The Southwestern Archaeology Community Notes the Passing of Roger Lidman

The Southwestern Archaeology Community Notes the Passing of Roger Lidman
Roger studied public history, public administration, and business administration ultimately graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in anthropology. He started working part time at Pueblo Grande Museum June 1976, becoming its director in 1990. During his 38-year tenure, he made great friends in the museum community, the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community and other Arizona Indian communities. He was justifiably proud of the work he and his team accomplished at Pueblo Grande Museum, a national historic landmark and world class archaeology site accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. http://bit.ly/1BT5GfW – Arizona Republic via Legacy.Com

Protesters Outside Farmington BLM Office Demand Halt to Fracking Permits on the Chaco Landscape
On Monday, conservation groups challenged the Bureau of Land Management to stop issuing permits for oil and gas development near Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Members of WildEarth Guardians and Diné Citizens Against Ruining Our Environment joined Daniel Tso — a Navajo Allottee and former council delegate representing the Torreon Chapter of the Navajo Nation — and others in front of the BLM’s Farmington Field Office to share their concerns with Victoria Barr, district manager for BLM’s Farmington Field Office. Tso asked Barr to support a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, for Mancos shale oil in the Gallup play area in the lower San Juan Basin, which is near Lybrook and Chaco Culture park. The groups cited concerns over human health, environmental impacts and risk to cultural resources from fracking in the Lybrook area near Chaco. http://bit.ly/1QD1yHD – Albuquerque Journal

New Mexican Congressional Delegation Advocates for Cooperative Approach to Protection of the Chaco Landscape
Working together is tough, and learning to trust one another when facing big decisions can be even tougher. This is especially true when government agencies are trying to balance oil and gas development with the needs of communities, industry, and other stakeholders. Just because issues don’t have easy solutions, doesn’t mean we should shy away from finding common ground. This is especially true if we want to preserve the amazing beauty of our western landscapes and protect the health of our communities living with nearby oil and gas development. http://bit.ly/1KVvqR6 – New Mexico Political Report

Outrage: Sacred Items Again Sold at Auction
An auction of Native American artifacts went ahead Monday despite pleas from the Hopi tribe and its supporters in the U.S. to suspend the sale. Six masks—crafted about a century ago using combinations of leather, wood, cotton and feathers—sold Monday for €40,500 ($44,000), said Alain Leroy, owner of Estimations Ventes aux Enchères, or EVE, the Paris-based auction house that carried out the sale. Pierre Ciric, a lawyer representing the Hopi tribe, described the auction as an outrage. http://on.wsj.com/1FDpbL8 – Wall Street Journal

Despite Recent Auction, Hopi Tribe Will Not Submit to the Commodification of Sacred Objects
Efforts by federal U.S. agencies and the tribe to stop the auction failed. But stopping any auction is only part of the problem the tribe faces. Getting people to understand why it is wrong to sell, and even to talk about, the “Katsina Friends” is the real issue – one that makes it hard for the Hopi to advocate for themselves with a subject that is painful and one that affects every Hopi in the same way. Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, director of the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office, said that every child, every Hopi individual, eventually gets initiated into what are the tribe’s “rites of passage,” which goes into adulthood. The rites of passage are not known outside of Hopi and they are not meant to be. http://bit.ly/1AZnKtH – Navajo Hopi Observer

Many Challenges Ahead for the Manhattan Project National Monument
Roger Rasmussen knows the ground in Los Alamos where the world’s first atomic bombs were developed and assembled for the top-secret Manhattan Project. Now 95 years old, he was among a group of young engineering students deployed by the U.S. Army to what was then a remote military post atop a dusty mesa. Thanks to last year’s signing of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act, some of the sites from that era will eventually be open to a much wider audience. http://bit.ly/1KOojqC – Santa Fe New Mexican

News from BYU Archaeological Field School
Students at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University are participating in the first ever combined archaeological field study. The study took place at the Hinckley Mounds where a Fremont Indian site exists near Utah Lake. “Being able to find something in each and every scoop that you have is pretty remarkable,” said Sara Yonker an Anthropology student at BYU. Another student said it brings back feelings of when she was a kid. ” It’s like finding a hidden treasure, like when you’re a kid and you go searching for a pirate treasure, it’s like that except we didn’t have a map to begin with,” said Lindsey Catmull a Junior at Utah Valley University. http://bit.ly/1dWG24W – Good4Utah.Com

