Building a Future for the Past

In recognition of leadership support for
THE POTTERY PROJECT
December 12, 2003

Welcome and Introductory Remarks by:
Hartman H. Lomawaima, Interim Director (2002–2004), Director (2004–2008)
Arizona State Museum

Uma yasah itamumi tsovalti, pai itam halaiti.
The gathering of so many people is cause for great happiness.

Nuh hapi Nanawakna yan matsiwa
My Hopi adult name is Nanawakna

Nuh pew Hartman pahan matsiwa
My Anglo name is Hartman

Pai yape itamugyam, itatumalai, lolma sani.
From this point on, may our lives and our work together be in a world of goodness.

Clouds

I was awakened this morning by raindrops falling on the roof of my home. For us all who live in this arid region, rainfall is a welcomed sound. For me, on this particular day, I felt the presence of my Mother who recently passed away. In Hopi belief, when we pass on, part of our essence become as clouds. When we see clouds, we see our ancestors. Today it is the ancestors that bring us together.

Ancestors

Our ancestors were very ingenious and productive people that left for us a legacy of traditions that are very much a part of our lives as American Indian people today. In our veins, run the strength, courage and determination that has enabled us to endure, achieve and progress in many ways and in ways that are yet to come. Creating opportunities to support projects of merit, like the Pottery Project, is an achievement we celebrate today.

Pottery

Pottery is just one kind of manifestation or document that we have available to us to learn about the past. These documents also inform and influence us about our present and future. Pottery in this region of the world shares a characteristic with humans in terms of an unbroken lineage. We are the succeeding generation of our parentage and family lines. Pottery too, across generations, is invested and constructed with gene-like shards that are ground and mixed into the clay as temper, to create the next generation of pottery.

The Pottery Project

The Arizona State Museum holds in trust, nearly 20,000 whole vessels. 20,000 important documents. Dr. Nancy Odegaard, Head of the museum’s Preservation Department, brought to our attention the fact that unless some immediate action is taken, a growing number of these precious documents would be at risk or lost due to deteriorization. Dr. Odegaard applied and received a grant award from a White House Initiative called Save America’s Treasures. The Pottery Project was born. The Pottery Project and the Star Spangled Banner Project at the Smithsonian Institution were the only two artifactual projects at the time to receive an award from Save America’s Treasure’s.

Leadership Support

In the Fall of 2002, Mrs. Agnese Haury made the first lead gift of $1,000,000 toward the Pottery Project goal of $2,500,000. And we are very grateful to her for investing with us.

In January, the National Endowment for The Humanities awarded the project with its largest Challenge Grant in the amount of $700,000. The Arizona State Museum was one of only two anthropological museums in the nation to receive a Challenge Grant of this magnitude. The challenge was that NEH would award one dollar for every three dollars we raised from other sources.

Over the last few months, the leadership and councils of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community and Gila River Indian Community made a combined set of gifts totaling $675,000. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Thanks to you and many wonderful and generous friends, we have met the $2.5M. Goal. Thank You.

Today we come together to publicly acknowledge and thank Mrs. Haury, Chairman Terry Enos of the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Governor Richard Narcia of the Gila River Indian Community and President Joni Ramos (represented by Vice President Leonard Rivers) of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community for their generosity, true spirit of philanthropy and friendship in support of the Pottery Project.

I would also like to express appreciation to the leadership and members of our two Advisory Boards: The ASM Advisory Board and The Southwest Native Nations Advisory Board. Thank You.

Among the many good and close friends of the museum who made truly significant gifts to the Pottery Project are: Bill Roe, Eddie Basha, Linda Lohse, the Staubitz’, the Springer’s, the Elins’ the Bannard’s. I Thank You.

I wish to express our appreciation to University of Arizona President, Peter Likins, for his time and support and The University of Arizona Foundation for sharing their expertise and resources.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the museum staff for being generous with their time and personal resources in support of the project.

In honor and gratitude of exemplary generosity of Agnese Haury, Ak-Chin Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community and Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, we will name the state-of-the-art pottery conservation and preservation facility: The Agnese and Emil Haury Southwest Indian Ceramic Heritage Vault.

Kwak Whah
Thank you

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