Dear Friends,
These are difficult times.
Our world is changing, and changing rapidly.
The new presidential administration is attacking the people, programs, policies, places, and values at the very core of Archaeology Southwest’s work.
The body blows are coming fast and furious, and they are just beginning.
Preservation Archaeologist and New Mexico State Director Paul Reed has been keeping tabs on these developments for us, so I call your attention to his urgent blog post touching on the most significant of the threats we, and our work, now face.
In the coming weeks, it is highly likely that the new administration will: 1) cancel the 10-mile buffer zone around Chaco Canyon that protects it from unnecessary oil and gas extraction; 2) again reduce the size of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments by up to 85%; and 3) gut the legislation that protects sacred lands and archaeological sites on federal lands by ensuring (at least in theory) that environmental and cultural impact studies are completed before any new construction begins.
We at Archaeology Southwest will continue doing what we do best—archaeological research, policy advocacy, Tribal collaboration, site and landscape preservation, and outreach and educational activities—in the face of these threats.
We’ll pick our battles and yet continually check ourselves to guard against lapsing into what Yale historian Timothy Snyder so eloquently calls “Anticipatory Obedience,” wherein we try to anticipate what irrational actors will do while naïvely assuming that things won’t get any worse. They will. (See M. Gessen’s disturbing New York Times op-ed for lived examples of how that can play out.)
Please continue to support Archaeology Southwest in whatever way you can. In return, we promise that we will continue to fight against these unprecedented assaults on all that we hold dear.
Until next week,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Banner image: Morgan Sjogren
Continuing Coverage: Our Endangered National Monuments
The US interior department has raised fears among conservationist groups about how national monuments will be affected in its transformation to support the Trump administration’s pro-fossil fuel agenda. A review from Trump’s pick for interior secretary, Doug Burgum, released on his first full day in the position on Monday, instructs federal officials to reverse Biden-era regulations on oil and gas industries and boost drilling. Burgum also called for “actions to review and, as appropriate, revise all withdrawn lands”, which conservationist groups described as a threat to redraw boundaries of national monuments. Dharna Noor for The Guardian | Read more »
Oil & Gas Advocate Named as Director of the Bureau of Land Management
The Trump administration has named Kathleen Sgamma, a vocal oil and gas advocate for Western states, to head up the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management, which manages the use of the country’s nearly 250 million acres of public lands. Sgamma heads the Western Energy Alliance, which represents oil and gas companies that operate on federal lands, and had been critical of Biden and Obama administration efforts to set aside public land for conservation instead of opening more acres for energy development. As head of the BLM, Sgamma will oversee federal leasing programs for oil and gas, mining, grazing and renewable energy development. Valerie Volcovici for Reuters | Read more »
Deep Cuts Expected for National Science Foundation
Although widespread cuts are expected for much of the government’s discretionary spending, the outlook for the National Science Foundation appears to be especially grim. During an emotional all-hands meeting on Tuesday, the agency’s assistant director for engineering, Susan Margulies, told agency employees to expect between a quarter and a half of its staff to be laid off within the coming months, E&E News reported. On Thursday, two sources told Ars that the science agency should expect to see steep cuts in Trump’s forthcoming budget request. In recent years, the National Science Foundation has received an annual budget of approximately $9 billion, the vast majority of which is spent on research and research-related activities. The cuts could be as deep as 66 percent, with one person indicating the top-line budget number for the National Science Foundation could start at $3 billion. Eric Berger for Ars Technica | Read more »
Joint Conference Underscores Necessity of Co-Stewardship and Co-Management
To close out 2024, NARF and First Nations Development Institute co-hosted a national conference entitled Shared Horizons: Navigating Tribal Co-Stewardship and Co-Management Opportunities. The Shared Horizons conference brought Tribal and federal employees and representatives together to attend trainings, share ideas, and network to grow the field of Tribal co-stewardship and co-management. Tribal co-stewardship and co-management are approaches to public land management that center Tribal sovereignty and ensure mutually beneficial government-to-government cooperation. As early as the 1960s, cooperative management was used to protect Tribal treaty rights to off-reservation resources. However, it was not until 2021, when the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Agriculture issued Joint Secretarial Order No. 3403, that Tribal co-stewardship and co-management became a federal priority. Since then, Tribal Nations have entered into more than 400 cooperative agreements with federal agencies to co-manage and co-steward their ancestral homelands. Native American Rights Fund | Read more »
Read Archaeology Southwest’s position paper on Tribal co-management »
Cochiti Pueblo Now Co-Manages National Monument