Conference to Focus on Native Perspectives on Water Management
What can be learned from the indigenous perspectives on water? And how can this knowledge be used to improve water management? The University of Arizona Water Resources Research Center will host a conference on “Indigenous Perspectives on Sustainable Water Practices” on Tuesday and Wednesday to explore those questions. The conference, hosted in partnership with the Gila River Indian Community, will reflect the unique place of water in tribal life. Conference attendees will explore water stewardship challenges and achievements, indigenous traditions in caring for agricultural lands and riparian areas, and tribal youth engagement. http://bit.ly/1T5H3ra – University of Arizona

200,000 Protests Against Grand Canyon Development
Over 200,000 people flooded the U.S. Forest Service with comments over the last month calling for the agency to reject a plan for roads and infrastructure that would enable construction of a mega-development on Grand Canyon’s doorstep. The proposed roads, sewers and other utilities would pave the way for a multinational developer to transform the 580-resident community of Tusayan, Ariz., from a small, quiet tourist town into a sprawling complex of high-end homes, retail stores, and restaurants only a mile from the Grand Canyon National Park boundary. The development threatens groundwater that feeds Grand Canyon’s creeks, springs and seeps, endangering some of the Park’s most important and biodiverse wildlife habitat. http://bit.ly/1cFfkfz – Earth Justice.org

Reminder – The Pecos Conference is Fast Approaching, and the 2015 Cordell Award Competition is On
The Cordell Prize honors Dr. Linda Cordell, teacher, mentor, advisor and friend to countless Southwestern archaeologists. Because presenting archaeological findings clearly and concisely is an essential professional skill, the competition seeks to hone the extemporaneous speaking ability of budding Southwestern archaeologists. http://bit.ly/1MzOwdB – PecosConference.Com

Book Review: The Archaeological Conservancy Looks at David Grant Noble’s Living in the Ancient Southwest
David Grant Noble has been writing and editing books about archaeology in the American Southwest for some 40 years. Even though he is not a trained archaeologist, Noble is generally considered to be the leading interpreter of Southwestern archaeology. In this latest offering, he assembles 18 noted scholars to examine how ancient people in the Southwest made a living in the vast and arid region. Topics include Mesa Verde and Chaco Canyon as well as many lesser known locales and cultures, like the Fremont of the Great Basin. http://bit.ly/1KVHt0V – The Archaeological Conservancy

Lecture Opportunity – Pagosa Springs
Chimney Rock Interpretive Association (CRIA) is proud to host a special presentation by Dr. Wendy Sutton on Thursday, June 11. Dr. Sutton’s lecture is titled Exploring the Gila National Forest: the Archaeology of the Mogollon Mimbres Region. The lecture is free of charge and will take place at 7:00pm following CRIA’s monthly potluck at 6:00pm at the Pagosa Springs Ross Aragon Community Center at 451 Hot Springs Blvd. http://bit.ly/1T5J4Um – Pagosa Daily Post

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Luis Garcia, M.A. (Southern Tiwa/Piro/Chicano), Weaver and Feather Worker, who will give a lecture Contemporary Pueblo Textiles on June 8 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the Voices From the Past Lecture Series held to honor Archaeology Southwest. Admission is by subscription or $12 at the door. No reservations are necessary and refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt 505 466-2775 email: southwest seminar@aol.com
http://bit.ly/YhJddr – Southwest Seminars

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Eric Blinman, Mary Weahkee (Santa Clara/Comanche) and Chuck Hannaford of the New Mexico Center for Archaeology, Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico who will give a lecture Atl Atl, Feather Blankets, and Fire: Experiencing Crafts and Survival in the Ancient Southwest on June 15 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the Voices From the Past Lecture Series held to honor Archaeology Southwest. Admission is by subscription or $12 at the door. No reservations are necessary and refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Conact Connie Eichstaedt 505 466-2775 email: southwest seminar@aol.com
http://bit.ly/YhJddr – Southwest Seminars

Lecture Opportunity – Camp Verde
In conjunction with the Return of the Camp Verde Meteorite exhibit at the Verde Valley Archaeology Center, Executive Director Ken Zoll will present a talk on the uses of meteorites among ancient Native American cultures on Sunday, June 28, at 2:00 pm.  his talk will discuss the Navajo, Mesa Verde, Willamette, Casas Grandes (Paquime), and Hopewell meteorites, and provide additional details about the Camp Verde meteorite and other meteorites found at ancient ruins in the Verde Valley. Space is limited to the 30 available seats filled on a first-come basis. Visit www.verdevalleyarchaeology.org for additional information.