Dan Simplicio, cultural specialist at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, will speak on "What Happens When Migration Stops" on Thursday, Oct. 1, beginning at 7 p.m., at Crow Canyon.

After the emergence of the A:shiwi (Zuni) People at chimik'yana'kya, or Ribbon Falls, in the Grand Canyon, Simplicio says, the A:shiwi People began migrating in search of the Middle Place. They traveled for thousands of miles in multiple directions over hundreds of years. Many places seemed ideal, and the A:shiwi stayed at these locations for a long time.

Then the A:shiwi people encountered the talking giant water strider who told the A:shiwi their journey was about to end. The migration's end meant that hundreds of years of experience pooled together for new, non-migratory way of life. According to Simplicio, this invigorating energy to create multiple communities and tap into the abundant natural resources meant a new way to blend the social fabric and give balance the spiritual and community health.

Simplicio has more than 15 years of experience in archaeological field work throughout the Southwest. He worked as a cultural resource specialist for the Zuni Historic Preservation Office in Zuni, N.M. He also has experience in lithic and ceramic analysis as well as NAGPRA repatriation and consultations, and served on the committee for the U.N. to develop the Draft Declaration for Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The free lecture is part of the Four Corners Lecture Series. The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is at 23390 Road K, Cortez.