The giant cone-shaped formations of the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument were created by volcanic eruptions six or seven million years, but wasn’t until it opened in 2001 that it became a destination for hikers, families and photographers, among many others. But it was always spiritually and historically linked to the population of the nearby Cochiti Pueblo, which was promised a role with the Bureau of Land Management. When it closed in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impacts of over-visitation were recognized, and the pause provided an opportunity to reinforce the partnership between the Pueblo and BLM. It officially reopened on Nov. 21, 2024, under the joint management of Cochiti Pueblo and BLM, recognizing the deep ties the Indigenous community had with this remarkable landscape and with added protections to reduce the impact of visitors. Hamilton Kahn for KOAT | Learn more »
Commentary: The Day the Meaning of NAGPRA Hit Home
Like many others in my field, I had virtually no exposure to the actual process of repatriation, even more than a decade after the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, called NAGPRA, was signed into law. Rather, it is one that developed while I served as a repatriation archaeologist for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History from 2009–2011, and in the following years as a professor of archaeology. … One such individual was the key to a major shift in how I viewed repatriation—no longer as a research hindrance but as a question of human rights. Out of respect for the Indigenous nation, I cannot discuss specifics—only a broader picture of this “aha” moment. Christopher Wolff for The Conversation | Read more »
Commentary: National Park Service Staff Are Invaluable
What would national parks be without rangers and other National Park Service staff? Certainly not the same parks you love to visit. Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at why staffing resources should stay strong. … The new administration has taken steps to reduce the federal workforce, including the National Park Service, through hiring freezes, federal buyouts, rescinded job offers and other directives. NPCA believes these reductions would be devastating to our parks. Linda Coutant for the National Parks Conservation Association | Read more »
Conservation Groups at Odds over Grazing Project in Bears Ears National Monument
You would not think that two environmentally grounded organizations would be at odds with each other, but they are—leading to a court battle in which an administration judge has ordered a planned grazing improvement project halted in the Indian Creek area of the Bears Ears National Monument. The Nature Conservancy, a worldwide organization active in Utah, is best known locally for its Shorelands Preserve on the eastern edge of Davis County. It also oversees the Dugout Ranch that encompasses 5,207 private acres, with an additional 335,030 acres of adjacent public lands in the form of grazing allotments associated with the ranch managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. … The ranch wants to add 13 reservoirs for the cattle and to put in additional fencing, but the Western Watersheds Project asked for a halt to the project. An administrative judge issued an order blocking the project, agreeing that the Bureau of Land Management had not thoroughly studied the effects of new cattle impacts on relatively pristine areas, that the reservoirs could have irreversible impacts on the land and that BLM had not shown that livestock would protect monument values. Amy Joi O’Donoghue for Deseret News (via KSL dot com) | Read more »
Indigenous Fellowship Opportunity (NY NY)
The American Museum of Natural History is offering an Indigenous Fellowship in Conservation for Fall 2025. This fellowship program is offered for Indigenous students or early career professionals 18 years or older from North America (U.S. and Canada) who are interested in learning about collections care in a museum environment. The fellowship duration is flexible, but a minimum of three (3) months is recommended. Fellowships include a stipend to cover living and travel expenses. Associated funding is available to provide Indigenous mentorship and outreach in collaboration with Museum staff. Fellowships are based in the Museum’s Science Conservation department, which cares for collections throughout the Museum, both in the Division of Anthropology and the Natural Science departments. The fellowship structure is flexible depending on each fellow’s interests. Past fellows have focused on working with belongings from their communities. Potential areas addressed include preventative care, written and photographic documentation, examination, research and analysis, and treatment skills. Applications are currently being accepted for the fall 2025 term (September to December). The deadline for applications is March 31, 2025. For application materials and any inquiries about the fellowship, please contact Assistant Director of Conservation, Samantha Alderson, at salderson@amnh.org or 212-769-5446. American Museum of Natural History | Learn more »
February Live Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
Feb. 17, Lynne Sebastian, Chacoan Great Houses; Feb. 24, Timothy R. Pauketat, Thunder Gods of Ancient Cahokia: How History Happened a Millennium Ago. $20 at the door. Hotel Santa Fe, 6:00 p.m. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
REMINDER: Feb. 15 In-Person Event (Green Valley AZ): Celebrating the Song Dogs
With R.E. Burrillo. Burrillo will share the history, biology, and cultural relevance of the coyote. 9:00 a.m., Santa Rita Springs Anza Room, Green Valley Recreation Center. Hosted by the Green Valley Amigas.
