Dear Friends,
On Tuesday, October 2, we held the first Archaeology Café of the season, and it was a smashing success! It was great fun to see old friends and make some new ones.
Archaeologist R. E. Burrillo presented “Celebrating the Song Dogs,” a fascinating lecture on coyotes and the archaeology, biology, and ethnohistory thereof. Who knew that coyotes can throw their voices like ventriloquists? I didn’t! Who knew that when people try to eradicate coyotes, they actually breed faster and with larger litters? There are myriad reasons that many Indigenous cultures consider coyotes to be the ultimate tricksters.
Burrillo is a fantastic lecturer who mixes humor and gravitas, pop culture and Shakespeare, in his work. Simply put, it was awesome. If you couldn’t join us in person, don’t sweat: A high-quality video of Burillo’s lecture will soon be posted on Archaeology Southwest’s YouTube channel, and we’ll share it here.
More than 60 people, some from as far away as Silver City, New Mexico, joined us at Catalyst in Tucson Mall, our new Café location. Catalyst is a multipurpose arts venue run by the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance. When we arrived, children were there learning to paint, throw pottery, and play musical instruments. Parents and siblings waited patiently or did homework at work tables nearby. It was an inclusive, multicultural, and multigenerational environment that felt welcoming and inclusive to us, and very much in alignment with Archaeology Southwest’s values. Many thanks to Catalyst manager Kevin Larkin and his team for all their help. Our guests enjoyed a beautiful charcuterie table (not a tray, mind you, a full industrial kitchen table!) created by Emili Krzyzanowski of Humble Board. Thank you, Emili!
If you can, please join us in person for our next Café gathering at 6:00 p.m., at Catalyst, on Tuesday, November 12. Longtime Archaeology Southwest friend and colleague Dr. Laurie Webster will present Weaving the Hair of the Dog: White Dog Hair Textiles in the Ancient Southwest. It, too, is going to be awesome. I’ll bet you didn’t know that people wove dog-hair textiles in our beloved Southwest! Come eat, drink, and learn. I hope to see you there! (Or at our YouTube channel!)
Until next week,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Banner image © Jonathan T. Bailey
The National Historic Preservation Act in Federal Court, Again
One of the things Ka-Voka Jackson, the Cultural Resources director of the Hualapai Nation, most appreciates about Ha’Kamwe’ is its peacefulness. Located on a former ranch in western Arizona, the hot spring is framed by rolling desert hills. … But amid the green energy boom, Ha’Kamwe’ is threatened by lithium exploration by the Australia-based company Arizona Lithium (AZL), and these days, peace seems elusive. … According to John Welch, vice president for preservation and collaboration at the nonprofit Archaeology Southwest, the BLM excluded “a bona fide historic property and traditional cultural property to bound the area of potential effects—which is exactly what you’re not supposed to do.” The BLM, he said, should have considered the impacts that drilling near the spring would have on the cultural practices that take place there. Maya L. Kapoor for High Country News | Read more »
The Delicate Balance of Making the Case for Protection vs. Leading to Exposure
I want the public to understand the importance of these places, and part of me wants to tell my editors everything. But if I do, and the information escapes, it will be on me. I’m Native, too, and I have to handle this information responsibly, without selling out my kin. In the Native world, we tend to view each other—and all living things—as relatives. At the same time, my tribe is not from here, and I’m still learning about the cultures I’m reporting on. Language that would bring the location vibrantly to life is right there in my mind, but I don’t feel right about using it. B. ‘Toastie’ Oaster for High Country News and ProPublica | Read more »
Commentary: US Forest Service Deals Devastating Blow to Sacred Lands and Local Communities in New Mexico’s Caja del Rio
[On September 10, 2024] the Santa Fe National Forest released a draft Decision approving a proposal by the Los Alamos National Laboratory to construct a new 14-mile transmission line across public land managed by the Santa Fe National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management, which includes the Caja del Rio Plateau southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Forest Service’s draft decision ignores the immense opposition to the project by Tribal sovereign nations in the region, including the All Pueblo Council of Governors, and the thousands of public comments that were registered opposing it. The construction of the transmission line is an imminent threat to the delicate ecological balance of the Caja, to the public’s access to these lands and to the health of its waterways, wildlife habitats and cultural resources. Conservation Lands Foundation (press statement) | Read more »
Podcast: Tribes Push for More Power over Power Lines
The increasing demand for power is prompting challenges from a number of tribes who say the means to transmit that power is harming culturally significant tribal land. The Tohono O’odham, Hopi, Zuni, and San Carlos Apache tribes were dealt a legal setback by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year in their opposition to a proposed $10 billion transmission line through a pristine Arizona canyon. And pueblos and other tribes say they are concerned about additional transmission capacity planned to boost power at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. In both cases, tribal officials say the proposals did not adequately take cultural and archaeological significance into consideration. Native America Calling | Listen now »
Bears Ears Management Plan Enters Final Stage of Review
