National Parks 2023: Gila Cliff Dwellings NM

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club/KAL!

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument is located on the headwaters of the Gila River in southwest New Mexico.

Whose land does it reside upon / About this park:

For thousands of years, nomadic groups of Indigenous people used the caves above Cliff Dweller Creek as temporary shelter. In the late 1200s, people of the agricultural Mogollon (Southern Ancestral Pueblo) culture made it a home. They built rooms, crafted pottery and raised children in the cliff dwellings for one or two generations. By approximately 1300, the Mogollon had moved on, leaving the walls behind.

Until white colonialism disrupted life all over what is now North America, people from the Apache tribes occasionally entered Cliff Dweller Canyon, but apparently—and for reasons not adequately developed in the anthropological literature—they did not seem inclined to disturb prehistoric pueblo site. That all changed when white folks started to move West, and within a very short period of time, the abandoned dwellings were thoroughly pilfered. Honestly, the only reason the site is as preserved as it is is because of its remoteness.

When was it established?

November 16, 1907

Why did we choose these colors?

Our inspiration for the Gila Cliff Dwellings colorway revolves around the animals that make this place a home, instead of the people that once did. We chose this image of a Photograph of a Black-tailed Rattlesnake taken near the trail to the Cliff Dwellings (https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=1910553&id=F20DEED8-155D-451F-67796B463DC48DFD&gid=F20DEE78-155D-451F-676515110ABF1623) as our inspiration. 

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/gicl/index.htm

Instagram: n/a

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GilaCliffNPS/

HerStory June 2023: Alison Bechdel

by

Most of us have heard of the Bechdel Test, which is a measure of the representation of women in film and other works of art/media. The test evaluates whether or not a work of fiction portrays women in a way that is sexist or characterized by gender stereotyping. To pass the Bechdel test, there are three rules: the work must feature at least two women; these women must talk to each other; and their conversation must concern something other than a man. Many pieces of modern media fail this test miserably. This way of measuring a work’s patriarchal inclinations was created by famed lesbian cartoonist Alison Bechdel, who is our HerStory recipient for June.

Alison Bechdel began penning the comics that would become her most famous and long-running series, Dykes to Watch Out For, in her early 20s, while living in NYC, trying to find her place in the world. She was encouraged by friends to send a piece to a feminist magazine, WomaNews, which gave her a regular spread in the magazine. This was in the early 1980s, and her comics gave people an unprecedented look into the life of the urban modern lesbian woman. Bechdel has said, about her comics, that “the secret subversive goal of my work is to show that women, not just lesbians, are regular human beings“. In many ways, we are still hard at work trying to make that case, 40 years later (gulp). 

The Bechdel Test itself is a great way to test our own tolerances to sexist norms. So many of us rarely think too deeply about whether the media we consume supports a more equitable worldview, and, although more films, TV shows, and books are being produced and supported that attempt to break out of these sexist norms our society has become mired in, there are still too few works that pass this test. The Bechdel test has also inspired other takes on it; using the criteria but substituting people of color for women gives us an even smaller pool of fiction to choose from. This article from a blog that doesn’t appear to be updated anymore lays out the case (and case studies) for a race-based Bechdel test: http://theangryblackwoman.com/2009/09/01/the-bechdel-test-and-race-in-popular-fiction/. Looking critically at the media we consume, and thinking about the representations and motivations of the makers can only have a positive impact on our own worldviews. The more we can see the world from the perspective of folks that are different from us, the broader our world will become, and, honestly, the better it will be. 

Our colorway, Passing the Test, was inspired by a rainbow created from an image from Dykes to Watch Out For, because a rainbow would certainly pass our test.

Books by Alison Bechdel:

  • Dykes to Watch Out For
  • Fun House
  • Are You My Mother?
  • The Secret to Superhuman Strength

Want more like this? Here are some other authors we suggest you read/listen to:

  • Rachel Pollack
  • Kelly Sue Deconnick (she proposed the “Sexy Lamp Rule:” if a lamp can take the place of a female character in a story & it still works, a rewrite is in order)
  • Kabi Nagata

National Parks 2023: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a United States National Preserve located in the Flint Hills region of Kansas, north of Strong City.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Human activity in the Kansas Flint Hills can be traced back about 12,000 years.

