This year, as we celebrate the first anniversary of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, we are sharing this region’s fascinating historical dreams, highlighting its local mythic wonders, and exploring the natural world and our local communities. We investigate these topics with the idea that every living being exists with its own set of experiences and perceptions that make its vision of the universe unique from ours.

The style inspiration of this issue comes from the pre-printing press era of hand-written and illustrated books. During this time in European history, stories were illuminated by beautiful drawings and paintings, mystical symbols, medicinal plants, visual humor, and fanciful creatures, which lent a dreamlike quality to the pages. It was expensive to handwrite a book, and the information contained within was considered precious and important. We believe that the stories of this place are also precious and important, and merit the same treatment.

The 15th century was also a time of exploration, which means its imagery can sometimes be associated with colonialism, especially due to the fact that many European-based nature and cultural symbols continued to be used in America in later centuries, despite the fact that the same plants and animals were not present here. Our vision was to use what was useful in the structures of the medieval book, but to update the imagery to celebrate pride in our place, our time, our landscape, and our communities.

Twelve local illustrators and youth from the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe have filled these pageswith colorful desert scenes, native plants and animals, and Mojave geometric designs to de-light the eye and illuminate our dreams of Southern Nevada. We hope you enjoy every detail.

Cheers!

Kim Garrison Means, Steve Radosevich
Editors, Searchlight Gold Beam

• HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, Avi Kwa Ame!

• Ask the Professor

• Desert Horoscope

• A Secret Message from Ana Graham

• Seeing Among the Joshua Trees

• A Glimpse Into the History of Walking Box Ranch

• Cactus Corner

• After the York Fire:
  Envisioning What Comes Next

• Clara Bow: From Hollywood
  to Searchlight Desert Serenity

• Doin' it: Building a Flicker House

• Visiting Avi Kwa Ame With Respect

• Born from the Mind’s Eye: Dreams Have Shaped Southern Nevada

• Featured Artist: Adriana Chavez

• Spirit Mountain Geology

• In Search of Triatomines

• The Trail of the Opal Skull, Chapter IV: Fireball in the Sky

• Exploring the Milky Way

• Mysteries of the Sky

• Desert Safety 101

• Getting Unstuck in the Desert: Interview with Southern Nevada Off-Road Recovery

• Jane Overy, Outstanding Woman of Searchlight

• Mrs. Frugal Suggests...
  Recipes

• The Making of the Searchlight Treasures Mural

• The Siblings and The Gift

• Cyrus Noble Whiskey Has Returned to Searchlight

• Uncle Ivan's Desert VHS Picks

• Treasures of the Trail: Christmas Tree Pass

• Local Picks

• Gems of Wisdom

• Map of Avi Kwa Ame

Editors: Kim Garrison Means and Steve Radosevich
Graphic Design: Carin Agiman
Poof Reader: Leland Means
Illustration: Maria Volborth, Patrick Zolp-Mikols, Rachel Hillberg, Kyle Larson, Cat Johnson, Nancy Ko, Carin Agiman, Alisha Kerlin, Checko Salgado, Adriana Chavez, Kim Garrison Means
Fort Mojave Pipa Aha Macav Culture Society Consultant: Paul Jackson Jr.

The geometric Mojave illustrations you see throughout this issue were created by members of the Fort Mojave Tribal Youth Diversion Program and include work from Amelia Jackson, Cecilia Collier, Dennis Campos, Erin Torres, Maliya Russell, Nathan Richard, Noah Richard, RJ Jackson, Stephen Lopez, Vinnie Castillo, and Zach McCord