Dear Friends,
We have a climate crisis.
The crisis is not theoretical. It is increasingly experiential.
In the states of Washington and Alaska, five Indigenous communities received grant awards of $2.1 to $3 million to initiate relocation of their communities—to pioneer a climate adaptation policy of “managed retreat.”
This is likely to become a more common government policy. It’s a recognition that the consequences of climate change are currently locked in a single direction—the wrong direction for many Indigenous groups who make a living from the sea, and who have long made their homes by the sea.
What are the human effects of such policies?
I think about the simple, but powerful, theme of Archaeology Southwest’s recent annual report—Places Matter to People. And Yaqui legal scholar Rebecca Tsosie’s statement: “To be Indigenous is to belong to the land through time and through tradition.”
Analyzed coldly, the government relocation policies are rational and cost-effective. Assessed empathetically, the human consequences of such moves are emotionally wrenching—and understandably so. Especially because many of those on the leading edge of climate impacts played minuscule roles in generating the greenhouse gases that are causal.
Climate change solutions require action. Climate change solutions should lead to empathy, solidarity, and collaboration. I’m still harvesting optimism and good ideas from Regeneration—Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.
Take care, everyone, and see you next week,
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
From our friends at Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps: The Pueblo of Acoma has been without water in most households since 10/27 due to water infrastructure failure in the community. Our former Program Manager, Aaron Lowden, sent out the call to deliver water to elderly community members and others who do not have the resources or ability to get water. Our crews have been working with the community to deliver water, water containers, solar showers, and other needed resources to support the health and well-being of the community. The local health clinic, dialysis center, and schools have been closed due to the water infrastructure failure, and has led to a crisis for some community members who cannot haul water. Please consider donating to our program to support this work. All donations made through our website will be used to support the Acoma community. Please make sure to select “Ancestral Lands” from the “apply my donation to” drop-down menu to apply your donation to these efforts. Other donations of resources, including new water containers, bottled water, new solar showers can be dropped off at our Albuquerque Headquarters: 7851 2nd Street SW Albuquerque, NM 87105. Thank you for your support! Daawaae’
Interior Announces Lifetime Passes for Veterans and Gold Star Families
Today, the Biden-Harris administration announced that starting on Veterans Day (Nov. 11), veterans of the U.S. Armed Services and Gold Star Families can obtain a free lifetime pass to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites spread out across more than 400 million acres of public lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, and forests. U.S. Department of the Interior (press release) | Read more »
Identifying Potential Locations for Bears Ears Cultural Center
Take a delicate, remote red-rock desert and gather thousands of visitors per day—but do it in a sustainable and respectful way. And, of course, make it convenient. It’s not an easy task to manage visitors at any protected natural location, but selecting a site for a cultural center at Bears Ears National Monument has extra challenges. For instance, what values should planners prioritize when choosing a site to build? Easiest access from nearby cities? The best views? The values tribes most want to communicate to visitors? Lisa Stoner for Utah State Today | Read more »
Arizona State Museum Debuts Digital Repository
Explore content and descriptive records from the Arizona State Museum Archives and Photographic Collections. Our research collection specializes in the anthropology of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, including archaeology, ethnology, ethnohistory, and material culture. Arizona State Museum | Explore now »
Profile of VVAC and Director Monica Buckle
The past few months have seen major increases in visitation to unique educational experiences provided by the Verde Valley Archaeology Center (VVAC) in the heart of Camp Verde. Executive Director Monica Buckle attributes much of that increase to the “phenomenal” new location of the center in its new building at 460 W. Finnie Flat Road in the middle of town. “We ran out of space at our past site, so local donors have been exceptionally generous in helping us fund the new museum site.” Ray Newton for Flagstaff Business News | Read more »