By A.D.1500 – 1825, efficient horticultural activity was combined with increased bison hunting, almost certainly due to acquisition of the horse by Native Americans. This transition on the Great Plains has clear association with specific Native American peoples. In the preserve area, these included the Wichita, Kansa, Osage, and Pawnee. 

When was it established?

November 12, 1996

About this park:

Tallgrass prairie once covered 170 million acres of North America, but within a generation most of it had been transformed into farms, cities, and towns. Today less than 4% remains intact, mostly in the Kansas Flint Hills. Established on November 12, 1996, the preserve protects a nationally significant remnant of the once vast tallgrass prairie ecosystem. Here the tallgrass makes its last stand.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used this photo of purple lovegrass on the prairie as our inspiration: https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=902503&id=9d8af5cd-422e-4b72-aca4-d1897044f2e1&gid=5A64DCF4-5AAF-4472-B7CA-C8D24736144C

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/tapr/index.htm

Instagram: n/a

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NPS.TallgrassPrairie

National Parks 2023: Oregon Caves National Monument

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Oregon Caves National Monument and Preserve is a protected area in the northern Siskiyou Mountains of southwestern Oregon.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Takelma (also Dagelma) are a Native American people who originally lived in the Rogue Valley of interior southwestern Oregon.

Most of their villages were sited along the Rogue River. The name Takelma means “(Those) Along the River”.

When was it established?

July 12, 1909

About this park:

Deep within the Siskiyou Mountains are dark, twisting passages that await your discovery.  Eons of acidic water seeping into marble rock created and decorated the wondrous “Marble Halls of Oregon.”

Why did we choose these colors?

We used the first two photos shown on this page, under “Cave Tours,” as the inspiration for our colorway: https://www.nps.gov/orca/planyourvisit/cave-tours.htm

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/orca/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oregoncavesnps/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OregonCavesNPS

National Parks 2023: Fire Island National Seashore

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Fire Island National Seashore is in Suffolk County, New York.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Since long before the arrival of European colonizers, Indigenous Long Islanders of the Unkechaug, Secatogue, and Shinnecock tribes have shaped the historical, cultural, and natural landscape we all continue to enjoy today. For many centuries sites at Fire Island National Seashore, including the barrier beach and the William Floyd Estate, have played a critical role in indigenous life. Whether as sites for the harvesting of natural resources, seasonal settlement, or sacred grounds, these places were, and continue to be, the ancestral home of many Americans.

Though centuries of colonization and outright repression have disposed many Indigenous Long Islanders of their land, many continue to act as stewards of Fire Island and Long Island’s rich natural and cultural history.

The ancient settlement “Poospatuck ,”meaning “a little river that flows into tidal waters,” was established by ancestral Unkechaug along Poospatuck Creek, which flows into the Forge River and out into Moriches Bay. Now the site of the Unkechaug reservation, the location gave Native people easy access to fish, shellfish, waterfowl, and sea mammals including seals and whales. Poospatuck’s location along the Forge River provides easy access to the Great South Bay and to Fire Island. Today Poospatuck remains the ancestral home of the Unkechaug people. It is among the oldest Native American reservations in the United States and is formally recognized by New York State

When was it established?

September 11, 1964

About this park:

Immerse yourself in an enchanting collage of coastal life and history. Rhythmic waves, high dunes, ancient maritime forests, historic landmarks and glimpses of wildlife, Fire Island has been a special place for diverse plants, animals and people for centuries. Far from the pressure of nearby big-city life, dynamic barrier island beaches offer solitude, camaraderie, and spiritual renewal.

The island has been referred to as America’s first gay and lesbian town and served since the 1920s and 1930s as a refuge for vacationers and others who desired the more liberal attitude the island’s occupants allowed.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used the photo shown here, of the forest canopy against the backdrop of the sky, as our inspiration: https://www.nps.gov/media/photo/gallery-item.htm?pg=3525532&id=C4002981-155D-451F-67EF19749C92C5C3&gid=C42F7BE1-155D-451F-67737691FD110CAE.

