They were known as the Anasazi or Ancient Ones and came to Chaco Canyon over 1,000 years ago. Rivaling the Mayans and the Aztecs in sophistication, their culture flourished in the sandstone canyons and towering mesas of the New Mexican desert for hundred of years before suddenly vanishing.

In The Lost People of Chaco Canyon explore one of the great mysteries of archaeology. The film has a running time of 50 minutes.

The second film, on February 20-21, will be Black Indians: An American Story, which explores the issues of racial identity among Native and African Americans. This documentary examines the coming together of these two groups in American history. Often ignored by mainstream America, these minority people have often shared a common past. (Running time 60 minutes).

The series will conclude on March 27 and 28 with Mystic Voices: The Story of the Pequot War.

“The Pequot War was a pivotal event in early American history that set the stage for the ultimate domination of all Native American by Europeans. Narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee Roy Scheider, Mystic Voices: The Story of the Pequot War presents a balanced view of events, underlying causes, consequences and a legacy of the first declared war in American history (running time 116 minutes).

The museum, at 38 Curtis Road, can be reached for additional information at 860-868-0815 or birdstone.org.