September 28 Is National Public Lands Day

September 28 Is National Public Lands Day: Connecting to Nature through Service
National Public Lands Day is the largest single-day volunteer effort for America’s public lands. Each year, hundreds of thousands of volunteers come together on the fourth Saturday in September to assist with various projects designed to restore and enhance public parks, forests, waterways and more. From trail maintenance to tree planting—volunteers of all ages and abilities roll up their sleeves and work side-by-side to care for public lands. The day also features a variety of hikes, bike rides, community festivals, paddling excursions, and other fun outdoor activities—all set on the backdrop of the country’s public lands and waterways. https://www.neefusa.org/npld – National Environmental Education Foundation

Find events near you: https://www.neefusa.org/npld-event-search

Senate Committee on Appropriations Approves Bill with Protections for Chaco, Tribal Programs, NPS
The fiscal year 2020 Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill provides a total discretionary funding level of $35.8 billion, which is $248 million more than the fiscal year 2019 level and $5.46 billion more than the President’s request. U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Ranking Member of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Subcommittee, said: “Our bipartisan Interior bill makes key investments to benefit and strengthen New Mexico, Indian Country, and the entire nation. The bill provides strong resources to protect our public lands and the thriving outdoor economy they fuel, as well as funding key programs for Native and rural communities. The bill contains a number of New Mexico priorities I fought for, including protecting the greater Chaco Canyon area from oil and gas development and funding to clean up PFAS contamination around the state.” http://bit.ly/2lkevDL – appropriations.senate.gov

Profile of Archaeologist Patricia Crown
Patricia L. Crown was only 3 years old when she first visited New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon, but she has some indelible memories of the occasion. “We were camping – my mom, dad and two (older) sisters,” Crown said. “We went after my birthday, so it was in late October or early November, and my parents were not prepared for how cold it would be. I remember that my mom made us hot chocolate to help warm us up.” So there you have it. Right from the start, Crown’s experience with Chaco Canyon, an array of ancient ruins in northwestern New Mexico, has been flavored with chocolate. http://bit.ly/2lu95G0 – Albuquerque Journal

Audio: Chocolate in Chaco Canyon
In 2009, Professor Patricia L. Crown uncovered the first evidence of chocolate consumption in North America in jars from Chaco Culture National Historic Park in Northwest NM. On this episode, we discuss what this discovery reveals about Chaco rituals and civilization, including the extent of trading networks across the Southwest and Mesoamerica. http://bit.ly/2l0Kokw – KUNM (NPR)

Federal Judge Rejects Jemez Pueblo’s Claim to Valles Caldera
The tribe has maintained in court filings that its title to the land predated the arrival of the Spanish in what is now the American Southwest, transcended Spanish rule and was later recognized by Mexico when it controlled the region. When the tribe made its case before the appellate court in 2014, then-Pueblo Gov. Joshua Madalena described Valles Caldera as the tribe’s spiritual mother, likening it to the Vatican for Catholics. When ancestors were no longer allowed to use the area as their church, it was “a culture shock” for the pueblo, the effects of which are still being felt, he said. The pueblo’s lawsuit describes more than 800 years of occupation by the Jemez people. The lawsuit claims archaeological surveys have identified dozens of pueblo villages, an extensive network of trails and thousands of ceremonial sites, agricultural fields and hunting traps. http://bit.ly/2kXYFOT – Albuquerque Journal

Man Returns Land to Ute Indian Tribe
This is the story of how Rich Snyder, a plumber and artist with a semi-nomadic lifestyle, came to reckon with America’s sins and reparations. Though he didn’t know it then, he would soon become one of the only people in the United States to pay reparations in land, an idea with growing popularity among indigenous scholars. https://dpo.st/2lihc8N – Denver Post

Commentary: Leasing near Hovenweep, Bears Ears, Canyons of the Ancients Is Shortsighted
Over the course of a morning’s bidding and with little regard for public opinion, more than 30,000 acres of our state’s precious public lands near Hovenweep National Monument were recently auctioned off to oil and gas developers. The Bureau of Land Management’s latest leasing of our public lands is a staggering blow to Utah residents and tribal communities who value our shared historical and cultural connections to these places. Short-sighted gains for a few oil developers were clearly prioritized over a more balanced vision for us all. http://bit.ly/2l0IT5S – Erika Pollard (National Parks Conservation Association) in the Salt Lake Tribune

Commentary: New Rules Tie Hands of NPS
In a memo circulated to park service staff, the Interior Department doubles down on its energy dominance agenda by deterring park staff from commenting on oil and gas leasing and other industry-led projects just outside parks, as first reported today by The Washington Post. Statement by Theresa Pierno, President and CEO for National Parks Conservation Association: “From eliminating years’ of science-driven data from park planning to initiating an unnecessary and disruptive reorganization of the National Park Service, this guidance is just another way the Trump administration is actively working to silence park staff and their expertise. The administration is touting this guidance as a way to provide coordination and engagement between federal agencies, but in reality, this is nothing more than an intimidation tactic, deterring park experts on the front lines from expressing views that might contradict the administration’s aggressive pro-fossil fuels energy policy. This unprecedented memo will infringe on park staffs’ ability to provide expert comments on projects put forth by other agencies that could have damaging impacts on parks, hindering the Park Service from fulfilling their duties to protect park resources.” http://bit.ly/2lwVaPv – National Parks Conservation Association