REMINDER: Feb. 17 Online Event: Los Barros de Juan Quezada: Land Use and Composition
With Maren Hopkins and Kelsey Hanson. Juan Quezada is a well-known ceramicist from the village of Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua, Mexico, who spent his lifetime studying the rocks and minerals near his home. While Mr.Quezada’s contribution to the internationally renowned Mata Ortiz pottery tradition is well established, his knowledge of the physical environment remains an understudied aspect of his life’s work. In an effort to highlight this important component of Juan Quezada’s legacy, we documented various clay sources near Mata Ortiz and studied them compositionally using techniques common in archaeology, including neutron activation analysis (NAA), x-ray fluorescence (XRF), x-ray diffraction (XRD), and petrography. As the project progressed, the story of Juan Quezada’s clays evolved into a rich narrative of personal and shared experiences, history, land tenure, geology, toponomy, and more. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: Feb. 18 In-Person Event (Flagstaff AZ): Below and Beyond Perry Mesa: The West Verde Project
With R.E. Burrillo. Burrillo will share the results of a survey 3,200 acres of a largely unstudied area extending north from Cave Creek between Perry Mesa and the Verde River basin on behalf of the Tonto National Forest, including new discoveries of entire pueblo communities that challenge the existing models of settlement, agriculture, and regional exchange within the greater Verde River region. 5:30 p.m., East Flagstaff Library Community Room, 3000 N. Fourth St., Suite 5. Hosted by the Northern Arizona Archaeology Society.
REMINDER: Feb. 20 Online Event: The Closest Neighbors of Paquimé
With Paul Minnis. Paquimé (Casas Grandes) was a major pre-Hispanic US Southwest/Mexico Northwest center. Archaeologists are illuminating its rise, regional influence, and demise. Minnis will discuss two decades of research that he and colleague Michael Whalen have conducted in Paquimé’s neighborhood. Third Thursday Food for Thought (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
Feb. 20 Online Event: Staying Warm in Ice Age Wyoming
With Spencer Pelton. Although clothing must have existed among Ice Age foragers, direct evidence for it is rare to non-existent in the archaeological record until only several thousand years ago. Archaeologists must instead rely upon proxy measures for clothing, like the tools used to produce it, to infer its presence and characteristics in Ice Age archaeological sites. In this presentation, Dr. Pelton will detail evidence for clothing production from the La Prele Early Paleoindian Site in Wyoming. La Prele is the oldest archaeological site thus far discovered in Wyoming and is a mammoth kill with an associated campsite. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Feb. 22 Workshop (Phoenix AZ): Flute-Making
With Native American artist and Grammy-nominated performer Aaron White. Using local materials, Aaron will guide you through the process of shaping, sanding, decorating, sealing, and song-making your very own flute. All materials will be provided, and attendees will leave with the flutes they make. Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve | Learn more »
March 1 Workshop (Tucson AZ): How Did People Carve Bone Tools?
With Allen Denoyer. In this immersive class, you’ll learn the techniques people used in the past to make tools from animal bones. Learn how these tools were used for making basketry, in sewing, and even as hairpins. Beginners are welcome! Open to individuals 12 years of age and older. $40 fee. Hands-On Archaeology (Archaeology Southwest) | Learn more and register »
March 1 Tour Opportunity (Tucson AZ)
With Allen Dart, 9:00 a.m., Vista del Rio Cultural Resource Park, 7575 E. Desert Arbors St. Vista del Rio was an ancient village of the Hohokam archaeological culture between 1000 and 1150 CE. Excavations there revealed houses, outdoor ovens and pits, and possibly an ancient irrigation canal. They are no longer visible, but subtle clues shown on this tour bring them to life. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center | Learn more »
March 4 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ) Sled Dogs in the Southwest: Fact or Fable?
With Martin H. Welker. Domestic dogs have become deeply embedded in a variety of specialized roles within human societies, many of which require extensive behavioral and physiological adaptation. In the Southwest, dogs reportedly served as a source of transport labor facilitating trade between the Plains and the Southwest. Dr. Welker will explore the evidence. Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Learn more »
March 8 Workshop (Tucson AZ): Arrowhead-Making and Flintknapping
With Sam Greenleaf, 9:00 a.m, 2201 W. 44th Street. 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 early peoples made essential tools, not to make artwork for sale. Reservation and $35 payment (which includes all materials and equipment) required. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center | Learn more »
Save the Dates: March 15 & 16 In-Person Event: Tucson Festival of Books
Come visit with Archaeology Southwest at booth 475B! More information coming soon.
Remember to send us notice of upcoming events and webinars, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends. Thanks!