Continuing Coverage: Tribes Take Custody of Ancestors’ Belongings
Members of the Oglala Sioux and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribes traveled from South Dakota to take custody of the weapons, pipes, moccasins and clothing, including several items thought to have a direct link to the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre in South Dakota. They had been held by the Founders Museum in Barre, Massachusetts, about 74 miles west of Boston. Associated Press via ABC News | Read more »
ICYMI: Podcast: Traditional Knowledge and Climate Change
With Ann Marie Chischilly, Executive Director at the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP). In addition to the advocacy work she does at the national and international level, Chischilly works with ITEP to address climate change in Tribal communities and works in academia to Indigenizing higher education. Science Moab | Listen now »
Video: Revitalizing Cultural Lifestyle through Archaeological Preservation
With Kevin Cooeyate and James Othole of Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Zuni. They discuss how their work reconnects Indigenous young adults to ancestral lifeways through the service work of the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps Program, and how this leads to ecological and cultural well-being. Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Watch now »
Video: Indigenous Collaboration
With Ashleigh Thompson, Skylar Begay, Paul Reed, and show host Scott Michlin. KSJE 90.9 FM | Watch now »
Blog: The Diné History of Chaco Canyon
When Paul Reed approached me at the 2019 Pecos Conference to see if I’d be interested in participating in a planned Diné-focused cultural landscape inventory assessment (CLIS) of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park, I knew it was an offer I couldn’t refuse! Why might this be the case, dear reader? Put simply, because the Diné history of Chaco Canyon (and indeed, the greater Chaco/Chacra portion of the San Juan Basin) is fascinating. And although archaeologists have worked in this area for over 125 years (with Navajo individuals intimately involved as both laborers and ethnographic consultants), work explicitly focused on the Diné component of this tradition has been effectively limited to the work of Gwinn Vivian in the late 1950s and the Navajo component of the Chaco Project, which was spearheaded by David Brugge in the 1970s and early ’80s. While these projects highlighted areas of interest and avenues for future work, the truth is that the centuries-long Diné history of the Park lacks any real interpretive engagement, particularly when compared to the canyon’s Chacoan “Golden Age.” Wade Campbell at the Preservation Archaeology blog (Archaeology Southwest) | Read more »
Blog: The “End” of Digital Archaeology
It may come as somewhat of a surprise that the Digital Reviews Editor for Advances in Archaeological Practice is calling for an end to the concept of ‘Digital Archaeology’. … Yet, I often wonder if the digital is actually changing archaeology itself, our understanding of the past through material remains, or is it only impacting the ways we do our work? Should there be a subfield of ‘trowel archaeology’? Peter Cobb at the Cambridge Core blog | Read more »
November Subscription Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
Nov. 14, James Snead, An Erased Woman of Southwest Archaeology: Alice Palmer Henderson; Nov. 21, Keith Prufer, New Perspectives on Early Food Production in the Mesoamerican Neotropics; Nov. 28, Eric Blinman, Innovations in Radiocarbon Dating, Archaeomagnetism of Burned Rocks, a Collaborative Approach in Human Burial Studies, & Multicultural Education for All New Mexicans! Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
REMINDER: TODAY, Nov. 9 In-Person Event (Coolidge AZ): Traditional Food, Including Bahidaj
Casa Grande Ruins will host Precious Vicente at 1:00 p.m. Precious Vicente is Akimel O’odham from the Gila River Indian Community. She is currently a Park Ranger at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in the Interpretive and Education division where she helps visitors to the Monument learn about this rich cultural site. Join Precious Vicente to learn about traditional food, specifically Bahidaj (Saguaro Cactus Fruit). Precious will discuss why Bahidaj is more than just a fruit and the importance of taking care of the land. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument | Learn more »
REMINDER: TODAY Nov. 9 In-Person (Durango CO) and Online Event: Ann Axtell Morris and Early 20th-Century Women Archaeologists
