Dear Friends,
I’ve spent the past week driving across upstate New York—a land that is very unfamiliar territory for me. My wife and I drove from the Big Apple to Buffalo, across the Adirondacks and the Catskills, through historic towns and tourist traps, along the Hudson River, past the Finger Lakes, and looked in awe at the one and only Niagara Falls.
I grew up on the shores of Lake Michigan and spent lots of summers frolicking in the lakes and streams of Wisconsin and Michigan, but that was long ago. Now that I’m living in Tucson again, I am getting reacquainted with drought, dry heat, water conservation, and all the discussions we have across the arid West about water sustainability issues in the coming decades.
As a result, it has been surprisingly difficult for me to grasp the essence of this verdant, fluid landscape of the north. And the humidity has been punishing, frankly. It has all felt…quite foreign, to be honest.
Fire, on the other hand, seems closer at hand for those of us who live and work in the Southwest, and fire has again been in the news lately, but often for good reasons. As but one example, the US Forest Service is finally allowing Tribal Nations to engage in culturally prescribed burns in sequoia groves in California as one technique to avoid the huge, uncontrollable, and devastating fires that have become so common in recent decades. Using a combination of archaeology, tree-ring analysis, and Indigenous knowledge, we’ve come to a better understanding of how and why humans, fire, and various Western ecosystems coexist in complex ways.
The Earth’s powerful forces operate in fascinating and mysterious ways, but collaborative research that privileges multiple ways of knowing is the key to widening all our horizons.
Until next week,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Banner image: Ironwood Forest National Monument. Bob Wick/USBLM
New Report: National Monuments: The Heart of the West
The report includes statements and praise from over 50 county commissioners, mayors, and council members, highlighting the importance of the national monuments in their communities and urging the Biden administration to work to designate and protect additional public lands—with spotlights on new national monuments President Biden could designate or expand. The report points to overwhelming support from Westerners in favor of protecting public lands. According to a 2023 Conservation in the West Poll, 84% of Westerners, including 71% of Republicans, are more likely to support presidents who use their power to protect existing public lands. The Mountain Pact | Read more »
Pueblo of Isleta and Army Corps of Engineers Partner for Pottery Mound Preservation Study
USACE-Albuquerque District Commander Lt. Col. Jerre Hansbrough and Pueblo of Isleta Gov. Max Zuni signed the agreement during a signing ceremony at the Pueblo of Isleta Cultural Center. “I personally want to thank the Army Corps of Engineers for all their hard work they have done,” said Zuni. “I really appreciate it and I look forward to the accomplishment and the program we’re going to do now.” Entering the agreement is the first step in beginning a comprehensive study of erosion at the Pottery Mound and evaluating what solutions can be put in place to protect the site. Elizabeth Lockyear for the U.S. Army | Read more »
Western New Mexico University Museum Director on Repatriation and Healing Wounds
An even greater challenge is the museum does not have a clear provenance for all the items in its collections. Because many early collectors of Mimbres pottery looted graves, and others simply did not keep track of where and how items were excavated, there are no records to establish whether many objects are sacred or funerary. The task of inventorying the museum’s Mimbres materials and consulting with tribes falls primarily on [Museum Director Danielle] Romero, who is completing her PhD dissertation with a focus on the Mimbres culture. Romero says the amount of work that needs to be done differs among the four primary collections that make up the museum’s Mimbres holdings, the Elk Ridge Collection (the newest), the NAN Ranch Collection (academically collected from the 1970s and 1980s), the Clint and Dee Johnson Collection (notes from family only) and the Eisele Collection (has no documentation, from the 1920s and 1930s). The Las Cruces Bulletin | Read more »
The 2024 Preservation Archaeology Field School students are helping WNMU Museum analyze and catalog the NAN Ranch Collection. Learn more »
Heritage Is Not Commodity
On paper, eBay has policies in place to regulate the sale of Native American artifacts. Listings may not auction funeral objects, human remains and sacred items used in ceremonial practices, nor anything looted, stolen, or obtained from government or protected lands. They must be authentic and include the provenance or ownership history. Numerous listings, however, suggest that the website’s policies are loosely enforced. Questioned about the steps taken by the company to ensure compliance with its own policies, a spokesperson requested examples of existing violations and didn’t offer further clarification. Meanwhile, the commercialization of Native American artifacts is still going strong. Amanda Magnani for Important Context | Read more »
ASU Welcomes New Director of American Indian Studies
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University has announced that Angela Gonzales is the new director of American Indian Studies. Her role officially began July 1. Gonzales is transitioning from her role as interim director of ASU’s Center for Indian Education (CIE). A professor in the School of Social Transformation, she has previously served as the faculty lead of justice studies and as the school’s associate director. Gonzales is an Arizona native and a citizen of the Hopi Nation. Gonzales is an Arizona native and a citizen of the Hopi Nation. Megan Neely for ASU News | Read more »
Help Fund New Exhibition at the Bears Ears Education Center
Our newest exhibit, “Tribal Connections,” will highlight the five Tribes and Pueblos of the Bears Ears Intertribal Coalition (BEITC) connections to the Monument. This display has been developed in partnership with Indigenous leaders and representatives to ensure that the information being shared is appropriate and meaningful. Ultimately the exhibit will feature seven panels with one panel for each of the five members of the Coalition and two panels describing the goals and accomplishments of the BEITC. Since summer 2023, we have held workshops and meetings with leaders to discuss exhibit content and images. This spring we constructed a curved display wall for the exhibit. Sarah Burak for Bears Ears Partnership | Learn more »