The Bears Ears National Monument (BENM) has entered a significant phase in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. After years of collaborative work between the five Tribal Nations of the Bears Ears Commission (BEC), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), and public stakeholders, the Proposed Resource Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement is now available for the public to read. Bears Ears Coalition (press release) | Read more »
Podcast: Collaboration for Preservation, Bears Ears National Monument
With Eric Heller, Ben Bellorado, and Noah Pleshet. The Bears Ears Digital Cultural Heritage Initiative is a group of anthropologists, archaeologists, and Indigenous communities collaborating to create virtual reality experiences and photogrammetric models of significant sites in the Bears Ears National Monument. We discuss the educational and preservation goals of the initiative, the involvement of Indigenous students and community members, and the future potential for expanding this technology-driven approach to cultural heritage. Science Moab and Canyonlands Natural History Association | Listen now »
Video Interview: cyberSW on the KSJE Morning Show
Host Scott Michlin welcomed monthly guest Paul Reed and cyberSW Manager Joshua Watts for a discussion about Big Data in archaeology and cyberSW’s purpose. KSJE | Watch now »
Position Announcement: Archaeological Records Office Manager
The Arizona State Museum (ASM) at the University of Arizona is in search of a Manager (Cultural Institutions Compliance Manager II) for the Archaeological Records Office (ARO). The ARO Manager position is within the Collections Division of the ASM, reporting to ASM’s Head of Collections. The Manager supervises the operations of the ARO, including the administration & implementation of the Arizona Antiquities Act (AAA; A.R.S. § 41-841 et seq.), compliance with all policies & procedures outlined by state & federal laws & Arizona Board of Regents (ABOR) rules, & management of both paper & digital versions of archaeological project submission materials submitted to the ARO. The position includes supervision of four 1.0 FTE employees, plus additional university & high school student employees & volunteers. Arizona State Museum, University of Arizona | Learn more »
October Live Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
Oct. 7, Eric Blinman, Archaeology as History: Assessing Models of the Past; Oct. 14, Carolyn E. Boyd, White Shaman & Enduring Myths of the Archaic Period: Rock Imagery in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands; Oct. 21, Verma Nequatewa (Hotvela, Second Mesa Hopi) and Robert W. Rhodes, Two Views of Hopi; Oct. 28, Benjamin Bellorado, Road Signs and Walking Shoes: Sandal Imagery as Part & Parcel of the Chaco Road System. 6:00 p.m., Hotel Santa Fe. $20 at the door or $75 for the series of 4 lectures in October. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
TODAY: Oct. 3 Online Event: Ink and Identity
With Andrew Gillreath-Brown. Gillreath-Brown discusses the history of tattooing in the U.S. Southwest and the 2,000-year-old tattoo tool from the Turkey Pen site (SE Utah). He examines how the tool was identified and what these findings can tell us about early Ancestral Pueblo life. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Oct. 7 In-Person Event (Taos NM): Transforming American Archaeology in 2024: Centering Indigenous-Native American Perspectives and Concerns
With Paul F. Reed. “American archaeology has been in the midst of a transition for many years. Long-suppressed and ignored viewpoints are finally seeing light and interpretations are broadening. In particular, archaeologists are working with Indigenous peoples with new and innovative approaches to understanding the past. As a result, archaeology is changing, although the pace of change can be described as slow. In this presentation, I offer an example from work that I’ve undertaken in New Mexico over the last 15 years. By working with different Indigenous groups, we have increased our understanding of ancestral land use and the great time-depth of connections to Chaco Canyon, Petroglyph National Monument, and other special places across the landscape. This work has also revealed the limitations of a Western-based, colonial approach to the past and illustrates the need for more comprehensive changes to our discipline.” Kit Carson Electric Cooperative Conference Room, 118 Cruz Alta Rd., 7:00 p.m. Taos Archaeological Society | Learn more »
Oct. 9 In-Person Event (Cave Creek AZ): Triangulating Piipaash History along the Lower Gila River
With Aaron Wright. Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church, Maitland Hall 6502 E. Cave Creek Rd., Cave Creek, Arizona. Talk begins at 7:30 p.m. Arizona Archaeological Society (Desert Foothills Chapter) | Learn more »
Oct.10–11 In Person Event (Tucson AZ): Used Book Sale & Benefit
AAHS will hold its annual fall Book Sale on Thursday afternoon, October 10 (1–4 p.m.), and Friday, October 11 (10–4 p.m.), in front of the Arizona State Museum Building. Proceeds from the sale support the Arizona State Museum Library. Come browse and buy anthropology, history, biography, and general non-fiction books. New inventory including many beautiful American Indian Art books. Books are priced from $2.00 to $20.00. Due to ongoing restoration work at the Arizona State Museum, this may be our last book sale for some time, so don’t miss it. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more »
Oct. 17 Online Event: New Archaeological Insights from Ancient DNA
With Jakob Sedig. Ancient DNA data from over 300 individuals are providing new insights on the peoples who lived in central, western, and northern Mexico hundreds and thousands of years ago. These data have shed light for answering long-standing questions about migration and interaction of different archaeological cultures in key eras of Mexico’s past. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
Oct. 18 In-Person Event: Tucson Archaeology Happy Hour
Borderlands Brewing Co. patio, 119 E. Toole Ave., 5:00–7:00 p.m. You know who you are! Questions?
