Dear Friends,
THEY’RE HERE! HOT OFF THE PRESSES!
I am thrilled to report that the latest issue of Archaeology Southwest Magazine—focused on Mesa Verde—has just rolled off the delivery trucks!
It’s called “Continuity and Connections: The Living Landscapes of Mesa Verde” and is a weighty 64-page multidisciplinary issue guest-edited by Dr. Donna Glowacki of the University of Notre Dame.
In it, you’ll find more than 30 contributions—from Pueblo and other Tribal knowledge keepers, active and retired Park Service employees, current public lands managers, nonprofit and CRM researchers, computer- and tech-savvy specialists, and academics.
You’ll learn how to be respectful stewards, in person and in conversation, of a vital cultural landscape and the stories it holds. You’ll learn about the meanings of this place, the history of archaeological research here, and the most recent archaeological perspectives on what happened here over the last several thousand years. You’ll be enthralled for hours, I guarantee.
Kudos and sincere thanks to Vice President of Communications and Outreach (and Editor in Chief) Kate Sarther, our extraordinary graphic designer Kathleen Bader (Cracked Earth Creative), the great Donna Glowacki, and ALL of the outstanding contributors for their diligence and patience in seeing this issue to fruition!
Until next week,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
In Memoriam: Raúl M. Grijalva
Tribal nations and leaders throughout Arizona honored U.S. Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who died Thursday, as a warrior for Indigenous communities and commended his continuous efforts to support Indigenous people’s fights to protect the environment, water and natural resources. “It was well known that Congressman Grijalva was a champion of tribal nations and worked to ensure that tribal communities had a voice in Congress to speak to important policy issues,” Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community President Martin Harvier said in a statement. …
“I called him Tío Raúl,” Pima County Recorder Gabriella Cázares-Kelly said. Although unrelated to the congressmen, she said she used the Spanish term for “uncle” to show respect and affection for someone she deeply admired. Cázares-Kelly first met Grijalva on the Tohono O’odham Nation during his numerous visits to the Tohono O’odham Community College, where she was employed. Shondiin Silversmith for the Arizona Mirror via the Tucson Sentinel | Read more »
The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) mourns the passing of Arizona Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva, a lifelong champion and fearless advocate for Tribal Nations. His steadfast commitment to upholding tribal sovereignty, protecting sacred lands, and improving the well-being of tribal communities will be remembered for generations to come. Throughout his more than two decades in Congress, Congressman Grijalva was a vocal defender of Native voices in federal policy. NCAI via Native News Online | Read more »
For more than two decades, Archaeology Southwest and other principals in the Southwest conservation community have looked to Raul and his amazing team as an essential champion for history, culture, water, and wildlands. Mr. Grijalva’s mighty voice for the benefits of taking care of places so they can continue taking care of diverse communities will reverberate through our ongoing work and the ecosystems and landscapes he helped protect for all Americans. To his family and friends, we offer our sincere condolences. Archaeology Southwest via the Respect Great Bend Coalition | Read more »
But boy, did Grijalva leave his [mark] over his 11 full terms in Congress, four terms on the Pima County Board of Supervisors and two terms on the Tucson Unified School District Governing Board. … Grijalva’s legacy spans decades and includes desegregation programs at TUSD, the Pima County Sonoran Desert Protection Plan and let’s not forget the Affordable Care Act, which he proved a major player in passing. Grijalva didn’t even stand 5′-8″ but he was a local giant. … {T]he the Southern Arizona kid who got into politics as a radical activist lived a life of meaning that new generations of people on a mission can learn from, if they are ready to understand a Boomer knew a thing or two. Blake Morlock in the Tucson Sentinel | Read more »
Commentary: Public Lands Layoffs Will Hit Western Communities Hard
My inbox and social media feed are flooded with anecdotes about what these firings mean. One man grew up in a Park Service family and then worked as a park ranger himself for years. He transferred to the Forest Service recently, becoming a “probationary” employee only because he was new to his position. He lost his job and his career thanks to the Trump administration. When rural Westerners say “get out” to the feds, I don’t think this is what they have in mind. … The monuments haven’t locked up the land; ranchers still have their grazing permits. Pre-existing mining and drilling claims remain in force. And the conservation and tourism values of these designated preserves expand every year. Stephen Trimble for Writers on the Range | Read more »
From the Latest Bears Ears Bulletin…
For years, opponents of the Bears Ears National Monument have claimed that Utahns, or “locals,” do not support Bears Ears and other protected landscapes. However, recent polling paints a very different picture. The results are clear: a strong majority of Utah voters—across political, geographic, and demographic lines—support the continued protection of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments and believe that Tribes should have a central role in managing their ancestral lands. At a time when political divisions often dominate the conversation, this bipartisan consensus is striking. Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition | Read more »
Travelogue: A Road Trip through Living Indigenous History in Parts of the Southwest
A new road trip of the Southwest’s Indigenous heartlands offers travellers a greater understanding of the past, present and future of the country’s original inhabitants. Along the way, culturally sensitive tours with Native American guides explore ancient pueblos and impressive canyons. Jessica Vincent for National Geographic Traveller (UK) | Read more »
Commentary: Living in a Wild Future
Terrible as the pandemic was, from my perspective as a futurist, the current situation is worse. … Now there are so many variables, so few constraints on what could happen, and so little data on which to base decisions, that even contingency planning seems like a stretch goal. And this time around, the federal government, rather than providing financial assistance to buoy organizations through the crisis, is advancing policies that can actively inflict harm.
