Kierland Resorts - Culturekeepers 2004

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2004 Culturekeepers

Dee Strickland Johnson

Yellow Bird Indian Dancers

Jonathan and Maxine Marshall (Paradise Valley)
The Marshalls purchased the Scottsdale Daily Progress in 1963 and for more than 20 years championed democracy, equality and many values that have made Arizona what it is today. Despite their bold Democratic stance in a conservative Republican state, the paper flourished under their talented hands. The Marshalls eventually sold the paper in 1987. Armed with the profits from the sale, they established the Marshall Fund of Arizona, a charitable foundation. The initial grant of $3 million grew into 183 grants, totaling approximately $5.5 million over 15 years. Projects and organizations supported covered environmental protection, the arts, human needs and social problems, civic liberties.

Fayrene “Fay” Martin Hume (Ash Fork)
Dedicated to the preservation of Ash Fork’s history and community, Hume helped to form the Ash Fork Historical Society and spearheaded the effort that led to the official designation of a portion of old Route 66’s passage through town as an historic highway. During her tenure with the Ash Fork Development Association, Hume drove several initiatives, including a safe and effective water system, community center, library, health center and overall beautification of the community. Her tireless commitment has also resulted in placement of the Arizona Department of Transportation building on the National Historical Register and dedication of the Ash Fork Commemorative Monument.

Dee Strickland Johnson (Phoenix)
A native Arizonan who was raised on the Navajo and Hualapai Indian reservations, and at Petrified Forest National Park, Johnson, known as “Buckshot Dot,” is an award-winning and gifted performer. Of notable acclaim is her receipt of the title “Female Cowboy Artist of the Year” in 1997 by the Academy of Western Artists. Johnson travels extensively, sharing her stories at cowboy poet gatherings, schools, and historical societies. When offstage, she is involved in the Academy of Western Artists and the National League of American Pen Women. She has published three self-illustrated books of her western poetry and has three recordings of her cowboy music and poetry.

Melissa Ruffner (Prescott)
Ruffner’s Arizona heritage traces back to the first member of her pioneer family who arrived in the Arizona Territory in 1867. Her great-great-uncle Morris Andrew Ruffner was a co-discoverer of rich copper lodes that later became the billion-dollar copper camp of Jerome. For more than 20 years, as a founding instructor of the ElderHostel program at Yavapai College, Melissa has been taking hundreds of students from across the U.S. to Arizona Indian reservations, national parks and monuments, mining camps and cattle ranches. Ruffner heads Prescott Historical Tours providing insight on the history and cultures that enrich the area. In 2003, Melissa’s mother, Elisabeth Ruffner, was recognized as an Arizona Culturekeeper for her more than 40 years as a steward of Prescott’s architecture and history, making this the first mother-daughter duo to be so honored. She’s also the author of “Prescott: A Pictorial History,” “Arizona Territorial Sampler: Food & Lifestyles of a Frontier,” and “Whatever Happened to Baby Harry? The true story of the first child born to an officer’s family at Camp Apache, Arizona Territory.”

Al Richmond (Flagstaff)
Richmond spent 20 years with Northern Arizona University as liaison to National Parks and Monuments in Arizona and has authored several books and articles about Arizona, diligently recording stories of its history, development and tradition. In 1988, Richmond established the Arizona State Railroad Museum Foundation and is currently facilitating the development and construction of the $19 million Arizona State Railroad Museum to be located in Williams. The museum’s scope will be the more than 76 Arizona railroads and the cultural diversity that revolved around them. He was also the founder of the Grand Canyon Railway Museum located in the Fray Marcos Hotel. Richmond was founding president of the Grand Canyon Pioneers Society, which awards annual scholarships and community service recognition for historic preservation in the Grand Canyon Region.

Ted Ramirez (Tucson)
A Tucson native and eighth generation descendant of a Tubac Presidio Spanish Army Captain, Ramirez is well suited for the title of “Official Troubadour” of Tucson. In song, Ramirez tells the story of Tucson – and Arizona – to natives and visitors from around the world in a universal form of communication. Over the years, Ramirez and his Santa Cruz River Band have performed for such worthy causes as the restoration efforts at the Stone Avenue Temple, as well as for Presidio Trust and Los Descendientes, promoting education, participation and history. In 1997 for the city’s 222nd birthday, Ramirez wrote a tribute to the city, “My Beloved Tucson,” and performed the ballad in English, Spanish and O’odham.

