Events

For some, running is a sport. For others, it is a way of life that is deeply rooted in the traditions of our ancestors. It is in this spirit that the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens presents “Two Tribes, Two Runs,” featuring two photography exhibits about the Tarahumara and the Mescalero Apache Indians and the importance of running in their respective cultures. The exhibits will be on display May 28 through Sept. 17, 2016.

“Run! Super-Athletes of the Sierra Madre” by photographer Diana Molina “Run!” is an intimate look at the running culture of the Tarahamura Indians, which is an important aspect of their life in the steep canyons of northern Mexico. The Tarahumaras, or Rarárumi, as they call themselves, are some of the world’s best long-distance runners. Molina beautifully captures their love of running in this compelling collection of photographs.

“Running for Life: The Mescalero Apache Girls’ Coming-of-Age Ceremony” by David Carmichael, Ph,D., associate professor of anthropology at UTEP “Running for Life” will give audiences a first-hand look at the very important multi-day coming-of-age ritual that many young Mescalero girls go through in order to be considered a woman in the tribe. David Carmichael, Ph.D., a UTEP associate professor of anthropology, was given a unique opportunity to photograph this powerful and cherished Mescalero tradition.

DIANA MOLINA Born in El Paso, Texas, photojournalist Diana Molina has spent half of her life along the borders of Texas, New Mexico, and Chihuahua, Mexico. After years as a software engineer for IBM, she followed a journalistic career in Amsterdam and produced features for international magazines including Geo, Vogue, Elle, Esquire, National Geographic Traveler, and GQ. She has created and produced several critically acclaimed exhibitions hosted in venues including the World Museum of Art in Rotterdam, Holland; the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Texas; the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, New Mexico; and The Centennial Museum, The University of Texas at El Paso. Beginning in 1993, she has spent extended periods of time living among the reclusive Rarámuri in northern Mexico, documenting their customs, community and politics. Her work offers new understandings and perspectives on Rarámuri values and ways of life.

DAVID CARMICHAEL, Ph.D. David Carmichael, Ph.D., is an associate professor of anthropology at UTEP. Originally from the Chicago area, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, and his master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His dissertation research was in the El Paso area, where he did a three-year archeology study of 1,000 square kilometers of desert lands on Fort Bliss. At that time, he became interested in why there are so few recorded Apache sites, despite their use of the area in historic times. Carmichael was introduced to a cultural anthropologist who worked among the Mescalero Apaches. He eventually was introduced to, and adopted by one of her Apache consultants, the head holy man of the Mescalero tribe. Not only did Carmichael learn about Apache archeological sites, but he also learned about traditional culture and cosmology, thanks to this consultant. This led him to develop a research specialization in Native American sacred sites. Much of his current research involves learning about Native American religions and sacred sites. He authored the U.S. Air Force guidelines on how to consult with Native Americans in the context of land use planning, and has worked with native peoples from many tribes to help protect their sacred sites from desecration and destruction. Prior to coming to UTEP, he served as the first Tribal Archeologist for the Hopi Tribe in Arizona. Over the past decade, he has directed archeological field schools at Three Rivers, New Mexico, Sierra Diablo Cave in Hudspeth County, Texas, and at the Tigua-owned Chilicote Ranch near Valentine, Texas.