Oct. 19 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Tales of Crime in Downtown Tucson
With Homer Thiel. Murders! Kidnapping! Robberies!! Downtown Tucson has been the location of many rather unsavory events. The stories of these crimes have come to light as archaeologist and historian Thiel combs through old newspapers and court records. His talk will expose the lurid, largely forgotten events that took place close to the Presidio Museum. 2:00 p.m., Monsoon Room at JoJo’s Restaurant, 201 N. Court Ave. $5 per person. Salon & Saloon series (Presidio San Agustín del Tucson) | Learn more »
Oct. 21 Online and In-Person (Tucson AZ) Event: Ladders, Axes, and a Tale of Two Pueblo Technologies
With Richard Ahlstrom. Two-pole ladders and hafted stone axes first came into common use in the Central Pueblo area at the same time, the late sixth to seventh centuries, underwent only minor or localized redesign over the following millennium, and fell out of use across the Pueblo World, again at the same time, in the seventeenth to early eighteenth centuries. The two-pole lashed rung ladder was a Pueblo invention, whereas the hafted-stone axe was borrowed from elsewhere. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more »
Oct. 24 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Archaeology of Chocolate at Chaco Canyon
With Barbara Mills. Enjoy a chocolate-inspired Whiskey del Bac cocktail or other libation while listening to an exciting talk about ancient chocolate-drinking traditions in the Southwest. Dr. Barbara Mills will discuss how archaeological research has helped us understand life at Chaco Canyon (ca. 1000–1125 CE), including connections with Mesoamerica, how chocolate was entwined with social status, and the role of serendipity in archaeology. Her talk is based on the work of Dr. Patricia Crown and Dr. Jeffrey Hurst. Whisky del Bac, 2106 N. Forbes, 6:00 p.m. Arizona State Museum | Learn more »
Oct. 24–27 In-Person Tour (NM and TX): Missions of the River
Go in-depth at the Spanish colonial missions of Socorro and Ysleta in Texas, established by the Spanish settlers and Natives who fled northern New Mexico in 1680 during the Pueblo Revolt. Experience a rare presidio chapel and the village of San Elizario; Ysleta del Sur Pueblo Cultural Center; El Paso Museum of Archaeology; New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum; Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University; and a tour and tasting at a winery in Las Cruces. Enjoy sopaipillas, New Mexico red and green chile, and some Texas BBQ. Departs Tucson 7:30 a.m. Oct. 24, returns around 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27. $995 per person (double occupancy). Southwest Mission Research Center | Learn more »
Oct. 26 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Tohono O’odham Utilitarian Vessel Pottery Workshop
With Kathleen Vance (Tohono O’odham). Vance will lead attendees in creating a Tohono O’odham utilitarian vessel, a small clay pot made from white clay, which Kathleen digs and processes on her own. The vessel walls are built with clay coils and finished by the paddle and anvil method. Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, 196 N. Court Ave., 10:00 a.m. Fees apply. Presidio San Agustín del Tucson | Learn more »
Oct. 26–27 In-Person Event (Sedona AZ): Arizona Archaeological Society 2024 Meeting
The theme for the 2024 AAS State Meeting is Respect & Remedies for Monuments, Sacred Lands & Cultural Resources. Saturday keynote speakers are Kelley Hays-Gilpin and Aaron Wright, and mini-presentations include “The Upper Verde River: How the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act Protects Cultural Resources (Rachel Ellis), “Cultural Landscape Studies: Some Recommended Practices for Archaeologists” (John Welch), and “The Oak Flats Controversy (John Welch). Sunday field trip options include Montezuma Castle National Monument (led by Matt Guebard), Tuzigoot National Monument (Gary Hellums), Crane Petroglyph Heritage Site (Ken Zoll), and Palatki Pueblo (Spence Gustav). You must be an AAS member to go on trips. The meeting serves as a fundraiser for the David R. Wilcox Grant Program of the AAS Verde Valley Chapter. Arizona Archaeological Society (Verde Valley) | 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!