(September 30, 2025)—Earlier in September, the four of us had the privilege of attending the 2025 National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers’ (NATHPO) Annual Conference & Sacred Places Summit in Reno, Nevada. Amy Gillaspie, Anastasia Walhovd, Shannon Cowell, and I spent four days at the conference. The gathering was hosted by the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony, which comprises three distinct Peoples: the Numu, the Newe, and the Washeshu, also known as the Northern Paiute, Western Shoshone, and Washo, respectively. I’d like to start by thanking them for being such gracious hosts! Ahéhee’!
If you aren’t familiar with NATHPO as an organization, here is a little about who they are and what they do from their official website (accessed 09/22/25):
“The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (NATHPO) is a non-profit membership organization of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers (THPOs) that supports and encourages Tribal historic preservation programs. We provide guidance to preservation officials, elected representatives, and the public about national historic preservation legislation, policies, and regulations. We promote Tribal sovereignty, develop partnerships, and advocate for Tribes in governmental activities on preservation and funding issues.”
THPO offices are invaluable partners for Archaeology Southwest (ASW) across all our programming. Almost all our projects, past and current, require collaborating with a Tribe’s THPO office at some point. I became very aware of this fact earlier this year when funding for the Historic Preservation Fund (which funds many THPO offices) was not released, and funds for next year’s federal budget were threatened to the point of being obliterated. It worried me greatly to think what impacts would happen if Tribes that rely on federal funding for their THPO could not find other ways of funding these offices.
THPOs are not always Indigenous, they often are, and sometimes they are enrolled members of the Tribe they serve. THPOs serve multiple roles beyond their official responsibilities, such as enforcing ARPA and NAGPRA, and consulting with municipal, county, state, and federal governments for projects that affect their Tribal Territory. Importantly, THPOs often are traditional knowledge- and language holders who are vital to their communities’ cultural wellbeing. Were these offices not funded in the future, I really struggle to see how ASW would carry out our mission. This is why we joined efforts to tell Congress and the current administration just how important THPO offices are to the protection of land and heritage across the country.
The relationships that ASW has with THPO offices across the Southwest and beyond are why I jumped at the opportunity to attend the conference. I feel it is important to understand the issues that NATHPO and individual THPOs are holding as priorities. And, of course, meeting people in person, sharing meals, exchanging stories, and networking is always important both personally and in my role as Director of Tribal Collaboration. Additionally, our teams that work in NAGPRA and ARPA feel the same—that these relationships, conversations, and experiences with THPOs and their teams are vital to the strong foundations and futures we strive to build alongside and with these Partners.
The conference started with a field trip to a petroglyph site, then moved on to Lake Tahoe, and ended with a visit to the Stewart Indian Boarding School. I was grateful that we were able to ground ourselves in place to start the conference, as I have spent very little time in the Great Basin or in that part of Nevada specifically. It was great to learn about the Tribes and Peoples who have called that land home since time immemorial. Getting the chance to swim in Lake Tahoe was also an incredible experience that I hope to have again in the future.
Ending the day at the Stewart Indian Boarding School was a bittersweet experience. On the one hand, knowing that many children put in these schools never got to return to their homelands is a heavy feeling and, on the other hand, it was inspiring to see that the Reno Sparks Indian Colony is working to ensure that the school’s history is truthfully told. Amy had the experience while visiting Stewart Indian School of texting with a close friend whose grandmother and aunt both attended Stewart. They discussed what the staff at Stewart shared with attendees, and that different generations endured and experienced wildly different stays as students of Stewart. Amy was able to step aside for a few moments and offer silent reflection.
The Conference came full circle when we had the chance to watch an incredible film, “Remaining Native,” on the last day. The film follows Kutoven Stevens (Yerington Paiute) as he trains to run for the Oregon Ducks in his senior year of high school. Parallel to his journey, he recounts the story of his great-grandfather, who was a student at Stewart Indian Boarding school. His great-grandfather was eight years old when he decided to run away from the school, a 50-mile journey back home. Three times his great-grandfather ran away before he was permitted to remain at home.
