Dear Friends,
I write from beautiful Prescott, Arizona, where I’ve spent the last couple of days attending the 2024 Arizona Historic Preservation Conference. Prescott is an amazing city for a number of reasons, not least of which is its long tradition, dating back to the 1970s, of activist historic preservation. Beautifully restored historic buildings—including the Elks Theatre and the Hassayampa Inn—exist all over town and make this place one of the primary tourist destinations in Arizona. Residents and politicians here know that preservation doesn’t happen by accident, and it shows.
I’d like to share some conference highlights:
On Tuesday, June 25, Preservation Anthropologist Aaron Wright was an invited presenter at a symposium entitled “Toward Reconciling Differing Views of Yavapai Origins,” sponsored and hosted by the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe. His talk, “Patayan/Yuman Culture History: A Critical Reappraisal,” unpacked the uncomfortable history of how archaeologists working in Patayan country (i.e., the Colorado River region of Arizona, Nevada, and California) have failed to include Yuman Tribes, such as the Yavapai, in their research and interpretations of the past. The symposium was capped by a roundtable discussion by Yavapai Elders. It was quite an honor for Aaron to be invited to the symposium along with so many Elders; attendees are still talking about how great the session was overall.
At the keynote address on Wednesday, June 26, State Historic Preservation Officer Kathryn Leonard presented, for the first time, the new vision statement for the statewide Arizona Historic Preservation Plan. That plan is being completely revamped for the first time in more than 30 years, with input from people all across the state, including yours truly. Although the vision statement is long, it encapsulates that plan’s sweeping dreams while touching many points of emphasis (e.g., generational stewardship, collective heritage, etc.) that were not on the table three decades ago:
“We envision an Arizona where our diverse cultures and collective heritage are embodied in places and celebrated through unique stories, fostering vibrant communities that thrive both economically and socially. Through generational stewardship, education, dynamic partnerships, and a balanced approach to preservation and development, we can preserve our historical and cultural places for present and future generations.”
Last and decidedly not least—those of us from Archaeology Southwest got a wonderful surprise at the awards ceremony on Wednesday night! We knew going into the conference that Linda Mayro, who recently retired as Pima County’s Director of Sustainability and Conservation, would receive a 2024 Governor’s Heritage Preservation Honor Award. We didn’t know until the award ceremony that Arizona governor Katie Hobbs selected Linda out of that illustrious group of eight Honor awardees to receive the even-more-prestigious James W. Garrison Heritage Award! This is a huge accomplishment for Linda and well-deserved public recognition of her many decades of progressive leadership in historic preservation in southern Arizona and beyond. Linda gave an impromptu yet eloquent speech about the importance of planning, inclusion, persistence, consistency, and teamwork in achieving historic preservation goals. It was an awesome moment.
And in case you don’t know, Linda is married to Archaeology Southwest’s president emeritus and senior advisor Bill Doelle! I believe a strong case can be made that they, together, have done more for historic and cultural preservation than any other pair of people in this country. Congratulations and thank you, as always, Linda and Bill. You continue to inspire us all!
Until next week,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Great Bend of the Gila Featured in Arizona Highways
The Gila River sleeps in its bed southwest of metropolitan Phoenix, curled up in a long and lazy bend of dry sand, its water penned behind a series of upstream dams. This section, known as the Great Bend of the Gila, sees few visitors, and while some ranch roads intersect the depressed, tamarisk-choked area where year-round water used to flow, it can be difficult to perceive that a river ever was there. The relative isolation of this part of the Lower Gila has kept its many treasures preserved. This now-neglected corridor once was the most important “highway” in the southern part of what is now Arizona. Native peoples from all over the Southwest used the Gila as a reliable pathfinder that pointed them toward the Pacific Ocean, and those travelers left trails that have existed for more than 3,000 years. Tom Zoellner in Arizona Highways | Read more »
The Santa Cruz River as Teacher
As a kid growing up in Tucson, I couldn’t imagine the banks of the Santa Cruz lined with anything other than scraggly palo verde and tamarisk trees. I would have rolled my eyes if you told me to listen for trickling water and rustling rushes in the shadow of I-10. Back then, I didn’t know the word bosque and I had never climbed a cottonwood tree. I had no idea I lived on stolen land, that the rich heritage and legacy of Chuk-son had been hidden from me. I accepted dry, littered arroyos as normal and dreamed of one day living somewhere with a real river. Angelantonio Enriques Breault for Border Lore | Read more »
Public Open House and Scoping Period for Sabino Canyon Visitor Center Reimagined
he Coronado National Forest and Friends of Sabino Canyon announce the upcoming scoping period for the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center Reimagined project to reimagine and reinvent the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center complex in the Santa Catalina Ranger District. On November 12, 2023, the Friends of Sabino Canyon, a non-profit community-based organization, and the Coronado National Forest shared the official launch announcement outlining the planned development of a conceptual design to replace the old facility and provide a new front porch for Sabino Canyon. Starting July 11, 2024, the new design developed by Weddle Gilmore, an Arizona-based design firm, will bring to life the collaborative efforts of the project steering committee, partner organizations, and local Tribes. The design will be publicly available for comment on the project website. USDA Forest Service (press release) | Learn more »