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/fiis/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FireIslandNPS/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FireIslandNPS

National Parks 2023: Bandelier NM

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Bandelier National Monument is located near Los Alamos in Sandoval and Los Alamos counties, New Mexico.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Ancestral Pueblo people lived here from approximately 1150 CE to 1550 CE. They built homes carved from the volcanic tuff and planted crops in mesa top fields. Corn, beans, and squash were central to their diet, supplemented by native plants and meat from deer, rabbit, and squirrel. Domesticated turkeys were used for both their feathers and meat while dogs assisted in hunting and provided companionship.

By 1550, the Ancestral Pueblo people had moved from this area to pueblos along the Rio Grande. After over 400 years the land here could no longer support the people and a severe drought added to what were already becoming difficult times. Oral traditions tell us where the people went and who their descendants are. The people of Cochiti Pueblo, located just south and east along the Rio Grande, are the most direct descendants of the Ancestral Pueblo people who built homes in Frijoles Canyon. Likewise, San Ildefonso is most closely linked to Tsankawi.

There is also a list of Indigenous tribes that have ties to Bandelier on the National Parks website, found here. 

When was it established?

February 11, 1916

About this park:

Bandelier National Monument protects over 33,000 acres of rugged but beautiful canyon and mesa country as well as evidence of a human presence here going back over 11,000 years.  Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used the photo shown over the heading marked Land Acknowledgement on this page (https://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm) as our inspiration for the Bandelier colorway. The brightly-colored regalia was such an inspiration.  

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/band/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bandeliernps/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BandelierNPS/

National Parks 2023: Montezuma Castle NM

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Montezuma Castle NM is pretty much smack-dab in the center of Arizona.

Whose land does it reside upon?

The Sinagua were the group of people who lived in the dwellings at Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot. Although people were living in the area much earlier, the Sinagua began building permanent living structures – the dwellings you see at the monument – around 1050 CE.

There are many possible reasons the Sinagua chose to build their homes in the cliffs. At Montezuma Castle, the cliff faces south, so the dwellings are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The high location also protected them from damage caused by the annual flooding of Beaver Creek. The dwellings may also have been built high up for protection or to help the Sinagua view approaching travelers. More than likely, the cliff dwellings served all these functions and more, much like our houses today.

Despite being called a castle, the dwelling at Montezuma Castle is actually a collection of 20 rooms originally belonging to multiple families, similar to a modern-day apartment building. Other apartment-style buildings called pueblos, like those found at Montezuma Well and Tuzigoot also had multiple rooms and were built with local materials. But unlike Montezuma Castle, these pueblos are free-standing and have large common areas for gatherings. The Sinagua lived in pueblos and cliff dwellings until around 1400 CE.

When was it established?

December 8, 1906

About this park:

Montezuma Castle National Monument protects a set of well-preserved dwellings located in Camp Verde, Arizona, which were built and used by the Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture closely related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States, between approximately AD 1100 and 1425.

This 20 room high-rise apartment, nestled into a towering limestone cliff, tells a story of ingenuity, survival and ultimately, prosperity in an unforgiving desert landscape.

Montezuma Well, another feature at the park,  is a limestone sinkhole, continuously fed with water from an underground spring. Water that falls from rain or snow on the nearby Mogollon Rim trickles down through the rock until it reaches the spring. The pressure from the vent then pushes the water up to the surface. The water takes as long as 10,000 years to travel from the Rim to the Well!

Montezuma Well is a near constant aquatic environment. The Well formed when the limestone collapsed sometime between 12 and 15 thousand years ago. Water is fed into the Well through several vents at the bottom, and exits the Well through a swallet and cave system, with the outlet draining into a prehistoric irrigation canal. Both the water level and temperature are nearly constant throughout the year, and the well has  such extreme chemical conditions that no fish can survive, and the organisms that do live in the water have had to adapt in order to survive.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used images of the deeps in Montezuma Well to inspire our colorway.

