Southwest Seminars offers weekly public lectures in the fields of Native American Issues and Culture, Southwest Cultural History, Archaeology, Art History, Architecture and Natural and Environmental Sciences are offered as a benefit for other Museum of New Mexico Foundation organizations, such as, The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, The Palace of the Governors, The Office of Archaeological Studies and other organizations such as The Archaeological Conservancy, The Indigenous Language Institute, The Native American Rights Fund, The New Mexico Environmental Law Center, The Morning Star Institute, Southwest Association for Indian Arts. The Galisteo Basin Coordination Group, Vecinos Del Rio and Picuris Pueblo. Featuring regional and national scholars and authors, as well as Native American and Hispanic cultural ambassadors, these popular and nearly weekly programs have been conducted since 1997 and have been attended by over 30,000 participants.

Past speakers have included such notables as: Mr. Stewart Udall, former Congressman (AZ.) and former Secretary of the Interior; Dr. Howard Lamar, historian and former president of Yale University; Dr. John Kessell, professor emeritus of history, University of New Mexico; Dr. Jerry Brody, professor emeritus and chair, Department of Art and Art History, University of New Mexico and former director Maxwell Museum; Dr. James Judge, Director, Chaco Project; Dr. Mark Varien, Director of Research, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center; Dr. Steve Lekson, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Assistant Director, Natural History Museum, University of Colorado and author; Dr. Rena Swentzell (Santa Clara Pueblo);Suzan Shown Harjo, president and founder, Morningstar Institute, writer, poet, legislative analyst, former director, National Congress of American Indians, and activist; Dr. Alex Seotewa, (Zuni Pueblo), educator. Artist and spiritual leader, Zuni Pueblo; Milford Nahohai (Zuni Pueblo), artist and educator; Tessie Naranjo, Santa Clara Pueblo, educator, cultural advisor, Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation (NAGPRA); Tito Naranjo, (Santa Clara Pueblo), professor, University of New Mexico-Taos and New Mexico Highlands University and educator; Dr. Joesph Suina, (Cochiti Pueblo), professor of education, University of New Mexico; Christine Sims (Acoma Pueblo), professor of languages, University of New Mexico; Dr. Manley Begay (Dine), professor, Udall Policy Center, Native Nations Institute, University of Arizona; Charlene Teters, (Spokane), artist, activist, and educator, former dean, Institute of American Indian Arts; Della Warrior, former tribal chairman, Otoe-Missouria, and former President, Institute of American Indian Arts; Dr. Kirt Kempter, vulcanologist, geologist and Fulbright Scholar; Zonnie Gorman (Dine) educator and Navajo code talker scholar: Dr. Doug Schwartz, former president School of American Research; Dr John Ware, Director of the Amerind Foundation and archaeologist; and Leigh Kuwanwysiuma (Hopi) director of Hopi cultural affairs;  Gerard Baker (Mandan/Hidatsa/Arikara), Superintendent, Mt. Rushmore National Monument – among many distinguished and delightful others.