Dear Friends,
Just over four years ago, I published a Curiosities column at SAPIENS.org on fascinating archaeological tree-ring research that reconstructed ancient Indigenous fire management systems in northern New Mexico. (See also Archaeology Southwest Magazine Vol. 30, No. 4, “Fire Adds Richness to the Land.”)
(Full disclosure: John Welch, Archaeology Southwest’s Vice President of Preservation & Collaboration was involved in that ancient fire research, and Chip Colwell, editor-in-chief at Sapiens.org, is chair of the Board of Directors here at Archaeology Southwest.)
I wrote that column in the summer of 2020, during the height of the fire season, when more than 100 fires were blazing across the American West.
I write this note in the early morning hours of January 9. It doesn’t seem like January should be peak fire season anywhere except the Southern Hemisphere, where it is summertime. But January wildfires in southern California are common, driven by the demonic Santa Ana winds that blow east to west across the region with astonishing ferocity.
There are now five huge fires burning north and west of Los Angeles, including two of the largest wildfires in California history. When I went to bed last night there were three; when I woke up there were two more, including one in the Hollywood Hills, where I have family. Last time I checked (go to https://inciweb.wildfire.gov/ to see the federal fire database), there was zero containment of any of the five conflagrations. At this morning’s count, five people are dead and more than 2,000 structures have already been destroyed. It’s bad, and it’s going to get worse.
Humans have a long, fascinating, and some might say troubled relationship with fire. We can’t live without it, but it can be exceedingly dangerous to live with it. There can be a fine line between a well-cooked meal and an unspeakable tragedy.
The archaeological record suggests that humans have controlled fire for tens of thousands of years, but that record is still murky enough that we still don’t know exactly when our ancestors first gained the ability to truly control fire, from start to finish.
I’m not religious, and I certainly don’t believe in a singular “God” somewhere out there in the cosmos who controls everything, least of which our human destiny. I do, however, believe that human beings would be wise to continue paying attention to the highly complex natural, ecological processes that have developed on this planet over the eons, including fire ecology. Some, including me, refer to these processes under the general, abstract rubric of Mother Nature.
Whatever I, or you, may believe, it is a scientific fact that natural, periodic, and low-level wildfires are good for many forest and grassland ecosystems in the American West. Indeed, those ecosystems are adapted to wildfire. Fire kept them in balance for millennia; they are now out of balance because of human activity.
It is a scientific fact that our planet is getting warmer because we humans have been burning fossil fuels for the last few centuries. It is also a fact that well-intended but ecologically misguided fire suppression policies of the last 150 years have created forest and grassland ecosystems that are dangerously unhealthy and now prone to exceedingly destructive wildfires. A likely proposition deriving from the above: Wildfires in the American West will continue to get larger, more frequent, and more destructive until, ultimately, there is nothing left to burn.
Plainly, we need to pay even more attention to what Mother Nature is telling us. I’m sorry, Los Angelenos, for what you are suffering through. Dear readers, I hope your loved ones are safe.