Casa Grande Ruins to Begin Extended Seasonal Hours October 1
As the heat of summer begins to subside in the Southern Arizona forecast, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument will resume extended operating hours of 9 am until 5 pm on October 1 through the months that the monument receives higher visitation. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument will resume reduced seasonal hours of 9 am until 4 pm on May 1, 2020 as the temperatures begin to climb and visitation slows. Casa Grande Ruins National Monument protects the multi-story Great House and the ruins of other ancient structures built by the people of the Sonoran Desert over 800 years ago.  Directions and additional information are available on the Monument’s website, http://www.nps.gov/cagr, you may call (520) 723-3172, or follow us on Facebook by searching for Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. – press release email from Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Audio: Interview with Leaders from Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Liz Perry and Sarah Payne of Crow Canyon Archaeological Center join KSJD’s Tom Yoder during the Fall Harvest Drive to talk about Crow Canyon’s origins, their educational programs, and how they contribute to archaeological research in the Four Corners area and beyond. http://bit.ly/2kUYunj – KSJD

Job Opportunity: UNM Assistant Professor and Curator of Archaeology
The UNM Department of Anthropology and the UNM Maxwell Museum of Anthropology invite applications for a probationary tenure-track position of Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Curator of Archaeology. For best consideration, application materials must be received by November 4, 2019. For complete requirements and to submit application materials, see Assistant Professor & Archaeology Curator at https://unmjobs.unm.edu. (Requisition 10618). Questions related to this posting may be directed to committee chair, Carla Sinopoli (csinopoli@unm.edu). More information : https://unm.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?id=10618&site=14%7CAssistant

Reminder: Archaeology Café Kicks off on October 1
Knowledge seekers of every kind are welcome at Archaeology Café at The Loft Cinema, 3233 E. Speedway Blvd., for a series of programs exploring the deep and diverse history of the Southwest. Join us at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 1, 2019, as Dr. Aaron Wright discusses the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site. Explore what makes this place special, discover what it tells us about life long ago, and learn how you can experience this significant place today. http://bit.ly/32ORFUA – Archaeology Southwest

Lecture Opportunity, Tucson AZ
On Thursday, September 26, at 5:00 p.m., the Tucson chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America welcomes Professor Emma Blake, from our own School of Anthropology. She will be offering her insights on “The Stuff of Journeys: The Archaeology of Contemporary Undocumented Migrants in Western Sicily”. Please join us in this exploration of mobility’s traces and consider the long-term resonances for our understanding of the human experience. Emil W. Haury Building, 1009 E. South Campus Dr., Room 129. http://bit.ly/2kV5f8D – AIA Tucson and Southern Arizona

Lecture Opportunity, Cave Creek AZ
On October 9, at 7:00 p.m., the Cave Creek Chapter of the Arizona Archaeological Society welcomes Ken Zoll for “Prehistoric Southwest Infrastructure and Movement.” The movement of goods from one part of the country to another is an intriguing subject. Economics, religions and esthetics furnished the driving force with transportation a romantic intermediary. As trade plays such a lively part of our own lives, we may wonder about trade in the pre-Columbian past. Peoples of the Southwest and Mexico used various corridors for trade and as a communication network for hundreds of years before the arrival of European settlers. Ken Zoll discusses ancient trade routes that supplied Southwest Native American tribes with goods from Mesoamerica. Community Building (Maitland Hall) at The Good Shepherd of the Hills Episcopal Church, 6502 East Cave Creek Road. http://www.azarchsoc.wildapricot.org/desertfoothills

Lecture Opportunity, Winslow AZ
On Wednesday, October 9, at 7:00 p.m., the Homolovi Chapter of AAS welcomes Evelyn Bill and Robert Mark (Rupestrian Cyberservices) with “Scandinavian Ships in Stone and Similar Scintillating Scenes,” imagery from Scandinavian rock art and world heritage sites, a glimpse into Bronze Age, Iron Age and Viking archaeology, Norse astronomy, legends, Sami shamans, reindeer, and bears. Similarities to a few North American rock art designs are included. Winslow Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center, 523 W. Second St.

Editors’ note: This past week, we learned of the passing of Joe Joaquin. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. Joaquin was the Cultural Resources Specialist for the Tohono O’odham Nation for more than a decade, beginning in 1997. We will miss Joe’s wisdom and distinctive sense of humor. 

We’re happy to help get the word out, but we’re not mind readers! Please submit news, book announcements, and events at this link for consideration: https://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/submit-to-sat/

Questions? sat-editor@archaeologysouthwest.org