For Immediate Release Contact: Pat Kremer (312) 665-7100 (For Media Use Only) The Ancient Americas Public Programs LECTURES Keynote: Pueblo Memories, Oral Traditions Tessie Naranjo, former chair of NAGPRA, and Dr. Sue-Ellen Jacobs, University of Washington Listen as these speakers weave a tapestry of oral history from a long collection of Pueblo memories. You’ll learn about the importance of Pueblo community and the passion with which these women collect their stories. Saturday, June 9, 2007, 2pm $16, students/educators $14, members $12 (price includes General Museum admission and entrance to The Ancient Americas) How The Ancient Americas came to be: A Curator's View Dr. Jonathan Haas, FM Dept. of Anthropology Get a first-hand look at the process of bringing The Ancient Americas to life! Lead Curator Haas will detail the academic work that has been involved in choosing artifacts, crafting exhibition content, and creating an engaging space where visitors of all ages can learn about the fascinating history of the Americas. Saturday, March 10, 2007, 2pm Free with Museum Admission Unearthing Life in Ancient Oaxaca Dr. Gary Feinman and Linda Nicholas, FM Dept. of Anthropology Learn about these archaeologists' careful work excavating houses of more than 1,000 years of age in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico. Feinman and Nicholas will highlight recent finds from their studies at the site of El Palmillo. Saturday, October 13, 2007, 2pm Free with Museum admission GALLERY PROGRAMS Cape Fox Totem Pole Carving Watch as a newly commissioned totem pole—to be placed later in the new The Ancient Americas exhibition—is carved before your eyes. March 18–31, 11am-2pm Free with Museum Admission Ancient Americas Interpretive Stations Check out these all-new, hands-on ways to learn about the Americas! Children and families will learn about ancient tools, city structures, crop domestication, and more by piecing together giant floor maps, analyzing evidence, and deciphering Maya glyphs. Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2pm, Daily July and August Free with Museum admission Backpacking through the Americas: A Self-guided Adventure Before you enter the exhibition, pick up a backpack filled with family-friendly activities and interesting facts. Gather clues from the galleries and get a better idea of what it was like to live in the ancient Americas! Saturday and Sunday, 10am-2pm; Daily July and August Free with Museum admission Ancient Americas Festival Days Join us for Ancient Americas Festival Days, a free outdoor summer series from May through August. The series presents artisans from throughout the Americas. Each day will be filled with performances, craft demonstrations and drop-in activities. May 26 and May 27, 2007, 11 AM to 2:00 PM June 30, 2007, 11 AM to 2:00 PM July 1, 28, 29, 2007, 11 AM to 2:00 PM August 25 and 26, 2007, 11 AM to 2:00 PM Free with Museum admission FAMILY WORKSHOP Create a Play in One Day! Foundation Theatre Group Put your little one in the director's chair! Children ages 5-11 will write a short play about life in the ancient Americas under the tutelage of professional actors, cast it with their new friends from the workshop, create their own costumes, and perform it for the public that same day. A light lunch will be included. Saturday, March 10, 2007, 10am-2pm rehearsal & writing, 2:30pm performance $16, members $12 STUDENT CLASSES Family Life in the Americas: Past and Present (Grades 3-8) Explore family life across the Americas, today and in the past. Step into an ancient pueblo house and learn about growing up in an early Puebloan community. Students will discover similarities and differences in past and present daily tasks and family life. Beginning March 12, 2007, 10am-12:30pm $3 per Chicago student, $4 per non-Chicago student Cultures of the Ancient Americas (Grades 9-12) Investigate the arts and customs of early Indigenous Americans. Then explore the cultural continuity and change that links past societies to contemporary cultures. Beginning March 12, 2007, 10am-12:30pm $3 per Chicago student, $4 per non-Chicago student The Art of Ancient Maya Pottery (Grades 6-8) Learn about ancient pottery traditions of the Maya, then do some hands-on experimenting forming and decorating pots. Students will use only tools and techniques that were available to prehistoric Maya potters! Beginning March 12, 2007, 10am-12:30pm $3 per Chicago student, $4 per non-Chicago student EDUCATOR WORKSHOPS Just for Educators! The Ancient Americas (Grades K-12) 3 CPDUs See the new The Ancient Americas exhibition, and explore the vast history of the Americas. Uncover the abundant creativity, dynamic relationships, and enduring contributions of the first Americans through objects and images from all over the Americas. Discover linkages to Illinois Learning Standards while developing focused field trip activities. Using Field Museum research and Harris Educational Loan resources, you'll discuss concepts of culture, invention, and community. Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 5-8pm $18, members $15 Uncovering the History of the Americas (Grades K-12) 3 CPDUs Step into the new Ancient Americas exhibition and uncover the complex history and cultures of Central America. Take part in a behind-the-scenes tour of our Anthropology collections, and learn about the early Mesoamerican societies that created an amazing diversity of social systems, art, and religions long before contact with Europeans. Increase your knowledge about the lifeways of Indigenous peoples and the history of the Americas. Wednesday, April 4, 2007, 5-8pm $18, members $15 <<Return to The Ancient Americas Press Kit