Dear Friends,
What’s happening these days? A lot, it turns out.
Tonight, a “Blood Worm Moon,” caused by a total lunar eclipse, will occur after midnight. The name refers to back to Farmer’s Almanac-style insights on increased earthworm and perhaps insect activity as the northern hemisphere warms up in Spring. So, a Blood Worm Moon is a good portent with a creepy name.
Pi Day occurs tomorrow. Math nerds like me take a certain amount of unholy glee in celebrating all things mathematical just because three digits of an irrational number arrive on our calendars once per year. You may find me in the produce section of the local grocery store examining the Fibonacci sequence on pineapples. (Don’t call the cops—I’m harmless.)
“Beware the ides of March,” a soothsayer whispered to Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play, in reference to March 15.
Like Shakespeare, these days I oscillate between comedy and tragedy, irreverence and gloom, levity and despair.
These are terrifying times for nonprofits, government workers, and a host of other folks. They may get tougher—the US Congress faces a self-imposed funding deadline tomorrow, Pi Day. As I type this note it is not yet clear whether the federal government will shut down Friday at midnight. If it does, things are going to get even worse before they get better. This deadline is a metaphor for our times.
Nevertheless, Archaeology Southwest’s amazing team is doing the best we can and will continue to fight for what we believe in—utmost respect for sites and landscapes, the stories they hold, and the people they serve.
This weekend, however, we’re going to have some literary fun, if not comedic relief, for we’ll be at the Tucson Festival of Books!
This annual festival, now in its 16th year, has developed into one of the finest literary festivals in the world, and Archaeology Southwest has been there for most of those years.
Stop by Booth 475B (on the main University of Arizona mall just west of Cherry Street) to meet our staff, learn about what we do, watch ancient technology demonstrations by the one-and-only Allen Denoyer, and learn about our Bureau of Indian Affairs-funded Save History program, among other activities. If you are not yet an Archaeology Southwest supporter, our development and membership teams will be there to sign you up. Hope to see you, local friends!
Peace,
Steve Nash
President & CEO, Archaeology Southwest
Continuing Coverage and Commentary: Concern Mounts as Review of National Monuments Continues Behind Closed Doors
Most importantly, to us, [Secretary] Burgum’s order ignores places, and the history and wisdom embedded in them. Burgum’s order means that 138 national monuments are being scoured not to make best use of the landscapes they conserve, the economies they sustain, or the experiences and services they provide to all Americans, but for their potential to boost already-skyrocketing profits for powerful corporations and their shareholders. John R. Welch, Paul F. Reed, and Skylar Begay in the Tucson Sentinel | Read more »
In Secretary Burgum’s orders, the administration was careful not to even mention national monuments or the Antiquities Act by name, referring only to the latter by its obscure statutory number. Why the stealth attack? Likely because the administration knows that dismantling our national monuments is a deeply unpopular move. Steve Bloch, Aaron Paul, and Heidi McIntosh in the Salt Lake Tribune | Read more »
[Nick] Streit, also the executive director of Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, said he hopes the new secretary realizes pursuing changes to the monument is the “wrong tree to come barking up.” The monument and other public lands in the Taos area have been an important resource for his fly fishing and guiding business, Streit said. In addition to protecting the area, the designation helped increase visitation and raised the profile of the river. Moreover, he said, the move was popular among residents. Alaina Mencinger for the Santa Fe New Mexican | Read more »
National Parks Saw Record Visitation Numbers in 2024, but…
America’s national parks saw more than 331 million visits last year, a record. But the Trump administration does not want to call attention to those numbers, according to a National Park Service memo, amid mass firings of rangers and other employees at the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Arches and other popular destinations. The internal memo, issued on Wednesday, said the agency would “not issue a press release or other proactive communications, including social media posts” regarding the numbers. …
“The National Park Service just reported the highest visitation in its history, as the administration conducts massive firings and threatens to close visitor centers and public safety facilities,” said Kristen Brengel, the senior vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, a nonpartisan group. She said the numbers showed that Americans love national parks and warned that the cuts would mean closed campgrounds and canceled ranger programs and would curtail the ability to conduct search and rescue activities as peak travel season arrives. Lisa Friedman for the New York Times | Read more »
“They have my ancestor’s remains at the Smithsonian”
Content warning: This story contains explicit details regarding the remains of Indigenous people.
The facts sat like stones in my guts. I tossed and turned in the dark, thinking about how my great-great-grandfather’s skull was in the Smithsonian. It seemed too bizarre to be true. How could my family member be in some institution’s box on a shelf? I felt sick. I regretted having opened up the email earlier that day. I shouldn’t have searched the database right before sleeping, either. I turned off my phone, closed my eyes and tried to sleep. But for a long time, I lay in bed, in a state of shock. Eden Fineday for IndigiNews | Read more »
Reward Offered for Tips on Petroglyph Vandalism near Bishop CA
The Bureau of Land Management Bishop Field Office is offering a $1,500 reward for information on the individuals responsible for damaging petroglyph panels at the Volcanic Tableland, north of Bishop. The perpetrators vandalized three locations within the site. “Those responsible have destroyed an irreplaceable part of our national cultural heritage,” said Bishop Field Manager Sherri Lisius. “We have increased surveillance of our sites and are determined to bring the responsible parties to justice.” Andrew Howe for KIBS FM/KBOV AM | Learn more »
Webinar (Prerecorded): Rollbacks to Section 106
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order Declaring a National Energy Emergency (EO)—a manufactured crisis designed to bypass critical permitting reviews. Under this EO, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is directing federal agencies to sidestep Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, a cornerstone of preservation law that has safeguarded our tribal, community, and national heritage for decades.
This order means that agencies can suspend consideration of historic properties for any project an agency claims is related to energy production—regardless of its actual necessity. We are concerned that agencies will fast-track projects without public input, meaningful consultation with Tribes, or any obligation to avoid or mitigate damage to historic sites, sacred places, and cultural landscapes. If left unchallenged, these directives could result in irreversible destruction to the places that define our history and identity. Cultural Heritage Partners PLLC | Watch now »
Podcast: Water, Land, and Identity
Dr. Karletta Chief, Director of the Indigenous Resilience Center at the University of Arizona, leads initiatives for Tribal water security and community-driven climate solutions. Dr. Chief, a Diné hydrologist and professor, shares how growing up in Black Mesa on the Navajo Nation has influenced her current work. She emphasizes the importance of utilizing traditional knowledge alongside western science, and ensuring Indigenous communities’ central role in decision-making. We learn about the powerful mission of the Indigenous Resilience Center, and Dr. Chief shares her hopes for empowering the next generation of Indigenous youth to lead and innovate in their communities. Science Moab | Listen now »
Internship Opportunity: Cultural Resources Management, Kirtland Air Force Base (Albuquerque NM)
Kirtland Air Force Base (AFB) is hiring an intern for our cultural resources management program – the position is for an undergrad or grad student (current or recently graduated). The intern will by hired by Colorado State University’s Center for Environmental Management of Military Lands (CEMML) as part of the Early-Career Development Program (ECDP). This is a paid internship and includes health insurance. Work will be conducted onsite and via telework; Kirtland AFB will provide a laptop for remote use. There are several hundred archaeological and historic buildings/sites/districts, which span from the Clovis period through the late Cold War. This is a great opportunity to gain experience working for the federal government and to interact with other federal and state agencies. The scope of the internship can be modified based on the intern’s research interests or development goals. Colorado State University | Learn more »
March Live Lectures (Santa Fe NM)
March 17, Larry Dalrymple and Lea Armstrong, Their Heritage Their Tradition: Resilience of Native American Basket Artists; March 24, William Taylor, Hoof Beats: Horses in Human History and the Southwest; March 31, Spencer Lucas, Rethinking Mass Extinctions. $20 at the door. Southwest Seminars | Learn more »
March 15–16 In-Person Event: Tucson Festival of Books
In its 16th year and not to be missed! Archaeology Southwest welcomes you to booth 475B. Learn more »
REMINDER: March 17 Online Event: Piecing Together the Legacy and Remote Data Puzzle: Architecture and Monumentality in Eastern Honduras
With Anna Cohen. In our era of remote sensing archaeology and legacy datasets, multiple lines of evidence should be integrated to document a landscape-view of rapidly disappearing Indigenous landscapes. This study brings together several datasets derived from airborne lidar, satellite imagery, and pedestrian survey to present a large-scale (>650 km2) synthesis of the archaeology of the Wampu River system, a part of eastern Honduras with a long but inconsistent history of research. Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: March 20 Online Event: Crossing the Akimel to Snaketown: The Ancestral Connection to Modern-Day O’Odham
