'Show us where to go': Dads and families catch Zuni Pueblo dance performance

Paul Smith showed his children a moccasin inside a glass display at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on Sunday.

His 10-year-old son, Parker Smith, and 6-year-old daughter, Blakely Smith, looked at the moccasin with appreciation.

“It’s amazing,” Blakely said.

The Smiths walked a few feet and sat in front of a pottery display. As they looked at an electronic pad, Paul read about the different pieces and where they came from.

For history lover Paul Smith, visiting places like the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is about educating and exposing his children to different people. It’s about teaching them to respect other cultures and appreciate them, he said.

The Smiths, who are visiting Albuquerque from Dallas, stopped by the museum on Sunday because they heard it was one of the best museums in Albuquerque.

The center at 12th Street near Menaul is comprised of several areas including a museum and gallery, a collection of murals and other artwork and artifacts, a library, archives and a restaurant.

Paul said he was amazed by how much his children enjoyed the visit, especially Blakely.

“It was awesome,” she said.

The Smiths were not the only family to enjoy their Father’s Day at the cultural center.

About an hour earlier, three generations of Bradish family members watched the Water Strider Dance Group out of Zuni Pueblo perform deer, buffalo and butterfly dances in colorful regalia. During the summer, the center hosts dance programs Friday through Sunday.

Eight-year-old Zayla Bradish told her dad Zach Bradish she loved seeing what the dancers were wearing.

Zach brought his family from South Carolina to visit his parents John and Zani Bradish in Albuquerque.

“We were looking to get a feel for the culture in the area and this seemed like a good option,” Zach said. “It’s very unique to the area.”

“We live here in Albuquerque (and) we didn’t know this place existed,” John said. “It takes out-of-towners to come in to show us where to go.”

What made the experience memorable for the Bradish family was being together on Father’s Day.

Zach said it is important to show the children ways to expand their knowledge of the world and their view of what’s happening, and “to be able to share that with them and with my own dad makes it much more special.”

Water Strider Dance Group leader McKeffe Chapella said he loves performing in front of people like the Smith and Bradish families.

“You go out there and you jam,” Chapella said. “Singing and dancing makes you feel good and it gives you a positive vibe.”

Chapella said he wanted to share those good vibrations with visitors.

“This is unlike anything I’ve seen,” Zach Bradish said.

Father's Day at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center