Dear Supporter of Chaco Culture National Historical Park and Aztec Ruins National Monument,
One of the most significant archaeological sites in the United States is found within the borders of Chaco Culture National Historical Park in northwestern New Mexico. It is there that the Ancestral Puebloan culture began in the 9th century, a culture that built massive “great house” structures which may still be seen there today.
In the 11th and 12th centuries, this culture expanded further north to an area encompassed by the Aztec Ruins National Monument, where other archaeological sites may be visited. The National Park Service is charged with protecting and interpreting these sites for present and future generations of Americans.
In 2019, the Chaco Culture Conservancy was formed to partner with the Park Service. Our goal is to support its work in maintaining and improving infrastructure in the parks and in furthering educational outreach.
Through donations, the Conservancy currently supports projects that have improved trails in the parks and replaced outworn shade structures, storage sheds, and trail signage.
The Conservancy has supported cultural exchanges, Native American internships, and digital wall scanning of the Pueblo Bonito Site in Chaco Canyon. The Conservancy has funded lecture series, Native American Arts Festivals, and underwritten WiFi in the park. We members of the Board of Directors of the Conservancy are pleased with these successes, but we want to do much more.
Modern-day Puebloans and Navajo have historical ties with the park and have an important story to tell our visitors; we want to broaden that interaction. Likewise, we want to enable young Native Americans to more easily visit the park and learn about their own history at Chaco.
We know that the Ancestral Puebloans at Chaco were ardent observers of the night sky, and Chaco has been designated as an International Dark Sky Park. The Conservancy is being asked to support the continuation of the Night Sky Programs at the park, secure the services of staff able to use our park observatory and battery of telescopes, and give presentations to the public.
We hope to accomplish these goals and increase donations by establishing a real presence on social media, and by offering tours and field schools by archaeologists who have worked at Chaco.
We need to increase our membership and enlarge our Board of Directors; we seek a diverse board, especially members who can aid us in the areas of social media development, graphic design, and philanthropic fund-raising.
If you are interested in joining the Board and assisting with this effort, please send your resume to general@chacoculture.org.