With Kelley Hays-Gilpin. Ann and her husband Earl Morris conducted archaeological fieldwork together in both the U.S. and Mexico. San Juan Basin Archaeological Society | More information and Zoom link »
REMINDER: Nov. 10 Webinar: Curating in Context
With Andrea R. Hanley. Hanley will be speaking on the history of the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, her experience as the Wheelwright Museum chief curator, and offer an overview of some key themes and ideas around recent or current Wheelwright exhibitions. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | More information and Zoom registration »
REMINDER: Nov. 11–12 NMAC Conference
The conference will be held on Saturday, November 12th, 2022 at the Hibben Center on the UNM Campus. The Keynote Presentation will be Friday night, November 11th, in the Anthropology Building. Dr. Timothy E. Nelson will be presenting a talk entitled The Significance of Blackdom in New Mexico’s History. The keynote is a free event and open to the public. New Mexico Archaeological Council | Learn more »
REMINDER: Nov. 13 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): O’odham Pottery Firing Demonstration
How did the Hohokam fire their pottery vessels? Tohono O’odham potter Dr. Reuben Naranjo will demonstrate how he makes and fires his unique pottery, using methods he learned from tribal elders in Arizona and Mexico. Attendees may have the opportunity to purchase one of the fired vessels. Ticket fees apply; preregistration required. Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum | Learn more »
Nov. 16 In-Person Event (Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, Coolidge AZ): O’odham Dresses through the Decades
With Sistine Lewis, daughter of Cecilia Andrews and the late Knute Lewis. Sistine is a member of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community and this year’s Miss Indian Arizona 2022–2023. Sistine will be sharing the history of O’odham dresses and how they’ve evolved through time. There will also be in-person visualization of the unique collection of O’odham traditional dresses. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument | Learn more »
Nov. 17 Webinar: A Summer of Reconnections
With Davina Two Bears. In the summer of 2021, Two Bears participated in re-documenting Diné archaeology sites on Chacra Mesa in Chaco Culture National Historical Park. The Navajo presence is clearly visible from the summer hogans along Chaco Wash to defensive locations atop Chacra Mesa. In this presentation, Davina shares her experience of re-connecting and re-documenting Navajo sites of her Diné relatives on Chacra Mesa. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and Colorado Archaeological Society, Hisatsinom Chapter | More information and Zoom registration »
Nov. 18–19 In-Person Tour: Salado, Whatever That Means
With Rich Lange and Allen Dart. Tour will start in the northwest corner of Walmart parking lot, 1695 N Arizona Blvd, Coolidge, AZ. The tour visits Casa Grande Ruins in Coolidge and Besh Ba Gowah and Gila pueblos in Globe on Friday, and the Tonto National Monument Lower Cliff Dwelling and Schoolhouse Point Platform Mound site near Roosevelt Lake on Saturday. Reservations and $99 donation due by 5:00 p.m. November 16. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center | Learn more »
Nov. 20 In-Person Event (Tuzigoot National Monument, Clarkdale AZ): Hopi Weaving Demo
Davis Maho is a skilled weaver from First Mesa. He will have his loom set up and will discuss different weaving techniques with visitors who wish to watch. Signals AZ | Learn more »
Dec. 6 Webinar: Public Archaeology in African American Communities
With William White (University of California Berkeley). Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | More information and Zoom registration »
Dec. 10 In-Person Event (Tonto National Monument, Roosevelt AZ): Luminary Walk
Hike the Lower Cliff Dwelling Trail with glimmering luminaries to light your way. The trail will close to uphill hiking at 8:00 p.m. Bring water, a flashlight or headlamp, warm clothing, and closed-toed shoes. This event is free and open to the public. Tonto National Monument | Learn more »
Dec. 21 In-Person Tour (Marana AZ): Winter Solstice Archaeological Sites
Archaeologist Al Dart will lead a tour to Los Morteros, a Hohokam village archaeological site with a ballcourt, bedrock mortars, and other cultural features; and to Picture Rocks, where petroglyphs include a calendar marker, dancing human-like figures, whimsical animals, and other rock symbols. Tour starts near Silverbell Rd & Linda Vista Blvd in Marana, AZ. $35 donation. Reservation deadline 5:00 p.m. Dec. 19. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center | Learn more »
Please send us notice of upcoming webinars and Zoom lectures, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends.