In early June, four Andover students traded the lush humidity of New England for the dry heat and striking red landscapes of New Mexico to participate in Pecos Pathways, a journey into ancient and modern Native American culture. The three-week program, run by the Robert S. Peabody Museum, brought together students from Phillips Academy, the Pueblo of Jemez and the town of Pecos to learn about the unique historical relationship their three homes share. This year’s participants were Tristen Moone ’10, Melina Prentakis ’11, Eve Simister ’12 and Teddy Smyth ’11, chaperoned by Peabody Museum Educator Lindsay Randall. “The relationship that the Peabody Museum has with Jemez Pueblo and the Pecos National Historical Park is a wonderful one that almost defies the typical relationship museums and tribes have with one another,” said Randall in an e-mail to the Phillipian. The connection dates back to 1838, when the 18 survivors of the Pecos Pueblo, decimated by the ill-effects of the Spanish Conquest, migrated to the Jemez Pueblo, which spoke their language. 80 years later, archeologist Alfred Kitter uncovered thousands of artifacts and human remains in Pecos, which were housed in the Peabody Museum until the 1990s, when a law was passed that required museums to return burial objects and remains to their associated tribes. Randall said, “Many museums and tribes have developed strained relationships due to the conflicting beliefs of how certain collections should be handled and who retains ownership of them. Instead of fighting over the collections, the staff of the Peabody Museum worked with the tribal leaders of Jemez to determine which artifacts should be returned to the tribe and treated them with both sensitivity and respect.” The Peabody Museum’s repatriation, or return of artifacts, completed in 1999, was the largest in U.S. history since the passing of the new legislation and has since become a model of success for other museums. Andover, Jemez and Pecos did not want to lose the relationship they had created, so they started the program Pecos Pathways. Originally only a week long, the program has evolved into a three-week journey in which students spend a week in each location. While in Jemez, the Andover and Pecos students lived with host families, an experience which was for many a highlight of the trip. Students immersed themselves in family life, talking with relatives, playing with younger kids and helping to irrigate fields. Prentakis stayed in a house that was filled with family and the spicy smells of something delicious cooking. The host grandmother’s specialty breakfast dish was bacon gravy, a creamy, salty sauce to spread on homemade bread. Other dishes students tried with families included elk stew and the famous Jemez enchiladas, a specialty of the pueblo. Around the pueblo, students heard much conversation in Towa, the Jemez language. The Jemez tribe is the only group in the world that speaks this language, which is unique from all other Native American languages. Towa exists only orally, so it is critical that each generation become fluent for the language to survive. One hot day with temperatures in the high 90’s the group hiked San Diego Mesa, the location of significant Jemez ancestral sights. Upon reaching the summit, the group was rewarded with breathtaking views of red-streaked mountains splattered with cacti. Because the ground was dusty and dry, it was easy to slip, making the descent treacherous but fun. Students spent a night camping, which for some meant learning new skills like pitching tents, collecting firewood and grilling burgers. Everyone had a blast but received few bruises playing shinny stick, a traditional Jemez game which, as a Jemez chaperone described, is like field hockey but with “no rules.” Through living with families, talking to Jemez elders and visiting important ancestral sights, students learned first-hand the importance of community and tradition in the Jemez Pueblo. After a week, students were sad to leave their host families. The group traveled to Santa Fe for the second phase of the journey, stopping along the way at Sandia Feast Day, a religious celebration occurring in a nearby pueblo. Students witnessed traditional dances in the square, which the community held not as a performance but as a spiritual ceremony. On feast days, many homes welcome visitors to walk in and enjoy an amazing meal, a tradition which everyone enjoyed. For the next week students stayed at the Santa Fe Indian School and commuted to the Pecos National Historical Park most days where they visited ruins and historical sites. A motif in Southwestern native ruins was the kiva, a round underground room used for spiritual purposes. Students helped with conservation work on the ruin of a Spanish missionary church, learning how to make adobe bricks, lay them into walls and fill cracks with mud. Many of the park’s artifacts belong to the Peabody Museum and are not on view, but the group was able to tour the collections. The night of the final Celtics-Lakers game, the group headed to Applebee’s Restaurant to watch. Everyone ordered plenty of free soda refills in order to stay long enough to watch the whole game. After two weeks of learning about Jemez and Pecos, it was time for the Andover students to become tour guides. The group headed to New England for the final week of the program. In New England, students enjoyed rowing in the Atlantic Ocean, touring Boston with the city archeologist, and spotting David Ortiz at Fenway Park. At Peabody Museum, the group looked at the collections, including the Pecos artifacts still housed there. Everyone tried their hand at the atlatl, a device for throwing spears either long distance or at targets. The group hiked in the New Hampshire woods, where tall evergreens and mossy rocks contrasted drastically with the desert landscape of New Mexico. One trail was marked by several caves, which students could climb through. Another led to a waterfall, where some students got soaked in the refreshing spray. To gain a different perspective on Native American culture, students visited the Mashantucket Pequot reservation in Connecticut. Randall said, “This is done to give all three groups of students an understanding of how all tribes are different as well as recognizing the fact that there are Native people who live east of the Mississippi River.” The group toured the Pequot Museum and participated in a dig on the site of a 1637 battle between the colonists and Pequots. A surprise to some students who expected a desolate field, the dig took place in the back yards of a residential neighborhood. Pecos Pathways offered an opportunity unlike any other to dive into another culture. Students from the three locations all felt a personal connection to the history they were exploring. The friendships students formed and the understanding they gained of Native American culture alive today are sure to last.