With Reylynne Williams. The ancient O’Odham village of Snaketown along the Gila River became famous for archaeology expeditions there in the mid1930s and mid-1960s. Ms. Williams will present her Akimel O’Odham perspective on Snaketown. Third Thursday Food for Thought series (Old Pueblo Archaeology Center) | Learn more and register (free) »
REMINDER: March 20 In-Person Event (Tucson AZ): Between a Rock and a Hard Place: O’odham Reasons to Revolt (or Not), 1751–1752
With Dale S. Brenneman. In late November 1751, thousands of O’odham rose up in widespread rebellion. Spaniards were caught completely off-guard as O’odham rebels, over the course of five days, attacked missions and Spanish communities, killing two Jesuit priests and some one hundred Spanish settlers while ransacking and burning mission churches and structures. Although the revolt effectively ended with a decisive Spanish victory over the rebels at Arivaca on January 5, 1752, investigations into its causes went on for several years, producing a massive body of documentation that includes 41 O’odham reports, testimonies, and other statements recorded by various Spanish officials. This talk will take you through some of the insights we gain from these regarding O’odham experiences of mission life, complexities of interrelationships and individual motivations, and mixed loyalties within the milieu of missionary and Spanish rule. 6:00 p.m., Whiskey del Bac, 2106 N. Forbes Blvd. Arizona State Museum | Learn more »
REMINDER: March 20 In-Person Event (Portales NM): Cynthia Irwin-Williams and North American Archaeology in the 20th Century
With Steve Nash and Paul Reed. Cynthia Irwin-Williams (CIW) enjoyed a remarkably prolific archaeological career that was cut short at the age of 54. Her career touched on a wide range of topics important to North American archaeologists in the 20th century. In this presentation, Steve and Paul will critically engage CIW’s myriad contributions to North American archaeology while examining the challenges posed by the sociopolitical and historical milieu in which she worked until her untimely death in 1990. Cynthia taught Anthropology at ENMU from 1964 to 1982. Eastern New Mexico University | Learn more »
March 22 In-Person Event (Marana AZ): Meet the Monument
2025 marks the 25th anniversary of the proclamation that created the Ironwood Forest National Monument. Come celebrate with us. Free. Friends of Ironwood Forest | Learn more »
Archaeology Southwest will have a booth at this event and Skylar Begay , Director of Tribal Collaboration, will be giving a talk.
REMINDER: March 27 In-Person Event (Sedona AZ): Mother Bears Ears and the Women’s Park: Exploring Women’s History in the Greater Mesa Verde Region
With R. E. Burrillo. The greater Mesa Verde region encompasses Mesa Verde National Park and Bears Ears National Monument, along with adjacent and interstitial areas. Women have played a number of key roles in the history of this region, as reflected in the archaeology, written histories, and cultural narratives found throughout it. This lecture will present examples from these three overlapping perspectives. 3:30 p.m., Sedona Public Library, 3250 White Bear Rd. Arizona Archaeological Society, Verde Valley Chapter | Learn more (scroll down) »
March 27 In-Person Event (Tubac AZ): To Settle on One out of Many
With Richard and Shirley Flint. The Coronado scholars discuss various possible interpretations of Coronado-era artifacts recently recovered near Nogales AZ. Specifically, they explore the question, “Can Individual Sixteenth Century Sites Be Successfully Discriminated Within a Wide and Busy Corridor from Sonora to Chichilticale?” 3:00 p.m., Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, 65 Avenida de Otero. $45 ticket includes appetizers and drinks. Tubac Historical Society | Learn more »
April 1 In-Person Event: Old Dogs, New Tricks: An Overview of Canine Zooarchaeology
With Brandi Bethke. Bethke’s research focuses on understanding interactions between humans, animals, and the landscape in the North American Plains from the late precontact period to the present day through the integration of zooarchaeology, oral history, geospatial analysis, and theory and methods from Indigenous and Collaborative archaeology. This is the last in Archaeology Café’s 2024–2025 “paw-some” season of lectures featuring “Dogs! Exploring Canine Cultural Histories in North America,” which dives into the fascinating relationship between humans and canines and how dogs in past societies have influenced art, stories, and daily life. Archaeology Café (Archaeology Southwest) | Learn more »
April 10 Tour: Magdalena de Kino Day Trip
Immerse yourself in the culture of northern Mexico on this day trip to the Sonoran community of Magdalena de Kino. The town is a pueblo mágico and is famous for being the terminus of an annual pilgrimage bringing together the three cultures of the borderlands. 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., $195. Borderlandia | Learn more »
Save the Dates: Oct. 3–5, New Mexico Statewide Historic Preservation Conference
The Historic Preservation Division, in partnership with Cornerstones Community Partnerships, is reviving the New Mexico Statewide Historic Preservation Conference. The conference, Viva Vegas ’25, will be held October 3-5, 2025, in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Preserve New Mexico | Learn more »
Remember to send us notice of upcoming events and webinars, tours and workshops, and anything else you’d like to share with the Friends. Thanks!