I’ve come to the painful conclusion that, given the current levels of disruption, it may not be possible to write stories that encompass all the possible futures we face at this time. Instead of offering a set of scenarios, in this post I’m going to share my emerging thoughts about some things that might help museums through the current disruptions and uncertainties around funding and government policies. Elizabeth Merritt for the American Alliance of Museums | Read more »
The Met’s New Head of Provenance Research
Now as the Met’s head of provenance research, a new position created last May, [Lucian Simmons] is responsible for a collection of 1.5 million objects that span 5,000 years of human history. And he has assumed the role at a time when the museum faces questions about how it collected many of them. … Into this maelstrom steps Simmons with a job to correct earlier errors, to prevent new questionable acquisitions and to ensure that the museum’s reputation for integrity and scholarship is not further damaged. Graham Bowley and Tom Mashberg for the New York Times | Read more »
Position Announcement: Cultural Resource Specialist (Albuquerque NM)
The successful candidate must be currently permitted or qualified to be permitted as a Principal Investigator/Project Director on state, Bureau of Land Management, and U.S. Forest Service lands in at least one of the following states: Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Preference will be given to candidates who are BLM permittable in southwest New Mexico. The Cultural Resources Specialist will oversee and conduct fieldwork and reporting for cultural resource inventories based in the American Southwest. They will work directly with BCI’s Cultural Resource Coordinator to coordinate with internal teams in HP&R and external partners to support BCI’s work in the states. Cultural resources work includes overseeing field crew and reporting writing staff, conducting fieldwork, documenting and analyzing archaeological sites, completing cultural resource inventory forms, and writing archaeological technical reports. Bat Conservation International | Learn more »
Position Announcement: Student Museum Technician (Tucson AZ)
Archaeology Southwest is looking for students to work as museum technicians at the Western Archeological and Conservation Center (WACC), a division of the National Park Service (NPS). The successful candidate will be involved in museum processing and cataloging of materials housed at WACC, including archeological and historical objects and minimal natural history specimens. Training in museum procedures will be provided by NPS museum program staff. Archaeology Southwest/WACC | Learn more »
March Live Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
March 24, William Taylor, Hoof Beats: Horses in Human History and the Southwest; March 31, Spencer Lucas, Rethinking Mass Extinctions. $20 at the door. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
REMINDER: TONIGHT, March 20 Online Event: Crossing the Akimel to Snaketown: The Ancestral Connection to Modern-Day O’Odham
With Reylynne Williams. The ancient O’Odham village of Snaketown along the Gila River became famous for archaeology expeditions there in the mid1930s and mid-1960s. Ms. Williams will present her Akimel O’Odham perspective on Snaketown. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: TONIGHT, March 20 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Between a Rock and a Hard Place: O’odham Reasons to Revolt (or Not), 1751–1752
With Dale S. Brenneman. In late November 1751, thousands of O’odham rose up in widespread rebellion. Spaniards were caught completely off-guard as O’odham rebels, over the course of five days, attacked missions and Spanish communities, killing two Jesuit priests and some one hundred Spanish settlers while ransacking and burning mission churches and structures. Although the revolt effectively ended with a decisive Spanish victory over the rebels at Arivaca on January 5, 1752, investigations into its causes went on for several years, producing a massive body of documentation that includes 41 O’odham reports, testimonies, and other statements recorded by various Spanish officials. This talk will take you through some of the insights we gain from these regarding O’odham experiences of mission life, complexities of interrelationships and individual motivations, and mixed loyalties within the milieu of missionary and Spanish rule. 6:00 p.m., Whiskey del Bac, 2106 N. Forbes Blvd. Arizona State Museum | Learn more »
March 21 In-Person (Tucson AZ) and Online Event: You Are Here (No, Really. You Are. Aren’t You?)
