In mid-August, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center near Cortez is putting on a traditional food systems workshop in the San Juan Mountains, and the deadline to register is July 17.
The three-day, two-night Indigenous Foodways Workshop is from Aug. 17 to Aug. 19.
Four “renowned” guides and educators will “share traditional knowledge of American Southwest cuisine and plant history,” according to a news release.
They are:
- A-dae Romero-Briones from Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico. Her background is in Native agriculture and food systems.
- Mary Motah Weahkee of the Comanche Nation and Santa Clara Pueblo. She’s a retired archaeologist.
- Reyna Banteah of the Pueblo Zuni in New Mexico. She founded Ts’uyya Farm, which practices sustainable farming “rooted in Pueblo traditions,” according to its website.
- Kate Thompson, Crow Canyon’s cultural explorations program manager.
“This is not just a retreat,” Thompson said. “It’s a deep dive into traditional food systems and the ethics of foraging, gathering and preparing food in ways that sustain both the land and the community.”
Sarah Payne, chief outreach officer at Crow Canyon, said, “This isn’t a lecture-based workshop.”
“It’s relational, participatory and rooted in respect for Indigenous leadership. We’re guests in this knowledge system, and the workshop is designed to reflect that,” she said.
Daily activities include ethnobotany, plant identification, basket weaving, food preparation and storytelling, according to Crow Canyon’s website.
The workshop, designed alongside Indigenous scholars, “builds on years of relationship-based work,” said Payne.
Tuition is $1,300 and includes meals, lodging and transportation, a news release said.
Attendees “should be comfortable strolling along trails at high elevations” as they will hike 2.5 miles from the Lizard Head trailhead to the High Camp Hut, where they will stay both nights.
For information, contact Sarah Payne at spayne@crowcanyon.org or (970) 564-4354 or Benjamin Strickland at bstrickland@crowcanyon.org or (970) 564-4351.
