Weaving for Children
Feb. 4, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Children and parents are invited to learn to weave using a paper loom. Yarn and a loom will be provided. Participants will learn how to weave a plain pattern to create a small woven creation they can take home. This activity is suited for children age 5 and up. Free with regular paid Museum admission, and no registration is required.
Culture Series:
The Flight of Some Weak Women:
Mescalero Apache Prisoners of War Escape the Spanish, a 1799 Incident
Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
During the late eighteenth century, the Spanish deported captured Apache prisoners of war —men, women, and children — from the frontier. Grouped together in chain-gangs, or colleras, prisoners were shipped to Mexico City, and ultimately, transportation to Cuba. Yet things did not always turn out as planned. This presentation by Museum Director Mark Santiago will examine the course and consequences of an incident in 1799 when a group of more than 50 Mescalero women prisoners of war managed to break free and escape before they could be sent overseas. Admission to this presentation is free.
Santiago has been the Museum’s Director for 10 years after six years as Director of the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo. He has also served as a Collections Manager and Curator with the Arizona Historical Society for 16 years in Yuma, Tucson and Tempe. An Arizona native, Santiago holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of Arizona. He has written more than 15 books and articles on Southwestern history including: The Jar of Severed Hands. Spanish Deportation of Apache Prisoners of War, 1770 -1810,Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2011 Massacre at the Yuma Crossing: Spanish Relations with the Quechans, 1779-1782, University of Arizona Press, 1998; and The Red Captain: The Life of Hugo O’Conor, Commandant Inspector General of the Interior Provinces of New Spain, Arizona Historical Society, 1994.
Crafts for Kids
Feb. 11, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Children of all ages are invited to come to the Museum and create their own Valentine’s Day craft to take home. Regular admission is required for all family members: $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, $3 for children 4 to 17, and free admission for children 3 and under.
The Museum Rocks! Gem & Mineral Show
Feb. 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Feb. 19, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This fourth-annual event is hosted by the Friends of the Museum and features more than 60 vendors from throughout the Southwest. There will be geology discussions and door prizes, as well as children's activities and food and beverages for sale. Admission is $7 for everyone 5 and older, and includes admission to the Museum. Sponsors Las Cruces Magazine and Frank Parrish. For more information, visitwww.LCMuseumRocks.com.