George Frison Passes

Dear Friends, 

Less than three months ago, my note to you linked to a blog post I published on June 17 that called on conscientious individuals and organizations to do more than simply post statements of support for Black Lives Matter. Compared to the magnitude of confronting America’s systemic racism, a statement of support carries very little weight. It may feel good and even righteous today, but does it motivate long-term commitment to action? 

Erin B. Logan, a Black reporter for the  Los Angeles Times, wrote an opinion piece last week that I encourage you to read. What I took away from her op-ed was the concern that although white people are supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, they are also to some extent taking ownership of it. She calls it gentrification. 

This merits deeper consideration. Logan states: “Most of what needs to change happens in a civic setting often void of TV cameras. It’s going to take drastic changes in policy and laws. It will also require everyone’s attention.” The commitment I’m (we’re) being asked to make is to confront my (our) white privilege. To listen to and follow the lead of Black Americans, Indigenous peoples, and people of color about how to dismantle systemic racism. To act on that. To attend—to keep showing up and giving this necessary work our attention. 

While I was reflecting on this, I was appalled to see the president’s move last Friday to cancel all federal “racial sensitivity training programs.” White privilege is so baked into the culture of this country that few can lead themselves to understand its impact. Such training is an essential tool for change. The panel I attended and wrote about in my blog post surely led my thinking to change. 

We must learn and grow from the myriad challenges of 2020. Systemic racism is a huge challenge, but we cannot shrink from it. 

Sincerely,

Bill Doelle
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest

George Frison Passes
George Frison, a Worland native and University of Wyoming graduate who achieved international acclaim as an archaeologist during a lengthy career as a UW faculty member, died Sunday, Sept. 6, in Laramie. He was 95. https://bit.ly/3hjAgdP – University of Wyoming

Reminder: US/ICOMOS to Host Chaco Expert Panel on September 10
Please join us for a US/ICOMOS World Heritage Webinar, “World Heritage Site at Risk: Chaco Culture National Historical Park,” on Thursday, September 10, 2020, 12:00 p.m. EDT. Panelists include Ernie Atencio (National Parks Conservation Association), Paul Reed (Archaeology Southwest), and Kurt Riley (Pueblo of Acoma). An opportunity for questions and answers from the online audience will follow. This webinar is free to members and the public. https://bit.ly/2EMcc5W – US/ICOMOS

Archaeology Café Begins 14^th Season October 6
From our house to yours…the 14th season of Archaeology Café celebrates and shares Archaeology Southwest’s current Preservation Archaeology projects with you via Zoom. Our staff members will bring you in on what we’re doing right now to learn more about the past and help protect special places. Registration is required, but free. https://bit.ly/3bCqKky – Archaeology Southwest

Interview with Leigh Kuwanwisiwma
For Kuwanwisiwma, there’s no question about where he comes from — his people’s handprints are painted on cliff walls, his clan symbols etched in rock, and his heart and spirit tied to Hopi land. Here, we talk with Kuwanwisiwma, the former director of the Hopi Cultural Preservation Office about his cultural connections to the Grand Canyon. https://bit.ly/3he0VZj – Navajo-Hopi Observer

Terrol Dew Johnson on Tohono O’odham Basketweaving
We’ve noticed a lot of changes. We’ve been talking about that for 25 to 30 years, the fact that the weather has been changing. Water wasn’t coming in, it was harder and harder to find materials, which meant that we had to get further and further away from our traditional gathering sites, sometimes traveling to other states to look for yucca or bear grass. https://bit.ly/339vlqL – BorderLore

Sixth Annual Repatriation Conference Goes Virtual, October 26–28
This 6th Annual Conference is intended for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Nations, museums, institutions, government agencies, academics, attorneys, collectors, artists, cultural preservationists and others engaged or interested in the repatriation of culture. Repatriation is the return of Native American Ancestors and their burial items, as well as the return of tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Together, we will critically analyze the future of NAGPRA and learn how to advance its implementation across disciplines, while gaining a better understanding of repatriation in the U.S. and abroad. Sessions will focus on the future of repatriation work, under NAGPRA, as well as repatriation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage where NAGPRA does not currently apply. https://bit.ly/3h98fFx – Association on American Indian Affairs

Online Resources, Events, and Opportunities to Help
Please keep sharing these with us, and we will keep helping to get the word out. Our inbox is sat-editor@archaeologysouthwest.org.

From the Amerind Museum: On September 12 at 11:00 a.m. MST, Dr. Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert will present “Hopi Runners: Crossing the Terrain between Indian and American.” Long before Hopis won trophy cups or received acclaim in American newspapers, Hopi clan runners competed against each other on and below their mesas—and when they won footraces, they received rain. Hopi Runners provides a window into this venerable tradition at a time of great consequence for Hopi culture. More information and Zoom registration: https://bit.ly/35hqlmp

From the Arizona State Museum: On September 29 at 4:00 p.m. MST, the Honorable Ned Norris, Jr., Chairman of the Tohono O’odham Nation, will give a presentation that focuses on the challenges of protecting tribal lands and sacred places. The Tohono O’odham Nation includes approximately 28,000 members occupying tribal lands in southwestern Arizona. The Nation is the second largest reservation in Arizona in both population and geographical size, with a land base of 2.8 million acres and 4,460 square miles, approximately the size of the State of Connecticut. This is part of a free series, “Border Barriers: History and Impact,” that begins on September 15. More information: https://bit.ly/2ZARFsr

From Project Archaeology: Read the second essay in our three-part series on “Wildfires and Archaeology.” “The Firelighters Are Back” discusses how “forest and fire management is what Native American populations have been doing in North America for thousands of years, and this older strategy may be the key to decreasing the number of large and dangerous wildfires that threaten people in the area.” Read on: https://bit.ly/3bIlHiK

From Old Pueblo Archaeology Center: On Saturday, October 3, join archaeologist Bill Gillespie for the “Historic Camp Rucker: Apache Wars Outpost Tour,” which will meet at 8:00 a.m. on Houghton Road just south of Interstate-10 Exit 275, Tucson. This is a fundraising tour where each registrant is asked to make a donation to help cover Old Pueblo’s tour expenses and support its education programs about archaeology and traditional cultures. More information: https://bit.ly/2ZAUObJ

On Saturday, October 10, from 8:00 a.m. to noon, Old Pueblo Archaeology Center and Pima County Natural Resources, Parks & Recreation volunteers and employees offer a presentation about the historic Canoa Ranch, followed by three guided tours focusing on the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition, the historic Canoa Ranch, and Pima County’s “Behind the Scenes Restoration Tour” of the ranch buildings. The event starts at the ranch headquarters, 5375 S. I-19 Frontage Road, Green Valley, Arizona. Reservations and $30 donation prepayment due by 5:00 p.m. September 30. More information: https://bit.ly/33pzuXN

We’re happy to help get the word out. Please submit news, publication announcements, and other resources to this link for consideration: https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/submit-to-sat/

Questions? sat-editor@archaeologysouthwest.org