In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the Southeast New Mexico College Diversity Committee, in partnership with Devon Energy, will welcome the Zuni Olla Maidens to Eddy County. The event will be held at the CIS P.R. Leyva Auditorium on Friday, November 8, at 5:30 p.m. Admission to the event is free.
The Zuni Olla Maidens are one of the most renowned dance tribes known across New Mexico and nationwide. The tribe is from Zuni Pueblo in western New Mexico, equally well-known for singing, drumming, and their trademark dance balancing pottery on their heads, as well as being all-female. The Zuni Olla Maidens are also unique in that their group has always consisted of related women, making it a family affair for more than 70 years.
“It is an honor to be a part of bringing the Zuni Olla Maidens to Carlsbad. This is an exceptional opportunity to experience the culture of New Mexico at its finest,” said SENMC President Dr. Kevin Beardmore.
On February 29, the Zuni Olla Maidens were the recipients of the National Heritage Fellowship Award by the National Endowment for the Arts, which is the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional art.
SENMC Library Director and Diversity Committee Chair Samantha Villa said, “I really admire these amazing women. Not only are they willing to share their culture with us, but most of them are also educators! We are grateful they accepted our invitation to perform.”
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