So, with Mesa Verde National Park, Chimney Rock National Monument, Aztec Ruins National Monument and the Anasazi Heritage Center all closed because of the federal shutdown, where can you go to check out American Indian artifacts?
One option: the Southern Ute Cultural Center & Museum in Ignacio.
The Southern Ute Indian Tribe is a sovereign nation and is not shut down, so all those poor souls who are barred from Mesa Verde still can get a taste of Native American culture past and present at the Southern Ute museum.
The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays and Mondays in fall and winter.
Another option: Salmon Ruins in Bloomfield, N.M. The museum, library and research center feature 11th-century ruins and a Chacoan great house. The ruins are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Herald Staff
