August 6, 2019
Grand Canyon/Colorado River. Courtesy James Cravath.
Courtesy, Desert Foothills Chapter, Arizona Archaeology Society (DFC-AAS)
By Roger Kearney
The October 9th meeting of DFC-AAS features Dr. Jay Cravath, an Arizona Humanities Speaker. Dr. Cravath will present Rivers of Dreams: Stories and Music of Arizona’s Waterways. The meeting is open to the public at no charge. There are refreshments available at 7:00 p.m. and the meeting begins at 7:30 p.m., usually ending prior to 9:00 p.m. The meeting is being held in the community room (Maitland Hall) at The Good Shepard of the Hills Episcopal Church, 6502 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (near the Dairy Queen).
About the Presentation
Arizona’s rivers were first lush green ribbons of life flowing through a desert landscape. They became sustaining paths, first for indigenous explorers, and later for immigrants leaving wagon tracks and settlements. On the Salt River, the Hohokam built vast canals to direct water for irrigation. The first citizens of Phoenix used these same trenches. The Mohave tribes ruled the Colorado—that great western Nile, then gave way to the paddle boats of European explorers. The Gila provided sustenance for the Pima and passage for such brave adventurers as Father Garces and Olive Oatman. As Arizona’s only “National Wild and Scenic River,†the Verde is home to over 50 endangered species. Dr. Cravath intricately weaves narrative, history, music, and images to tell this remarkable story.
Dr. James Cravath
About the Speaker
Dr. Jay Craváth is a composer, writer and scholar in the field of music, humanities and Indigenous studies. He is recently retired as Cultural Director for The Chemehuevi Indian Tribe. Dr. Craváth has been on the Arizona Humanities Speakers Bureau since 1992. With a Ph.D. in humanities education, he enjoys crafting programs from these interests into discussions that include stories, musical performance, and media. Dr. Craváth’s goal is to create engaging learning experiences— “scholarship with a zing!†Last year, he released an album of original music entitled “Songs for Ancient Days.†You can hear his band, Dr J and the Botanicals, on his website www.jaycravath.com and around the valley. Therein, you will also find his original documentaries, poetry, essays, and serialized novel: The Wisdom of Blood.
About DFC-AAS
AAS is a 501-C celebrating over 50 years of existence in 2014 and the Desert Foothill Chapter is a youngster at 40 years old. The chapter meets September through May on the second Wednesday of each month in Cave Creek and features well known guest lecturers during these meetings. The meetings are open to the general public at no cost with the exception of the December Christmas Party that is members only.
The meetings are held in the community room (Maitland Hall) at The Good Shepard of the Hills Episcopal Church, 6502 East Cave Creek Road, Cave Creek, AZ 85331 (near the Dairy Queen). www.azarchsoc.wildapricot.org/desertfoothills
Dr. James Cravath
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