WNMU Museum Acquires Disert Collection
The WNMU Museum has recently acquired a new collection of Mimbres Mogollon artifacts, the Disert Ranch Collection. The collection comes from a pueblo in the Mimbres Valley on land that was owned by the Disert family from the 1970s to the 1990s. The collection was donated by members of the family. The objects in the collection were found at the Perrault site on the family’s property. In the early twentieth century, Mimbres ruins were often excavated by collectors untrained in archeological methods, and that was what happened at the Perrault site. The pueblo had been heavily looted during the 1930s, said WNMU Museum Director Danielle Romero. When the Disert family moved onto the property in the 1970s, they collected the artifacts left behind in the disturbed areas. Linda Brown for WNMU News | Read more »
2024 Cordell/Powers Prize Competition Opens
The C/P Prize Competition is for talks given at the Pecos Conference by archaeologists age 35 and under. The top two winners will receive $700 and take home the Cordell Retablo or the Powers “Pueblo Gothic” tile for the year. Additional prizes are awarded for second, third, fourth, honorable mention, and participation. To enter the competition, you must submit an abstract and proof of age to the Cordell/Powers Prize Committee (at kellam.throgmorton@nau.edu). Abstracts will be accepted between July 15 and July 24, with ten spaces available. Pecos Conference | Learn more »
Grand Canyon Cultural Demonstration Program Celebrates 10 Years
Grand Canyon National Park and Grand Canyon Conservancy are celebrating 10 years of the park’s Cultural Demonstration Program at the Desert View Watchtower July 6. The Cultural Demonstration Program began in 2014 with four demonstrators from the canyon’s 11 Associated Tribes — Havasupai, Hopi, Hualapai, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians, Las Vegas Paiute Tribe, Moapa Band of Paiute Indians, Navajo Nation, Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah, San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, The Pueblo of Zuni and the Yavapai-Apache Nation. Now the program has over 200 participants and has worked with multiple organizations. To celebrate, the park will host 20 demonstrators from nine of the 11 associated tribes. The purpose of the Cultural Demonstration Program is to elevate the voices of members from the traditionally associated tribes. Navajo-Hopi Observer | Learn more and view the schedule of events »
Video & Continuing Coverage: Willie Grayeyes on Opposition to Telecomm Tower in Bears Ears
Utah’s Trust Lands Administration has plans to build a 460-foot telecommunications tower on a piece of land they own in Bears Ears, which would make it the tallest structure in Utah. (2:06). Fox 13 News Utah | Watch now »
ICYMI: Position Announcement: Executive Director, Naco Heritage Alliance (Bisbee AZ)
The Naco Heritage Alliance, in partnership with the City of Bisbee, is excited to announce the open position of Executive Director. The ideal candidate for this role will be a dynamic leader, fundraiser, and relationship builder. The Executive Director will build on a successful foundation to ensure the future organizational health and prosperity of Naco Heritage Alliance and the preservation of Camp Naco. Applications will be accepted through July 15, 2024. Naco Heritage Alliance | Learn more »
July Subscription Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
July 1, Thomas Dalton Dillehay, A New Prehistory of the Amazon and the Tropics Beyond; July 8, Donna Glowacki, Aztec: Center of the Mesa Verde World; July 15, Jimmy Santiago Baca and Melanie Martines, embracing the good, the bad, the ugly…; July 22, Christina Leza, Imaginary Line: Indigenous Identities and Struggles on the U.S.-Mexico Border; July 29, Stephen H. Lekson, A History of the Ancient Southwest (Revisited!). 6:00 p.m., Hotel Santa Fe, $20 at the door or $90 for the series of 5 lectures. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
REMINDER: TODAY: June 27 Online Event: Wild Food and Cuisine
With Reyna Banteah and Katrina Blair. Wild-food and cultivated plants are found everywhere on the globe alongside human civilizations. They follow our footsteps impeccably, as humans create niches for them to grow through disturbance and careful cultivation. In return, they provide the life force needed to do our work, while we enjoy taste sensations of creative cuisine. This presentation offers perspectives from two women who are passionate about sustainable food pathways in both pristine environments and in our backyards. We explore the ethics of gathering, learn about essential nutrients, and how cuisine with wild foods boosts our vitality, provides our medicine, and feeds our souls. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: July 11 Online Event: The Land Leads Us: Indigenous Learnings in Conservation, Leadership, and Movements
With Charissa Miijessepe-Wilson. The presentation explores a holistic approach to land stewardship, emphasizing the spiritual interconnectedness of all living things and the importance of nurturing relationships with the land. Charissa highlights the concept of being an aspiring ancestor, which involves values-driven, intuitive leadership, and recognizing that progress includes learning from mistakes. The presentation underscores the significance of generational sustainability, uplifting both youth and elders and integrates these principles within the context of land stewardship at Bears Ears National Monument and the work of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Remember to send us notice of upcoming webinars and Zoom lectures, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends. Thanks!