City Week

This Week at ASM ...

This month, ASM recognizes the field of archaeology with a variety of events. First up at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 10, Dr. Sally Roesch Wagner discusses how women of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy were actually early feminists, well ahead of Euro-American women at the time. According to ASM's press release, Haudenosaunee women had "decisive political power, control of their bodies and property, satisfying work and a society generally free of rape and domestic violence."

To read more about these pioneering women, scour the books at the Very Nearly Annual Discount Benefit Booksale, from 10 to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, March 11 and 12. You'll save 40 to 70 percent on books about world archaeology, architecture, cooking, poetry and more. Museum members can show up one hour early to get a better selection.

If you're not looking to add to your library, but want to learn about textiles instead, ASM's conservation team will present a "Care of Navajo Textiles" lecture from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, March 12. The three-hour event includes a lecture, hands-on demonstrations and a special tour of the Navajo Weaving exhibition at the museum. Call 626-2973 to pre-register for the $30 event ($25 for ASM/GFR members).

After the lecture, Navajo weaver Marilou Schultz demonstrates her craft from 1 to 4 p.m. Navajo poet Sherwin Bitsui will also perform. The two artists are part of the free Culture Craft Saturday, with cake and a sheep-naming celebration also on tap.

Flying High

If you are one of the depressed Scorsese fans mourning the Aviator Oscar loss, a trip to Ryan Airfield might cheer you up. No, you won't see Leo or Kate, but you can fly in an airplane, watch skydiving and check out lots of aviation memorabilia, with no admission or parking fees.

The Tucson Chapter of the 99's International Organization of Women Pilots will offer dime-a-pound airplane rides--now there's a good reason to diet--but I recommend weighing in early, before the pancake breakfast and other food offerings. Ticket sales are limited.; call for reservations.

No dreams to soar in the sky? There's still plenty to see with your feet planted on the ground and eyes pointed upward. The West Coast A-10 Demo Team and the Heritage Flight Team will perform from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Other performances include "an aerobatic demonstration by Michael Racy, a champion flyer and member of the U.S. National Aerobatic team, who will fly the Russian Sukhoi 31, an unlimited competition monoplane. A skydiving exhibition is also scheduled," according to the press release.

And there's plenty to check out while keeping your gaze straight ahead. Commercial pilot training planes, old-fashioned biplanes, experimental models and more will be on view on the field, and members from aviation clubs and businesses will be available to answer questions. For shoppers, an aviation flea market and display booths will be on hand. Explorers can take a tour of Ryan Airfield and the six-story control tower.

One Step at a Time

A dreaded phone call from your doctor can change your life in an instant. Diagnosis: cancer. Prognosis: deadly. But caught in time, cancer can be treated and beat in some cases; awareness and detection is key.

According to the American Cancer Society, "Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Nearly half of all men and a little over one third of all women in the United States will develop cancer during their lifetimes. (More than) 1 million people get cancer each year."

The American Cancer Society is dedicated to the prevention, detection and treatment of the disease. But they can always use assistance with their efforts. The Climb to Conquer Cancer, sponsored by the Tucson Fire Fighters Association, raises money for research, education, advocacy and service.

The three-mile walk (or jog, for athletic types) begins at the PCC West Campus, 2202 W. Anklam Road, and ends at the top of "A" Mountain. The climb is strictly for walkers and joggers, so in-line skates, bikes and skateboards are not permitted. Upon reaching the top of the mountain, participants will find free food, music and massages to ease those weary muscles.

For those who would like to honor or remember a cancer victim, flags are available for purchase and will be placed along the path. Call 323-4201 before March 11 to place an order.

Registration before March 12 is $40; day-of-the-event registration is $45. All participants will receive a T-shirt. More than 1,500 people are expected to make the climb, and the event takes place rain or shine.

Exotic Movements

Graceful movements, cool costumes and bare midriffs are only part of the allure of bellydancing. A critically acclaimed documentary by award-winner Jonathan Brandeis explores this art form and "takes the viewer to the inside world of belly dance, giving historical perspectives on the art while focusing on belly dance in America with the critically acclaimed Bellydance Superstars and the Desert Roses," reads the press release.

The documentary is one of the films being shown at the Fourth Annual International Film Festival in Tiburon, Calif., next week, but our friends at the Loft Cinema have secured a one-time screening and also invited local bellydancer Lucy Lipschitz.

The film "provides a first-person perspective on how the dance and art is viewed in around the world. Viewers will learn how bellydancing began and is now transforming into the hottest art form today." The world's first professional bellydance troupe, Bellydance Superstars and the Desert Roses, is profiled in the film, while the dancers of Bellydance Superstars discuss dance and their lives on the road.

The Bellydance Superstars and the Desert Roses are the brainchild of Miles Copeland, who managed The Police, REM, The Bangles and others. The troupe is currently touring in North America. For more information, visit bellydancesuperstars.com.

The documentary, by the way, has gotten rave reviews from The Village Voice--who called it "sheer genius"--and The Onion, which commented, "Wiggling troupe Bellydance Superstars isn't guilty of false advertising: Bellydancing is what these women do, and they do it expertly."