Until next week,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Banner image: Joshua Tree National Park, courtesy of NPS/Brad Sutton
Meet the Newest National Monuments
The proclamations name the Chuckwalla National Monument in Southern California near Joshua Tree National Park and the Sáttítla National Monument in Northern California. The declarations bar drilling and mining and other development on the 624,000-acre Chuckwalla site and roughly 225,000 acres near the Oregon border in Northern California. … The Pit River Tribe has worked to get the federal government to designate the Sáttítla National Monument. The area is a spiritual center for the Pit River and Modoc Tribes and encompasses mountain woodlands and meadows that are home to rare flowers and wildlife. … “The protection of the Chuckwalla National Monument brings the Quechan people an overwhelming sense of peace and joy,” the Fort Yuma Quechan Tribe said in a statement. “Tribes being reunited as stewards of this landscape is only the beginning of much-needed healing and restoration, and we are eager to fully rebuild our relationship to this place.” Colleen Long and Matthew Daly for AP (via Indian Country Today) | Read more »
Jan. 11 Rally at Utah State Capitol to Protect Public Lands
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance [SUWA] and other conservation groups are staging a rally Saturday at the Utah State Capitol, warning Trump could once again seek to reduce the two monuments. The event will also protest Utah’s pending lawsuit seeking control of millions of acres of federally managed land. In a news statement, SUWA organizers said the rally will “demonstrate unwavering local support for protected public lands and wild places across Utah.” Erin Alberty for Axios Salt Lake City | Read more »
Publication Announcement: From Paternalism to Self-Determination
Lefthand-Begay, C., Redmore, L., Armatas, C. et al. From paternalism to self-determination: examining evolving tribal-federal relationships and co-management arrangements through three case studies. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 12, 30 (2025). Read now (open access) »
Position Announcement: Staff Archaeologist (Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM)
Los Alamos National Laboratory, based in New Mexico, is seeking applicants for a full-time, permanent, staff archaeologist (Environmental Professional 2) in the Cultural Resources Program which is part of the Laboratory’s diverse Environmental Protection and Compliance Division. You will be part of a large team of professional archaeologists that identify, document, update, and manage over 2,000 archaeological resources spanning 10,000 years of human activity across approximately 40 square miles-including some of the largest and most complex Ancestral Pueblo sites on the Pajarito Plateau. You will join a team of cultural resources specialists who support the Laboratory’s mission by ensuring compliance with federal and state cultural resources laws and regulations including Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Los Alamos National Laboratory | Learn more »
January Live Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
Jan. 13, John E. Ninnemann, Fred Harvey & Mary Jane Coulter: Innovation and Architecture Built a Legend; Jan. 20, Joseph H. Suina (Cochiti Pueblo), Our Pueblo Feasts; Jan. 27, Mark Asquino, Spanish Connections: My Diplomatic Journey from Venezuela to Equatorial Guinea. $20 at the door. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
Jan. 15 In-Person Event (Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, AZ): Darkness Departing: Watching the Night Skies Vanish
With Joseph Rice. Rice has been working with the park service since 2023 in the Interpretation & Education division here at Casa Grande Ruins. He has an interest in the Night Sky and how people can enjoy the dark skies. The Speaker Series is funded by the Friends of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The program begins at 1:00 p.m. in the Casa Grande Ruins visitor center theater at 1100 W Ruins Drive, Coolidge AZ 85128. There is no fee for the program, and entrance to Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is free.
REMINDER: Jan. 16 Online Event: If the Shoe Fits
With Kevin Gilmore. Gilmore will present “If the Shoe Fits: Subarctic-style Moccasins and the Apachean Journey from the Northern Dene Homeland to the Precontact Southwest” from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. MST. Moccasins replaced sandals in the Southwest in the 1300s CE. Moccasin-wearing Apache and Navajo ancestors entering the Southwest as early as the 1300s may have influenced this change. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
Jan. 18 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Chinese and Mexican Markets of the Barrio Viejo
With Kathé Kubish. Barrio Viejo is Tucson’s second oldest neighborhood. During its nearly 100 years in existence, generations of residents lived, worked, and shopped within the barrio boundaries. Grocery stores, bakeries and “meat stores” were an essential component of barrio existence, and they have a fascinating history. For decades, Chinese and Mexican markets existed side by side. Some specialized, many others simply supplied everyday needs. Some lasted a few years, others, decades. $5 per person; 2:00 p.m. in the Monsoon Room at JoJo’s Restaurant, 201 N. Court Ave. Salon and Saloon Series (Presidio San Agustín) | Learn more »
Jan. 18 In-Person Workshop (Tucson AZ): How Did People Make Stone Tools?
