Does the desert shape how we remember history? A panel discussion of 3 projects from Arizona

How do different communities remember in desert places? How do the ecological context of the Sonoran Desert and the political context of Arizona impact how communities remember, or what we forget? What are the unique challenges to remembering in desert spaces in the US? 

This panel will provide a space to reflect on what it means to remember in the desert from a community-oriented perspective. It features faculty discussing a variety of community-oriented projects in Arizona, and it will explore connections between historical research and public memory. Curtis Austin will discuss his work documenting Black history in the US, as well as his ongoing collaboration with Jason Bruner and the community in Randolph, AZ. Maurice Crandall will share from his research, documenting Yavapai-Apache history. And Kathleen Lamp will describe her work on Steele Indian School Park as a memory place. The panel discussion will be moderated by Estibalitz Ezkerra Vegas. 

Panelist bios: 

Kathleen Lamp is an associate professor in the area of Rhetorics, Writing, and Literacies in the Department of English at Arizona State University.

Curtis Austin, Associate Professor of History in SHPRS and SST, serves as Associate Director of the Humanities Institute.

Maurice Crandall is a citizen of the Yavapai-Apache Nation of Camp Verde, Arizona and an Associate Professor of History in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies.

Estibalitz Ezkerra Vegas is an ACLS Postdoctoral Fellow on the History faculty in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies. 

Event sponsor: Desert Humanities Initiative

For in-person attendees, lunch will be provided.

Photo credit: Curtis Austin