Threats to Parks and Sites in Utah, Repatriation Proponent Honored, Call for Applicants to SAA Native American Scholarships

Southwest Archaeology Making the News – A Service of the Center for Desert Archaeology

- Decision Forthcoming on Drilling Near Utah’s National Parks: More talks set for Tuesday could resolve objections to oil and gas drilling near some of Utah's national parks. Denver-based regional Park Service director Mike Snyder is trying to stop the auction of 50,000 acres of drilling parcels on or near the borders of Arches National Park, Dinosaur National Monument and Canyonlands National Park.
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/081125/ut_national_parks_drilling_preview.html?.v=1
http://deseretnews.com/article/0,5143,705265756,00.html

- Mixed Reaction to BLM Plan for Southeastern Utah: The Monticello field office of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Monday released its long-term plan for 1.8 million acres of public property in San Juan County and parts of Grand County, home to thousands of ancient Indian relics in one of the nation's most significant archaeological regions.
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_11009918

- World Archaeological Congress Honors Repatriation Pioneer Larry Zimmerman: Archaeologist Dr. Larry J. Zimmerman turned the page on the world of archaeology with the discovery of the eroded and looted site of the 1330s Crow Creek Massacre along with nearly 500 human remains in central South Dakota. Zimmerman’s insistence on reburial put him in the midst of a brewing controversy pitting the established archaeological practice of cataloging and storing human remains for later study against the very real concerns of the living Native people, who insisted on the respectful treatment of their ancestors.
http://www.indiancountrytoday.com/national/34891559.html

- Kudos to Arizona Archaeologist Jerry Howard: Dr. Howard is the recipient of the 2008 Historic Preservation Award for "Lifetime Contribution to Archaeology" from the Mesa Historic Preservation Committee. Dr. Howard was recognized for his efforts to preserve the Mesa Grande ruins as an educational and cultural site. He was also honored for leading a team of volunteer archaeologists known as SWAT (SouthWest Archaeology Team) on numerous projects around Arizona that include survey work, excavation and the stabilization of historic sites including old adobe schoolhouses and stagecoach stops.
http://www.cdarc.org/page/jond - Phoenix Travel Examiner

- Museum Event Yields Information on Paleoindian Sites: Utah State University’s Museum of Anthropology saw some of the highest attendance numbers in its history Saturday, hosting about 200 people during its first “Prehistoric Artifact Roadshow.” Following the structure of PBS’s popular program, “Antiques Roadshow,” the participants sat across from experts who analyzed their treasures, relating information about their age and history.
http://hjnews.townnews.com/articles/2008/11/24/news/news01-11-24-08.txt

- Celebrate the Holidays at Gila Cliff Dwellings: Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Superintendent Steve Riley announced that through the generous donation of the Monument’s volunteers’ time, both the Gila Cliff Dwellings and the multi-agency Gila Visitor center will be open on all three holidays this winter: Thanksgiving, November 27; Christmas, December 25; and New Year’s Day, January 1, 2009. The trailhead to the dwellings is open daily from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. On holidays, the Gila Visitor Center will be open on slightly reduced hours of 9:00 am to 4:00 pm; regular hours on all other days are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. Call the Gila Visitor Center at 575-536-9461 or check the website below for current road and weather conditions.
http://www.nps.gov/gicl

- Position Announcement, University of Colorado at Boulder: Curator of Cultural Anthropology and Assistant Professor, tenure-track position, jointly with the Museum of Natural History and Department of Anthropology. Applicants should have a Ph.D. with specialization in cultural Anthropology, as well as museum experience. Strong preference is for candidates with Southwestern and/or Plains material culture research and publication, NAGPRA experience, teaching experience, and strengths in contemporary anthropological and museological theory. Responsible for curation of cultural anthropological collections from the Native American Southwest, West, and Plains (and limited materials from the Pacific, Africa, Asia); teaching graduate and undergraduate courses; and advising M.A. and Ph.D. students in Anthropology and Museum & Field Studies. Applications will be reviewed beginning November 2008, and continue until the position is filled. Steve Lekson (Lekson@Colorado.edu) may be contacted for further information. Apply to posting #805531 at the following link.
http://www.jobsatcu/

- Scholarship Opportunity, Society for American Archaeology: Over the last decade, the Society for American Archaeology has awarded 11 Arthur C. Parker Scholarships and 31 National Science Foundation Scholarships to Native American and Native Hawaiian students and professionals. These scholarships have provided a range of training opportunities in archaeological methods, including fieldwork, analytical techniques, and curation. The deadline for the 2009 competition is December 15, 2008. For more information on the program and the silent auction that supports a portion of it, refer to the following link.
http://www.cdarc.org/sat/saa_n-am-scolarship.doc - MS Word Document
Application materials may be found at the website below.
http://www.saa.org/aboutSAA/awards/ACParker/

- Tour Opportunity, Deer Valley & Spur Cross Ranch Petroglyphs: On Saturday December 6, Allen Dart and Shelley Rasmussen will offer a guided fundraising tour to see hundreds of ancient petroglyphs and the museum at Deer Valley Rock Art Center north of Phoenix, and more petroglyphs in Spur Cross Ranch Regional Park near Carefree, Arizona. For more information about the tour and fees, and to make reservations, contact Allen Dart at Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, 520-798-1201, or info@oldpueblo.org. Information is also available at the following link.
http://www.oldpueblo.org/december.html

- Free Publications on Conservation Documentation: The Getty Conservation Institute is pleased to announce two new publications on conservation documentation for cultural heritage places, Guiding Principles and Illustrated Examples. These two publications are now available as free downloads at the following link.
http://www.getty.edu/conservation/publications/pdf_publications/recordim.html

- New Documentary on Heritage Preservation in Eastern Turkey: An ancient Armenian capital in the heart of the South Caucasus region, Kars alternately came under Byzantine, Turkish, Georgian, Russian, and Armenian control. Until recently, the Kars Historic District was a poor squatter settlement, a backwater without city services such as sewage, waste management and utilities. Global Heritage Fund is working with the Kars Municipality, the Turkish Government, and others in eastern Anatolia to mix historic preservation and urban revitalization with community development and sustainable tourism. The project is described in Saving Turkey’s Treasures: Eastern Anatolia, Turkey, the latest video feature on our nonprofit streaming-media Web site, The Archaeology Channel.
http://www.archaeologychannel.org

Thanks to Brian Kenny and Adrianne Rankin for their contributions to today’s newsletter.