Please join us on Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 7:30 p.m. for

Mesa of Sorrows: Archaeology, History, and the Ghosts of Avat’ovi Pueblo

Prof. James F. Brooks (University of California, Santa Barbara)

Paulus Lecture Hall Room 201, College of Law, Willamette University,
245 Winter Street SE, Salem, Oregon

The Hopi community of Awat’ovi existed peacefully on Arizona’s Antelope Mesa for generations until one bleak morning in the fall of 1700—raiders from nearby Hopi villages descended on Awat’ovi, slaughtering their neighboring men, women, and children. While little of the pueblo itself remains, five centuries of history lie beneath the low rises of sandstone masonry. Why did kinsmen target it for destruction? Drawing on oral traditions, archival accounts, and extensive archaeological research, James F. Brooks unravels the story, uncovering layer after layer of significance. Mesa of Sorrows is a probing exploration of how societies confront painful histories, and why communal violence still plagues us today.

Note for AIA members:

There will be a no-host dinner at Goudy Commons before the lecture.

All AIA members are invited to join us (dinner costs $8.60).
Please join us at 6:00pm in Goudy’s lobby.

This lecture is free and open to the public!