With Kimi Eisele. The cartographer’s favorite declarative statement, “you are here,” is an ongoing invitation to ask ourselves and each other, again and again, “Where, exactly?” then tend to the answers that come. What does it mean to be somewhere, in sync with the energy of location or locality, and what responsibility or action does that presence presume? Writer, artist, and wayward geographer Kimi Eisele shares a series of her works with landscapes, plants, humans, and other animals reflecting explorations and research into this oft-borrowed phrase. Southwest Center (University of Arizona) | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: March 27 In-Person Event (Sedona AZ): Mother Bears Ears and the Women’s Park: Exploring Women’s History in the Greater Mesa Verde Region
With R. E. Burrillo. The greater Mesa Verde region encompasses Mesa Verde National Park and Bears Ears National Monument, along with adjacent and interstitial areas. Women have played a number of key roles in the history of this region, as reflected in the archaeology, written histories, and cultural narratives found throughout it. This lecture will present examples from these three overlapping perspectives. 3:30 p.m., Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Rd. Arizona Archaeological Society, Verde Valley Chapter | Learn more (scroll down) »
March 27 Online Event: Under-recognized Food Crops of Southwestern Native American Tribes
With Reagan Wytsalucy (Diné). Agricultural production among the Native American populations of the Southwest declined significantly during the twentieth century. Although production of corn, beans, and squash, the three most recognized traditional food crops, remains widespread, knowledge regarding the traditional management of these crops was lost. The loss of traditional knowledge is more pronounced for some of the under-recognized traditional food crops including Southwest peach (Prunus persica) and Navajo spinach (Cleome serrulata Pursh). Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
March 30 Online Event: A Globalized Past? Long-Distance Exchange & Interaction in the U.S. Southwest & Mexican Northwest
With Christopher Schwartz. Exchange is a fundamental human behavior. While today people rapidly exchange goods and information over great distances, in the past long-distance exchange required the mobilization of vast networks of interaction. This talk examines the long-distance relationships between people living in the U.S. Southwest and Mexican Northwest (SW/NW) with people living to the south in Mesoamerica and West Mexico. Specifically, it explores the material evidence, or lack thereof, for long-distance interaction at SW/NW archaeological sites, the significance of those objects and materials, and the larger intellectual debates surrounding this topic. Chicago Archaeological Society | Learn more and register (free) »
April 1 In-Person Event: Old Dogs, New Tricks: An Overview of Canine Zooarchaeology
With Brandi Bethke. Bethke’s research focuses on understanding interactions between humans, animals, and the landscape in the North American Plains from the late precontact period to the present day through the integration of zooarchaeology, oral history, geospatial analysis, and theory and methods from Indigenous and Collaborative archaeology. This is the last in Archaeology Café’s 2024-2025 “paw-some” season of lectures featuring “Dogs! Exploring Canine Cultural Histories in North America,” which dives into the fascinating relationship between humans and canines and how dogs in past societies have influenced art, stories, and daily life. Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Learn more »
April 15 Online Event: Below and Beyond Perry Mesa
With R. E. Burrillo. We surveyed 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 (TNF). The results have exceeded our wildest expectations, including re-recording and new discoveries of entire pueblo communities that challenge the existing models of settlement, agriculture, and regional exchange within the greater Verde River region. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more and register (free) »
Video Channel Roundup
NEW! Matt Hill on dogs and people(s) in the Chesapeake Bay region in the 1600s through 1800s (52:53) Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Watch now »
NEW! Paul Minnis on the closest neighbors of Paquimé (1:13:10) Third Thursday Food for Thought (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Watch now »
NEW! Michael Mathiowetz on scarlet macaws and the Aztatlán Tradition of west Mexico (1:05:04) Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Watch now »
Catch up on some presentations not highlighted above that we might’ve missed, too! A simple click on any of the links to the YouTube channels of our Partners and Friends should catch you up. (And please do let us know if your channel isn’t in this list but should be.)
Albuquerque Archaeological Society
Amerind Foundation
Archaeology Southwest
Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society
Arizona State Museum
Aztlander
Bears Ears Partnership
Cotsen Institute of Archaeology at UCLA
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Grand Canyon Trust
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
Mesa Prieta Petroglyphs Project
Mission Garden (Friends of Tucson’s Birthplace)
Museum of Indian Arts and Cultures
Museum of Northern Arizona
Old Pueblo Archaeology Center
Pacific Coast Archaeological Society
San Diego Archaeological Center
School for Advanced Research
SHUMLA Archaeological Center
Southwest Seminars
The Archaeological Conservancy
Verde Valley Archaeology Center
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!