With Allen Denoyer. You will use ancient techniques and replica tools to create a stone projectile point. Learn about the history of stone tools and their uses. Explore the intricate components of complete hunting technology beyond just the points. Beginners are welcome! Open to individuals 18 years and older. $50. Hands-On Archaeology (Archaeology Southwest) | Learn more and register »
Jan. 23 In-Person Event (Sedona AZ): The Sierra Ancha Cliff Dwellings, Then & Now
With Richard C. Lange. The Sierra Ancha Cliff Dwellings are a series of pre-Columbian Native American cliff pueblos located in the Sierra Ancha Wilderness. They were built between 1280 and 1350, likely by people who migrated from the Ancestral Pueblo Kayenta region. The Sierra Ancha is home to several prominent ruin sites known as the Devil’s Chasm Fortress, the Canyon Creek Ruins, the Pueblo Canyon Ruins, the Cold Springs Canyon Ruins, and the Cooper Forks Canyon Ruins. Collectively they have been called the Cherry Creek Ruins. 3:30 p.m., Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Rd. Verde Valley Chapter, Arizona Archaeological Society | Email Linda Krumrie for more information »
Feb. 4 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Connecting and Dividing
With Matthew E. Hill. Hill will discuss “Connecting and Dividing: Dogs and European Colonists, Enslaved Africans, and Native Americans in the Chesapeake Bay Region, 1600-1800s.” At the time of European colonization, people in the Chesapeake Bay region were divided by race, class, and gender. Dr. Hill will show the complicated role of dogs in this socially dynamic region and highlight how they both connected diverse cultures and created divisions among people. 5:30 p.m., SAACA’s Catalyst Creative Collective, lower-level west wing of Tucson Mall, intersection of Oracle and Wetmore Rds. Refreshments available. Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Learn more »
Feb. 8 In-Person Driving Tour (Metro Tucson AZ): Tucson and Marana Yoeme Communities
With Felipe S. Molina. Molina was taught the Indigenous language, culture, and history of the Yoemem (Yaqui Indians) by his maternal grandfather and grandmother, his grandmother’s cousin, and several elders from Tucson’s original Pascua Village. A steady stream of Yoeme migrated into southern Arizona to escape the Mexican government’s war on and deportations of the Yoeme in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. By 1940 there were about 3,000 Yoeme in Arizona, mostly living in the well-established villages of Libre (Barrio Libre) and Pascua (Barrio Loco) in Tucson, Yoem Pueblo and Wiilo Kampo in Marana, and others near Eloy, Somerton, Phoenix, and Scottsdale. Mr. Molina will lead this tour to places settled historically by Yoeme in the Tucson and Marana areas including Bwe’u Hu’upa (Big Mesquite) Village, the San Martin Church and plaza in the 39th Street Community (Barrio Libre), Pascua, Ili Hu’upa, Wiilo Kampo, and his home community of Yoem Pueblo including its San Juan Church and plaza. Participants provide their own transportation. Registration and prepayment ($35) are due 10 days after reservation request or by 5:00 p.m. February 5. Old Pueblo Archaeology Center | Learn more »
Feb. 13 Online Event: Pueblo Identity & the People of Kuaua Pueblo
With Matthew Barbour. The term “Pueblo” is problematic. It was used by the Spanish to refer to many different ethnic groups living in the American Southwest at the time of European contact. All of these groups shared the trait of living in villages but had different languages and customs. This presentation explores the multi-ethnic composition of the people referred to as “Pueblo” through the lens of the occupation history of Kuaua Pueblo, known today as Coronado Historic Site. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center | Learn more and register (free) »
Feb. 20 Online Event: Enslaved to Entrepreneur
With Paula King Harper. The Wilson Pottery Pioneers, Hiram, James, and Wallace Wilson, reached Texas as enslaved men in 1856 and were brought to the small community of Capote outside of Seguin. After their arrival, they learned pottery-making skills while assisting their enslaver in building a successful pottery business. Following the Civil War, during the post-slavery era, they were granted some land and equipment in Capote by their former enslaver, allowing them to apply their trade as potters to establish and maintain their own pottery business. Historians consider the Wilson potters to be the first African businessmen in Texas, a fact included in Texas history public textbooks. This presentation will explore the Wilsons’ journey to Texas, how pottery success was achieved, and current activities of the Wilson descendants who keep the story and legacy alive. Friends of the Texas Historical Commission | Learn more and register (free) »
The Wilsons’ former kilns are a National Register Archaeological District.
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!