REMINDER: Internship Opportunity: KIVA
Are you a graduate student passionate about academic publishing, social media, and making a difference in the world of archaeology, anthropology, and history? The Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society (AAHS) Board is thrilled to announce the inaugural KIVA Publication and Social Media Internship for Fall 2024! This remote internship offers a unique chance to gain invaluable experience while working with KIVA, a leading journal in the field. Compensation of $1,000 per month for three months. Application deadline: July 25, 2024. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more »
July Subscription Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
July 15, Jimmy Santiago Baca and Melanie Martines, embracing the good, the bad, the ugly…; July 22, Christina Leza, Imaginary Line: Indigenous Identities and Struggles on the U.S.-Mexico Border; July 29, Stephen H. Lekson, A History of the Ancient Southwest (Revisited!). 6:00 p.m., Hotel Santa Fe, $20 at the door or $90 for the series of 5 lectures. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
REMINDER: TODAY, July 11 Online Event: The Land Leads Us: Indigenous Learnings in Conservation, Leadership, and Movements
With Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson. The presentation explores a holistic approach to land stewardship, emphasizing the spiritual interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of nurturing relationships with the land. Charissa highlights the concept of being an aspiring ancestor, which involves values-driven, intuitive leadership, and recognizing that progress includes learning from mistakes. The presentation underscores the significance of generational sustainability, uplifting both youth and elders and integrates these principles within the context of land stewardship at Bears Ears National Monument and the work of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
July 13 In-Person Event (Greer AZ): A Cultural Astronomy Study of the Casa Malpais National Historic Landmark Site in Springerville
With Ken Zoll. Zoll will discuss how certain features at the site were used for solar sunset observations by people of the Mogollon culture, and how several rock art formations were found to be astronomical seasonal markers. 1:00 p.m., Butterfly Lodge Museum Applewhite Pavilion, 4 Co Rd 1126. Arizona Archaeology Society (Little Colorado River Chapter)
REMINDER: July 15 Online Event: History and Landscape at Two Chacoan Communities in New Mexico
With Kellam Throgmorton. This presentation compares the archaeology of two Chacoan communities in New Mexico—Padilla Wash and Morris 40. Dating between AD 750-1250, these two communities offer an extensive historical record before, during, and after the Chacoan era (A.D. 850-1150). In both cases, landscape was an important factor in community organization. Dr. Throgmorton will compare and contrast the two communities to demonstrate how landscape manipulation may have been important to the expansion of Chacoan architecture and religious practices. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more and register (free) »
July 17 to Sept. 19 Weekly Walking Tour (Tucson AZ): Death after Dark
Escape the heat and join Mauro Trejo on an after-dark and unique and macabre tour that covers some of the most memorable deaths that have taken place in Tucson’s history. From executions to suicides, and gunfights to accidents, this 2-mile tour will take you back in time to some of Tucson’s most fascinating tragedies. 8:00–10:00 p.m. every Friday. Fees apply. Presidio San Agustín del Tucson | Learn more »
REMINDER: July 18 Online Event: Decolonizing Cartography
With Annita Lucchesi. Cartography, or the science of mapmaking, is often portrayed as a European invention and lives in popular imagination as primarily a tool of colonial exploration and domination. However, Indigenous peoples around the world have their own cartographic traditions and have been making maps of their homelands since time immemorial. In this webinar, Cheyenne geographer, Dr. Annita Lucchesi, will share her work in Indigenous cartography and why recognizing and uplifting Indigenous contributions to cartography is vital to the fields of cartography and geography and to building community wellness. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: July 18 Online Event: Envisioning a Cultural Landscape
With Greg Munson. His talk will focus on incorporating tribal consultation and expanding the idea of archaeological site boundary to interpret landscape-level interactions of people with the local environment, nearby villages, and their more distant landscape, especially mountain peaks. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeological Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
July 25 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): AZ Public Lands Trivia Night
Join us for a fun night at Borderlands Brewing Co. in downtown Tucson, 119 E. Toole, 6:00 p.m. We’ll start the game night with a short introduction of The Great Bend of The Gila, followed by a public lands trivia game. We hope to see your there so you can leave with prizes and new public lands knowledge! Sierra Club (Grand Canyon Chapter) and the Respect Great Bend Coalition | Learn more and RSVP (free) »
July 27 In-Person Event (Mimbres NM): Archaeology Fair
Learn about what we’re learning, view exhibits, and try hands-on activities with students of the 2024 Preservation Archaeology Field School. 10:00 a.m. to noon, Mimbres Culture Heritage Site, 12 Sage Dr. Archaeology Southwest | Learn more »
Aug. 10 In-Person Workshop (Tucson AZ): Arrowhead Making and Flintknappping
With Sam Greenleaf. Participants will learn how to make arrowheads, spear points, and other flaked stone artifacts from obsidian and other stone like ancient peoples did. The class is designed to foster understanding of how Native Americans made essential tools, not to train students how to make artwork for sale. 9:00 a.m. to noon, 2201 W 44th St. Reservations and $35 payment (includes all materials and equipment) required by 5:00 p.m. August 8. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center | Learn more »
Remember to send us notice of upcoming webinars and Zoom lectures, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends. Thanks!