Betty Fairfax (Phoenix)
Betty Fairfax has been a schoolteacher and guidance counselor in the Phoenix Union High School District for more than 50 years. She and her sister, Jean, have been philanthropic champions in education, social justice and equity. The endowments created by the Fairfax sisters in 1987 today total more than $1 million, funding initiatives in education, assistance for physically challenged youth, families and cultural traditions. Betty Fairfax is widely known for the challenge she presented to her graduating eighth-grade students at Mary McLeod Bethune School in Phoenix in 1987, promising each student who enrolled in a four-year college an annual scholarship of $1,000. Though legally retired, Betty Fairfax still starts her day making wake-up calls to students with attendance problems and makes home visits to at-risk youth. In 2000, Betty received the 11th Annual Horace Steele Child Advocacy Award presented by the Children’s Action Alliance for 61 years of dedicated service to children.

Yellow Bird Indian Dancers (Mesa)
The essence of American Indian culture, Ken and Doreen Duncan and their eight children present a repertoire of authentic Apache, Southwest and Northern Plains dances. Ranging in age from adult to pre-school, they present everything from the exciting Hoop Dance to the beautiful Apache Rainbow Dance – enhanced by native sign language and enchanting flute music. The group includes two World Champion Hoop Dancers. In addition to the local and Arizona communities, The Yellow Bird Indian Dancers have performed for audiences around the United States, as well as in Italy, Germany, Taiwan, Switzerland, Austria, Canada and more.

Anna Mae Deming (Payson)
Born in 1916 in Star Valley, Arizona, east of Payson, Deming’s roots run deep in the Pine, Payson and Mogollon Rim areas, where her ancestors settled during Arizona’s untamed years. An initial member of the Historic Preservation and Conservation Commission for Payson, Deming is considered a primary source of historical and photographic information of the Rim Country. Many have and still consult her, including the town of Payson, Payson Historical Society, Pine-Strawberry Museum, and Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. A lifetime member of the Daughters of the Gila County Pioneers, Deming was one of the founders of the Northern Gila County Historical Society and co-authored “The Rim Country History Book,” a grassroots history of the early settlers in the region. In addition to opening Payson’s second bank in 1958 and working there for 23 years, Deming recorded and maintained records for the National Weather Service for more than 50 years.

Dana Burden (Wickenburg)
Born and raised on one of Arizona's pioneer guest ranches, the famous Remuda Ranch in Wickenburg, Dana Burden has seen most of Arizona from the back of a horse. The Burden family were pioneers in the guest ranch business in the days when Wickenburg billed itself as the “Dude Ranch Capital of the World.” Trips by the Burden family to the Indian Village of Havasupai, located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, evolved into the Remuda Effort that brought clothes, food and other supplies to the Havasupai. Dana Burden developed this effort into public guided tours, whose profits go to economic programs for the Havasupai. Burden also leads Adventure Trails, started in 1982, providing memorable trail rides to Monument Valley, Canyon de Chelly, the Mogollon Rim, San Francisco Peaks, Havasupai, Sycamore Canyon and the Superstition Wilderness. Most recently, Burden founded Wickenburg Clean & Beautiful, Inc., which keeps the deserts surrounding Wickenburg free of litter.

Polly Rosenbaum
Rosenbaum was the state’s longest-serving legislator when she passed away in December 2003 at 104. During her 46-year tenure in the Arizona Legislature, she was instrumental in historic preservation and in promoting Arizona history in the schools. Rosenbaum influenced education issues, fought for historic preservation and was a pathfinder for women. She entered politics in 1949 when she was appointed to the House upon the death of her husband, who had occupied the position for 22 years. Serving in the House until 1994, Rosenbaum was the first woman chairperson of the House Administration Committee, a position she held for five terms. Her teaching career spanned three states: Colorado, Wyoming and Arizona. Rosenbaum listed as her greatest accomplishments: teaching and inspiring children to learn, the State of Arizona Library System and the preservation of Arizona history.