The auditorium held a capacity audience and Elizabeth was in top form as she worked through the threads of anthropology, linguistics, archeology and textile science that formed the basis of her lecture. The resulting talk was far ranging, as might be expected when covering such a time span, but also of remarkable depth. Elizabeth is a formidable speaker, often putting the pieces of evidence together like a detective closing a case. After a very energetic question and answer session Elizabeth inscribed some of her books for the audience.

Our last speaker in the 2009 lecture series was Mimi Robinson. She delivered a well illustrated presentation showcasing her work with design students from the Rhode Island School of Design and the collaborations that took place between designers and cultures from Central and South America. After the presentation Mimi was joined on stage by Ann Hudner who led a discussion on Mimi's projects and helped to field questions from the audience.