 

For more information:

NPS website: nps.gov/moca/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/MontezumaNPS/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MontezumaNPS

National Parks 2023: Martin Luther King, Jr. NHP

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park covers about 35 acres and includes several sites in Atlanta, Georgia.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Atlanta, Georgia was established on the traditional homelands of the Muscogee Creek and Cherokee Peoples.

When was it established?

The park was designated as a National Historic Site on October 10, 1980.

About this park:

A young boy grows up in a time of segregation…A dreamer is moved by destiny into leadership of the modern civil rights movement…This was Martin Luther King, Jr. The park includes his childhood home, the “I Have a Dream” World Peace Rose Garden, the first racially-integrated fire station in Atlanta, and Ebenezer Baptist Church, the church where MLK Jr was minister.

Why did we choose these colors?

A photo of MLK Jr.’s childhood home inspired our colorway.

 

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/malu/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/martinlutherkingjrnps/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MartinLutherKingJrNPS

National Parks 2023: Craters of the Moon NM & P

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve is a U.S. national monument and national preserve in the Snake River Plain in central Idaho. It is along US 20, between the small towns of Arco and Carey, at an average elevation of 5,900 feet above sea level.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Humans have inhabited the Snake River Plain since at least the end of the last Ice Age, first showing up in the archeological record 12,000- 14,000 years ago. Members of the Shoshone and Bannock tribes and their ancestors had the most contact among native inhabitants with the lava fields of Craters of the Moon. The Shoshone were a branch of the Northern Shoshone that inhabited the upper Columbia River Basin, while the Bannock were a branch of the Northern Paiute. These two groups both occupied the Snake River Plain, intermingled, travelled and hunted together, and otherwise coexisted while speaking slightly different languages.

When was it established?

The Monument was established on May 2, 1924

About this park:

Craters of the Moon is a vast ocean of lava flows with scattered islands of cinder cones and sagebrush. We invite you to explore this “weird and scenic landscape” where yesterday’s volcanic events are likely to continue tomorrow. The Monument contains numerous cultural as well as natural resources.

Why did we choose these colors?

The main photo on the park’s home page (linked here: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm) was the inspiration for our colorway. 

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/crmo/index.htm

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/CratersoftheMoon_NPS/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CratersoftheMoonNPS

National Parks 2023: Anacostia Park

by

It’s time for the annual National Parks Club! Find out information about participating shops, Vacay Bingo, the KAL, and more here.

Where is it located?

Anacostia Park is located in the heart of Washington, DC.

Whose land does it reside upon?

Long before the arrival of the first European explorers, a vibrant American Indian culture evolved around the abundance of fish, game, and other natural resources in the Anacostia River area for at least 10,000 years. In the 17th century, the Nacotchtank Indians were the primary residents along the eastern shore of the Anacostia. Prosperous farmers, gatherers, hunters, and traders, the Nacotchtanks lived in the vicinity of what is now Bolling Air Force Base.

The District of Columbia shares borders with Maryland and Virginia, and connect with lands along the Anacostia and Potomac River. These river systems and current national parks are where the Piscataway, Pamunkey, the Nentego (Nanichoke), Mattaponi, Chickahominy, Monacan, and the Powhatan cultures thrived.

When was it established?

Although the foundations of the park were being laid as early as 1901, in 1933, management and oversight responsibilities for Anacostia Park were turned over to the National Park Service.

About this park:

This small but mighty park in the heart of the nation’s capital was developed as a refuge from the hustle and bustle of DC. There are walking and hiking trails, wetlands to explore and admire, fishing, biking, and the reason we are featuring it this year, a roller skating rink (the ONLY roller skating rink in the National Park Service, FYI)! Folks can skate for free from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

Why did we choose these colors?

We used the photo of a happily-skating Park Ranger as the inspiration for our Anacostia Park colorway. 

For more information:

NPS website: https://www.nps.gov/anac/index.htm

Instagram: n/a

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnacostiaNationalPark/