Can National Monuments Be Dissolved?

Can National Monuments Be Dissolved?
As his presidential tenure winds down in the coming weeks, Barack Obama is expected to decide whether to designate some proposed national monuments, including Bears Ears in Utah and two others on Utah’s borders with neighboring states. But Donald Trump’s surprise victory in the race to succeed Obama likely changes the political calculus behind such decisions, which hold so much weight for southern Utahns who have to live with these federally protected landscapes. On the one hand, Obama won’t be able to punt monument decisions to a Democratic successor, which could make him more inclined to cement his conservation legacy by adding to his already long list of designations. http://bit.ly/2g8fQJr – Salt Lake Tribune

BLM Abandons Public Meeting on Fracking at Chaco
Bureau of Land Management personnel were heavily criticized Thursday for walking out of what was supposed to be a community meeting in Shiprock, New Mexico, to discuss the future of oil and gas drilling near Chaco Canyon. On Thursday, the BLM hosted the first of eight planned “scoping meetings” – in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs – intended to engage members of the Navajo Nation on concerns regarding drilling, as well as fracking, on sacred lands. http://bit.ly/2g8c7eT – Durango Herald

Bears Ears Needs Monument Status
The 1.9 million acres proposed for the Bears Ears National Monument in Southern Utah is easily one of the most important cultural and archaeological sites in the United States. It contains a broad array of structures, such as granaries and kivas, and many petroglyphs and pictographs. There are pottery remains under foot everywhere. http://bit.ly/2g8fmmE – The Specturm via USA Today

Reminder: Archaeology Café (Phoenix): Re-thinking 17th-Century New Mexico
On November 15, 2016, at 5:30 p.m., we welcome Dr. Scott Ortman (University of Colorado). Ortman explains, “Recent studies of 17th-century New Mexico have focused almost exclusively on the negative consequences of Spanish contact for Native people. Although Spanish colonization was disastrous, Pueblo people also willingly incorporated many elements of Spanish culture during this period. This simple fact suggests a more balanced perspective is needed.” We meet at Macayo’s Central 4001 N. Central Ave. http://bit.ly/2etl11e – Archaeology Southwest

Tucson Guest Ranch Named to National Register
A guest ranch on Tucson’s northwest side has been named the newest member of the Historic Hotels of America, according to CNN. White Stallion Ranch, 9251 W. Twin Peaks Road, began as a historic cattle ranch at the turn of the 20th century, and has been run as a hotel by the True family for three generations, said the Nov. 4 CNN article. Historic Hotels of America is part of the non-profit National Trust for Historic Preservation. It only accepts hotels that are at least 50 years old and have been recognized as having historic significance. http://bit.ly/2g89av0 – Arizona Daily Star

Travelogue – Chaco Canyon
Hundreds of years ago Native American tribes constructed stone buildings throughout the Southwest. Today, stunning ruins can be found in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. Multicolored rocks, predominately red and orange, were used to create shelters that would protect people from a very harsh environment. The craftsmanship of the rock walls, some of which rise three or four stories, is obvious. They are laid straight from top to bottom and, more amazing, many of the rocks have been shaped into blocks using nothing but stone tools. http://bit.ly/2g8bq5w – The Spokesman

Lecture Opportunity – Santa Fe
Southwest Seminars Presents Lyle Balenquah, M.A. (Greasewood Clan, Bacavi Village, Third Mesa, Hopi) Archaeologist, Independent Cultural Consultant for Hopi Tribe, Museum of Northern Arizona and National Park Service; Hiking and River Guide in Grand Canyon; Study Leader, Archaeology Southwest and Southwest Seminars who will give a lecture Hopi Traditions and Water: Where Does the River Go? on November 21 at 6 p.m. at Hotel Santa Fe as part of the annual Mother Earth Father Sky Lecture Series held to honor The New Mexico Environmental Law Center. Admission is by subscription of $12 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt tel 505 466-2775; email: southwest seminar@aol.com; website: southwestseminars.org