FSL fall lectures

Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries 2017 Lecture Series will continue on September 14 with guest speaker Dr. Michael Brescia presenting Whiskey is for Drinking, Water is for Fighting: The Living Legacies of Spanish Water Rights in the American Southwest. Spanish water law continues to fashion the rhythms of daily life in Arizona and New Mexico despite the 160 years that have passed since the U.S. assumed control of the Southwest. American Indians and the Hispanic descendants of the first Spanish conquistadors invoke the principles of Spanish property law to defend their historical rights to natural resources. Dr. Brescia will examine “how the Spanish empire defined property during the colonial period,” how Spanish water rights are considered by the U.S. judiciary and the clash that has taken place between the two legal systems – U.S. common law and Hispanic civil law – in the adjudication of water rights in the Southwest.

Dr. Brescia is an Associate Curator of Ethno History at the Arizona State Museum. The lecture will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the HOA 2 MountainView Ballroom.

On October 19 Gerry Miller will present Bob Paul – King of the Arizona Lawmen. Bob Haven Paul arrived in Tucson in 1878 at age 48. He was a Wells Fargo agent tasked with stopping a series of stagecoach robberies taking place between Phoenix and Tucson. By 1881 Paul successfully ran for Sheriff of Pima County despite the corrupt and rigged elections. Despite his personal relationship with Wyatt Earp, Paul pursued him relentlessly for the murder of Frank Stillwell. Paul killed at least five of the worst outlaws in the West. His daring and fearlessness was greater than anything Hollywood could produce.

This lecture will be held at 4:00 p.m. in the MountainView Ballroom. There will be a $5 charge for non-FSL members.

The 2017 Lecture Series will conclude on November 16 with Mark Bahti presenting Zuni Fetishes and Animal Carvings. Bahti will explore the history of fetishes and carvings and how they grew to be hugely popular items of trade around the world. Attendees will learn about the early carvers and how the carvings were marketed Mark will also discuss the difference between a carving and a fetish and what if anything has changed in their traditional uses.

This lecture will be held at 4:00 p.m. at the MountainView Ballroom. There will be a $5 charge for non-FSL members.