOTE: Some of these museums and exhibits may be temporarily closed due to COVID-19.

Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum

Edge of the Cedars State Park is located in Blanding, Utah on the site of a Chacoan Great House. The museum offers exhibits showcasing textiles, jewelry, pottery, and other representations of daily and ceremonial life for the Ancestral Pueblo people.

Wupatki National Monument

To find more information about the collections at Wupatki National Monument - or to plan a visit - check out their website or follow on Facebook.

*Please be sure to check these resources for up-to-date information in regards to travel and visitor restrictions due to COVID-19. Please consider the sensitive populations living near National Parks, Monuments, and other public lands.