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From left: Alicia Morris, Cory Herbert, Luke Haley, Katelynn Wilson, Ashley Thomas, Micah Gruber, and Jaelyn Dakia, who are students at �鶹����-Gallup, pose for a group photo in front of the Heard Museum entrance in Phoenix on Friday, March 6, 2026.

From home to the Heard

Categories: Students   Faculty   Staff   Community  

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UNM-Gallup Native American Student Success Center offers Lobos new cultural experiences

By Alicia Morris, Wednesday, June 10, 2026

PHOENIX — The Native American Student Success Center (NASSC) sponsored a four-day trip for students from �鶹����-Gallup to experience the Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market along with other attractions during the 2026 spring semester.

As a public relations assistant for UNM-Gallup, I got to enjoy the trip as a student while also being tasked to write about the experience. Before the trip, I was nervous because I would be traveling with “strangers,” and I didn’t know what to expect. However, by the end, I gained a lot of new first experiences — student wise and food wise (this might turn into a food review).

The trip was possible thanks to Shynowah Bahe, Kristina Acothley and Julia Simms from the NASSC and Todd Armitstead from Academic Advisement — all of whom joined the trip along with six other students. The trip lasted four days from Thursday, March 5, to Sunday, March 8.

A day full of culture

On the first night, we ate at Oregano’s, an Italian fusion restaurant in Flagstaff. This was my first time eating there, and it was really good. I had the “Stuffed Riga Tony,” which is rigatoni pasta stuffed with ricotta cheese, mixed with their meat sauce, along with a nice crisp Dr. Pepper. The portions here were HUGE; it was basically a mountain of pasta.

On Friday morning, we traveled to the Heard Museum to explore and learn about the exhibits on display, but first we stopped at a coffee shop in Tempe called Better Buzz Coffee. The matcha was unreal; it was so good! 10/10 would recommend.

The “Substance of Stars” exhibit was a 360-degree video and audio display featuring four different environments of Indigenous tribes: O’odham, Diné (Navajo), Central Yup’ik of Alaska, and Haudenosaunee (Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy). This exhibit had two parts: a 360-degree video and audio section plus an upstairs portion where you could read about the creation stories of the four tribes.

The “Blue Bird” exhibit was a smaller display of the iconic Blue Bird brand of flour and how it is essential to Native culture. Bue Bird is used by a handful of Native communities. For many Navajos, Blue Bird flour (and ONLY Blue Bird flour) is used for making tortillas and frybread (a Native delicacy). The exhibit displays a selection of creations, such as clothing, bags, face masks, and paintings. These items were made from the actual Blue Bird brand sack and featured the Blue Bird logo. The exhibit also had the recipe for frybread painted on the wall.

The museum was great because there was a lot to see inside plus a few outside exhibits such as sculptures and metal work. This was not my first time at the museum, but the exhibits change often, which changes your experience each time. The first time I visited the Heard, I was in middle school. On this trip, I still learned something new. For example, I didn’t know there was a library and a gallery of the founders, Dwight and Maie Heard. The gallery featured old photographs that showed a small glimpse into their lives at the estate.

Don’t knock it until you try it

After exploring the museum, our group met at the Courtyard Café on-site. The café is small and gives cozy vibes; their menu is small with a variety to choose from.

For an appetizer, we had the “Frybread Flight,” which included three mini frybreads and some toppings such as honey, powdered sugar, hummus made from O’odham tepary beans (don’t knock it until you try it), and wojapi berry sauce (originating from the Lakota and Dakota tribes). The entrée I got was called the “Celeste Special.” It contained bison ribeye with green chile chimichurri and mushrooms in a “grilled fluffy Navajo tortilla.” I never tried bison before, and let me say, this meal was soooooo good and spicy and filling!

Influence and passion

On Saturday, we started with a pit stop to a Palestinian coffee shop called Laymoon Café. The matcha here was delicious, too. It had foam and caramel sauce in it (chef’s kiss).

The one thing I love when it comes to any market is when a vendor explains the process of their goods. An example of this was when my fiancée bought a leather wallet. The artist told us about his process, and you could hear the passion in the way he explained it. Also, every artist I purchased from was appreciative, no matter how small the purchase was.

It was a vibe

After lunch, a group of us went to visit the tail end of the Blue Corn Festival, which was a smaller market. It also had artist vendors, food vendors, and demonstrations. The event was an appreciation of the use of blue corn and how it serves as home for some nations. Although we caught the tail end of the festival, we were still able to chat with vendors and look at their products.

For dinner, we went to LoLo’s Chicken and Waffles. Now, this place had soul food, meaning fried chicken and collard greens, and it was a vibe. The atmosphere was lively with music playing and people around us having a good time. At one point our table was belting “Love” by Keyshia Cole.

The portions at this restaurant were HUGE. A HUGE waffle and a HUGE piece of fried chicken. The atmosphere was comfortable. It was a nice touch to end the trip.

I am so appreciative of this opportunity not only to go on a trip but to meet new people and connect with them. This is your sign to go on a trip if given the chance. Maybe you’ll meet some awesome people. It was a fun experience, and I highly recommend that everyone go visit the Heard Museum and Huhugam Heritage Center when in the area.

Editor’s note: Alicia Morris is a student at �鶹����-Gallup studying business administration. Morris works as a student public relations assistant in the UNM-Gallup Public Relations Department.

From left: Luke Haley, Cory Herbert, Julia Simms, Shynowah Bahe, Katelynn Wilson, Jaelyn Dakia, Micah Gruber, Alicia Morris, Kristina Acothley, Ashley Thomas, and Todd Armitstead pose for a group photo at Lolo’s Chicken & Waffles in Phoenix on Saturday, March 7, 2026.