In honor of Native peoples’ contributions to American culture, Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments will host special events each weekend in November to commemorate National Native American Heritage Month.

Native Americans have added to every area of endeavor in American life. They built North America’s earliest cities, domesticated its first crops and developed its earliest great civilizations.

Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot national monuments will host artists from Hopi, Zuni, Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, Yavapai-Apache Nation, San Carlos Apache Nation and Navajo Nation every weekend throughout the month of November. All events will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. unless otherwise noted.

• Saturday through Monday, Nov. 9 through 11: Hopi gourd carver Jonah Hill will be at Montezuma Castle on Saturday and Tuzigoot on Sunday. Hopi katsina carver Kevin Sekakuku and his talented family will be at Tuzigoot on Saturday and Montezuma Castle on Sunday. Zuni fetish carver Jimmy Yawakia and Zuni jeweler Duran Gaspar will be at Montezuma Castle on Sunday and Monday.
• Monday, Nov. 11, Time to be determined: Ira Hayes American Legion Post 84 will be at Montezuma Castle for a special Veterans Day program. All National Parks are fee free on Monday, Nov. 11, in honor of Veterans Day.
• Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 16 and 17. Hopi-Tewa potter Ramon Howato will be at Montezuma Castle on Saturday and Tuzigoot on Sunday. Hopi contem¬porary artists Jeremy and Kyle Navenma will be at Tuzigoot on Saturday and Montezuma Castle on Sunday.
• Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 23 and 24: Hopi basket weaver Jessica Lomatewama and contemporary artist Justin Lomatewama will be at Montezuma Castle on Saturday and Tuzigoot on Sunday. Apache fiddle maker Anthony Belvado will be at Tuzigoot on Saturday and Montezuma Castle on Sunday.
• Saturday, Nov. 30: Pima Maricopa potter Ron Carlos will be at Tuzigoot. Navajo Yavapai Apache jeweler and silversmith Dee Jackson will be at Montezuma Castle.
• Sunday, Nov. 30, 2 p.m.: Ryon Polequaptewa will be at Montezuma Castle and will be sharing stories from Hopi.

The monuments’ staff will make every effort to ensure that children and adults of all abilities are fully included in all recreation programs, facilities and parks. Questions about accessible amenities or to let the staff know how to best meet specific needs in any programs can be directed to Krystina Isaac, lead interpreter, at 567-3322 ext 228.

These events are sponsored by Western National Parks Association, a nonprofit education partner of the National Park Service. Visitors’ tax-free purchases in WNPA bookstores help WNPA provide direct support to 71 NPS units across the American West. More information can be found at wnpa.org.

Regular admission fees of $10 per adult apply, but there is no additional charge for the special programs. All Federal recreation passes are accepted, including the annual, access, senior and military pass; children age 15 and under are free.
Montezuma Castle National Monument is located off Interstate 17, exit 289 at 2800 Montezuma Castle Road in Camp Verde. Additional information is available at 567-3322, extension zero, or nps.gov/moca.

Tuzigoot National Monument is located at 25 Tuzigoot Road in Clarkdale. Additional information is available at 634-5564 or nps.gov/tuzi.