Update on Threats to Molen Reef

Threats to Utah’s Molen Reef
In the past, Orr, Bailey, and other rock art enthusiasts have been able to persuade the BLM to defer leasing while they conduct field work to document petroglyphs, habitation sites, and geoglyphs that might be impacted by development. But in 2018, guided by the Trump administration’s “energy dominance” agenda, the BLM’s Price field office has overruled URARA’s protests. “This is the first year we have not been able to withdraw these leases,” says Bailey. http://bit.ly/2LnhCls — Sierra

Commentary: Amending NAGPRA and Safeguarding Tribal Objects of Patrimony
“It’s kind of odd how American culture has just taken over all things that it thinks best for ‘inferior Indian people,’” O’Loughlin said. “We will call it, we will label it, we will name it, we’re going to own it and possess it and put it in boxes and take pictures of it. It’s something different than how we would treat our own items that are sacred or our own burial remains.” http://bit.ly/2LpoP4r — High Country News

Results and Rectifications
From their data, the researchers concluded that living Native Americans descended from a population of Asians who moved into Alaska and then expanded southward, likely along the coast. Soon afterward, that original population split into two groups, which Dr. Scheib and her colleagues call ANC-A and ANC-B. https://nyti.ms/2LrKd9r — New York Times (Editor’s note: Please be aware that this article opens with an image of a cast of the skull of the Ancient One, also known as Kennewick Man.)

In 2016, Scheib started contacting every federally recognized tribe that was potentially connected to the remains she had studied. She explained that she had already done the work, and presented her results. She asked them about their comments and concerns, and about questions they would want to answer in future work. In cases where she couldn’t get express permission from a tribe, she left the data gleaned from the respective samples out of her paper. She shared a draft of that paper with the tribes, and invited them to appear as co-authors. https://theatln.tc/2Ln5a5q — The Atlantic

Announcing archaeologicalethics.org
Archaeologicalethics.org is a comprehensive, searchable database of resources on ethics in archaeology. It includes published literature, but also includes course descriptions and syllabi, blogs and blog posts, organizational ethical statements, and other online resources. The database is provided to the archaeological community by the Register and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists to proactively strengthen ethical behavior in professional practice. http://archaeologicalethics.org/ — Register of Professional Archaeologists

Profile of Navajo Archaeologist Jason Nez
For Nez, there is no clean break between prehistory and modernity, but a continuous human story that’s been unfolding on this landscape since the first hunters followed bison herds to the Grand Canyon’s rim roughly 11,500 years ago. “You used to go to the [national] parks and there would be signs that said, ‘The mysterious Anasazi disappeared,’” Nez tells me. “We need to reeducate the world that Native people never left.” http://bit.ly/2LpP0bn — Outside

Making a Rock Art Site Publicly Accessible
The property was donated to the Archaeological Conservancy in 2014 by a private landowner in an attempt to preserve the hundreds of panels of historic rock carvings that can be found centralized around the property’s two knolls. The hope is to eventually develop the site enough so guided tours of many of the historic petroglyphs can be given. In particular, Randy Griffith, site steward, hopes to partner with Project Archaeology, which develops curriculums about cultural resources, to bring school groups to the site to use as an outdoor classroom. http://bit.ly/2LpfKbS — Provo Daily Herald

Grant Brings Interdisciplinary Team to Organ Mountains–Desert Peaks National Monument
Archaeologists from NMSU’s anthropology department will be studying cave sites and other evidence of past human habitation in the area. Alexander recently directed students in recording archaeological sites on the monument as part of a mapping class. “We were able to teach students how to properly map archaeological sites by producing maps that the BLM can use,” said Alexander. “The maps show exactly where contemporary recreational activities impact ancient activity areas, which will help the BLM protect the sites.” http://bit.ly/2LrBDaB — Las Cruces Sun News

Voices from Utah’s San Juan County: What to Do about Bears Ears?
Hadenfeldt has spent a lot of time thinking about how to educate visitors about proper interaction with historical sites to prevent further degradation. But it is in some respects a race to catch up to the ever-growing number of tourists. “We’ve been seeing this immense increase in visitation every year — well before people started talking about Bears Ears monument or any of that,” Hadenfeldt said. http://bit.ly/2LsmC8H — San Juan Record

