DNA Studies Further Exploring the Origins of Native America

DNA Studies Further Exploring the Origins of Native America
The story of how Homo sapiens spread from Africa to the rest of the world is a tangled epic, full of false starts and dead ends. Yet perhaps nowhere is the puzzle more difficult than in the Americas, two landmasses divided from the rest of the world by two huge oceans. Zoom out, though, and you’ll see that isolation has only been imposed for the last 11,000 years; before then, a narrow land bridge called Beringia stretched between Siberia and Alaska, providing an icy highway for travelers. http://bit.ly/2EgVG7W – Smithsonian

Utah Representative Ron Bishop’s No More Parks Act
From the moment that President Barack Obama proclaimed Bears Ears National Monument, Rep. Rob Bishop was among the new preserve’s loudest critics. On December 4, he got his wish when President Donald Trump signed a proclamation shedding more than one million acres of slot canyons, arches, and archaeological sites from the monument. Now, the Utah Republican’s new project is to do away with the law that created it. “Congress never intended to give one individual the power to unilaterally dictate the manner in which all Americans may enjoy enormous swaths of America’s public lands,” he argued in one meeting of the House Committee on Natural Resources. “Unfortunately, overreach in the recent administrations has brought us to this point, and it is Congress’s duty now to clarify the law and end the abuse.” http://bit.ly/2EiaQKo – Backpacker

Utah Bill Tramples upon Tribal Sovereignty
Last month, President Trump issued a proclamation claiming to drastically reduce, and otherwise weaken, the Bears Ears National Monument in southern Utah. Our tribes, along with the other tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition, immediately sued the president, arguing that the proclamation was void because his actions were beyond the president’s authority. The Utah delegation seems to understand that our lawsuit against President Trump has the weight of the law on its side, and thus stands a high likelihood of success. That would leave President Obama’s visionary proclamation creating the Bears Ears National Monument fully intact. http://bit.ly/2EkNNP7 – The Hill

Audio Link: Interview with Shaun Chapoose
This hour, we’ve been looking back on some of the developments of 2017 and some of the news stories that dramatically shifted over the course of the year. That can certainly be said of the Bears Ears National Monument. In the last days of his term, President Obama designated this large section of Utah, protecting the land from development. But President Trump shrunk the section of protected land, allowing the state of Utah to lease or sell off parcels to private interests. We’re going to spend a few minutes with Shaun Chapoose, a tribal commissioner for Bears Ears National Monument and a council member of the Ute Indian Tribe Business Committee. He fought for the monument designation a year ago. And when we spoke with him, he started by explaining why he thinks the land is worth protecting. http://n.pr/2El43j9 – National Public Radio

Editorial: Ripping Native America from History
As the leaders of two Native American tribes in California, we are raising our voices with outrage about recent actions by the Trump administration. President Donald Trump just issued two proclamations to remove protections from more than 2 million acres of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah. This illegal action would be the largest elimination of protected areas in U.S. history. http://bayareane.ws/2EiiB2L – The Mercury News

Crown and Wills Honored with Field Discovery Award at Shanghai Archaeological Forum
The University of New Mexico’s research at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon was recently honored with a Field Discovery Award at the Shanghai Archaeological Forum. The project is one of ten chosen, out of over a hundred projects, form around the world. “Their selection process seems to be very complicated, so it is truly an honor to be recognized by this group,” said Professor Patricia Crown, who was invited to Shanghai to receive the award. The Shanghai Archaeological Forum is organized by the Institute of Archaeology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. The award recognizes archaeological excavations or surveys that have yielded major discoveries significantly furthering or even altering knowledge of the human past. http://bit.ly/2Ek4SZv – University of New Mexico

Editorial: Taos Pastors Reflect on the Role of the Sacred in Our Appreciation of National Monuments
As Taos pastors and as people of faith, we are deeply concerned about the current federal administration’s actions and recommendations regarding our national monuments. We believe the earth belongs to God, and it has been cared for and protected for thousands of years by native peoples. Today, many faith and cultural traditions – indigenous and newcomers to Taos – share a common commitment to caring for God’s creation and honoring the land. We come to spaces like the Río Grande del Norte National Monument to be closer to our Creator. Members of the Pueblo gather sacred herbs, Christians gather to celebrate Christ’s Resurrection on Easter morning, and people from all spiritual paths stand in the presence of all that is holy and awe-inspiring. This is what our monument means for us: an opportunity to connect to that which is holy. http://bit.ly/2EjiwMz – The Taos News

Reminder: Archaeology Café (Phoenix): Archaeology under the Downtown Streets (and Runways)
On Tuesday, January 9, 2018, at 6:00 p.m., Dr. Michael Lindeman will share some stories from his experiences leading archaeological excavations both downtown and amid the runways of Sky Harbor Airport. Come learn more about Phoenix underground. We gather at around 5:30 p.m. at the Changing Hands Bookstore (300 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix AZ) to visit and enjoy food and beverages. The program begins at 6 p.m. This program is made possible, in part, by The Smith Living Trust and Arizona Humanities. http://bit.ly/2pBkLIh – Archaeology Southwest

Lecture Opportunity – Cortez
Archaeology Lecture by Brian Yaquinto: “Rediscovering the Fremont of Northwest Colorado.” The Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeology Society is pleased to present Brian Yaquinto on Tuesday, January 16^th, 2018 at 7:00 PM at the First United Methodist Church, 515 N Park St, Cortez, CO to discuss “Rediscovering the Fremont of Northwest Colorado.” Yaquinto’s talk will focus on new research, some with unexpected results, on the Fremont culture in northwest Colorado through use of new data collected by the Bureau of Land Management’s White River Field Office.  Contact Kari Schleher at 505-269-4475 with questions.

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents a Special Lecture Event: Dr. Iain Simpson Stewart, President, Royal Scottish Geographical Society;  Professor, Geoscience Communication and Chair, Sustainable Earth Institute, School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Science and Engineering, Plymouth University, United Kingdom; Recipient, 2017-2018 Geological Society of America Distinguished International Lecturer Tour, who will give a lecture: The Land Below Ground: Exploring Human Exploitation of the Underground Realm: Past, Present and Future on Sunday, January 14 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe. Admission is $15 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt: tel. 505 466-2775; email: southwestseminar@aol.com; website: southwestseminars.org

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Matthew Barbour, M.A.; Historian and Archaeologist; Northern Regional manager, New Mexico Historic Sites, Department of Cultural Affairs; Research Associate, Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico; Excavator, Palace of the Governors, New Mexico History Museum who will give a lecture: Franciscan Influence in the Pueblos: Religion and Rebellion on >Monday, January 15 at 6pm at Santa Fe Woman’s Club 1616 Old Pecos Trail as part of the Ancient Sites Ancient Stories Lecture Series held to honor and acknowledge The Native American Rights Fund and represented tribes in support of Bears Ears National Monument. Admission is by subscription or $15 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt: tel. 505 466-2775; email: southwestseminar@aol.com; website: southwestseminars.org