Update on Mesa Verde’s Spruce Tree House
Shortly after the most recent rock fall, a climbing crew did a preliminary assessment. Then modern geoengineering methods were applied, including remote-sensing LIDAR to draw a profile of the structure, followed by a three-dimensional engineering analysis. http://bit.ly/2Lp6fcF — KNAU

Tough Times for Our National Parks
As part of the Trump administration’s infrastructure plan, the executive branch has asked Congress to create an $18 billion “Public Lands Infrastructure Fund” for the Interior Department. This plan would take half of the royalties from expanded drilling and mining on public lands and put them towards the maintenance of park infrastructure. The plan has broad support from Republicans and the support of some Democrats. But the proposal has also been met with stiff opposition in the environmental community, who have decried the plan as an attempt to increase the sell-off of public lands to fossil fuel companies. http://bit.ly/2Lo57Gk — High Country News

Podcast: Ancient Corn, Modern Questions
The podcast discusses how ancient corn cobs in Southwestern alcoves are helping to answer pressing modern questions about the future of agriculture, and why continuing to grow unique varieties here in the Southwest is so important. http://bit.ly/2Ln4iOc — Mesa Verde Voices

Benefit for the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance
Howl at the moon for the Sizzling Summer Solstice on Saturday, June 23, 6–11 p.m. at the Dolores River Brewery! Ed Kabotie (Hopi-Tewa performer and artist; son of Michael Kabotie and grandson of Fred Kabotie) and his band Tha Yoties (Irie-zona Reggae Rock) will perform at this fundraiser for Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance. Learn about programs and projects on Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. Tickets in advance $10 at www.swcocanyons.org or $12 at the door. swcocanyons@gmail.com

Lecture Opportunity — Grand Junction CO
On Monday, June 11, 6:30–8:00 p.m., at Redlands United Methodist Church, 527 Village Way, the Grand Junction Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society will welcome Ron Rood for History, Archaeology and One Event in the Walker War, Utah Territory 1853. Free and open to all members of the public. A small donation is requested to help with speaker and meeting room costs. 970-433-4312 or casgjinfo@gmail.com

Lecture Opportunity — Santa Fe NM
Southwest Seminars Presents Dr. Robert Dello-Russo, Director, Office of Contract Archaeology, University of New Mexico and former Deputy Director, Office of Archaeological Studies, Museum of New Mexico who will give a lecture Buried for 10,000 Years: Startling New Discoveries at Water Canyon Site on June 11 at 6pm at Hotel Santa Fe. Admission is by subscription or $15 at the door. No reservations are necessary. Refreshments are served. Seating is limited. Contact Connie Eichstaedt: tel. 505 466-2775; email: southwestseminar@aol.com; website: southwestseminars.org

Lecture Opportunity — Winslow AZ
On June 13, the Homolovi Chapter of AAS welcomes Rich Lange, Associate Director of ASM’s Homol’ovi Research Program, speaking on the history of the Winslow/Homol’ovi area, focusing on the late ancestral Hopi villages, especially on the largest and latest of the villages, Homol’ovi II (excavated 1983–1984 and 1991–1995), examining its unique role in the Homol’ovi Settlement Cluster, and speculating on how it was founded, when, and by whom. HAS meetings are the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Winslow Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, with dinner beforehand at 5 p.m. at La Posada.

Lecture Opportunity — Aztec Ruins National Monument NM
On June 15, 7:00 to 8:30 p.m., at Aztec Ruins National Monument, 725 Ruins Road, archeologist and Chaco Scholar Paul Reed will present Protecting the Greater Chaco Landscape: Where We Stand in 2018. He will discuss the developing activities outside the Greater Chaco Landscape with detail regarding Archaeology Southwest’s engagement in the process to ensure protection for the irreplaceable landscape of the ancestral Chacoan society. He will offer and update on the management plan, national historic preservation and ethno studies, and more taking the park into 2018. http://bit.ly/2LrROF1

Book Announcement: Early Rock Art of the American West
By Ekkehart Malotki and Ellen Dissanayake. http://bit.ly/2rtxbzP — University of Washington Press

Please submit news, book announcements, and events at this link: https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/submit-to-sat/

Questions? sat-editor@archaeologysouthwest.org