Around the same time as the filming of “Remaining Native,” the Department of the Interior, under Secretary Deb Haaland’s leadership, launched its Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative. This initiative was in response to the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at Kamloops Indian Residential School in Canada. (Another documentary to watch regarding Indian Boarding Schools, specifically in Canada, is “Sugarcane.”) The federal initiative revealed thousands of marked and unmarked graves at Indian boarding schools across the US. More than 200 child graves were discovered at Stewart Indian Boarding School alone.
With this revelation, Kutoven then set out to honor his great-grandfather by running the 50 miles from his hometown to the school in a “Remembrance Run.” I highly encourage readers to find a screening of this extremely powerful film. Not only does it tell the truth about Stewart Indian Boarding School, but it also shows how Indigenous communities are healing from this trauma while simultaneously honoring their Ancestors who never returned from “school” and their relatives who did survive these terrible places. The film hit particularly hard after seeing the school in person and sharing the theater with people whose parents and grandparents were forced to attend the school.
I will now “pass the pen” to my colleagues to share their experiences.
Anastasia
Going to the NATHPO Annual Conference feels simultaneously uplifting, difficult, and grounding. I think I speak for many archaeologists across the US when I say that the threats to federal funding for THPOs and SHPOs (State Historic Preservation Officers) left us all feeling overwhelmed, deeply worried, and somewhat helpless.
I am grateful SHPOs, THPOs, and advocates banded together and overcame threats to federal funding earlier this year. Still, concerns about changes to the implementation of vital laws such as NEPA (National Environmental Protection Act) still loom large in the consciousness of those of us who work in heritage preservation. This conference provided a space to discuss those concerns, batten down the hatches, and get ready to dive into the rising waves again. These conversations were simultaneously the most difficult and uplifting parts of attending the conference.
As Sky pointed out before, the full title of the conference is the NATHPO Annual Conference & Sacred Places Summit. And when they say Sacred Places Summit, they mean it! This year’s host was Michon Eben, the THPO for the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony. She is a fierce advocate for her community, and I admire her tenacity and commitment. Michon was the best tour guide for the Sacred Places Summit I could have imagined.
There is nothing quite as grounding and powerful as taking people out into nature. In fact, the landscape on this trip was so powerful, it convinced me to jump into Lake Tahoe! I have heard about Lake Tahoe my entire life, but now I’ve stepped on its pine needles, gotten its sand in my shoes, and shaken the crisp, cold water out of my clothes. Those memories of Lake Tahoe, the Sierra Nevada, and the Great Basin have come back home with me, and I will remember them fondly. Trust that I will find any excuse I can find in support of protecting sites under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act to make it back to these stunning and irreplaceable landscapes.
NATHPO as an organization does so much work that goes unrecognized in support of our nation’s THPOs. Day in and day out, their staff helps provide training, grants, libraries of resources, advocacy in our nation’s capital, and even a THPO Medicine Circle. If you haven’t thanked NATHPO staff or their partner THPOs recently, make sure to give them a shout out. This dedication was demonstrated directly to me during the conference—and I’m not even a THPO!
SaveHistory.org released our newest collaborative children’s activity book—Save Indigenous History Yakama Nation Collaboration—during the NATHPO conference. We gave out copies of the book to attendees, but there was a miscommunication between our staff and NATHPO’s staff about how to get individually printed coloring pages on the table. Within a few minutes, NATHPO’s staff was on the case. I insisted that I would help hand out these coloring pages table-by-table during the conference to lighten the load, but before I could say “archaeological resource crime,” printed pages were already on every single table of the conference.
From the little things like printed pages to the big things like advocating on the national stage, NATHPO is on it. I personally would like to say chi-miigwech, thank you very much, to the staff of NATHPO and all the partners who make this conference happen each year. Its importance in bringing together THPOs and those working towards shared cultural preservation goals can not be overstated. I look forward to attending next year and learning from those who are at the forefront of taking care of heritage places.
Shannon
I feel fortunate to have attended the NATHPO conference two years in a row. It’s a privilege I value, as I always leave feeling re-engaged and re-energized. The experience gave me a greater appreciation for the difficult and vital work that THPOs carry out every day, and a renewed sense that Archaeology Southwest can play a contributing role in holistic and persevering Tribally-led efforts to protect cultural landscapes.
With its big blue skies and sagebrush-dotted landscapes, the Great Basin holds a special place in my heart, so returning to Reno felt like coming full circle. Early in my career, I worked in Nevada on several archaeological surveys tied to mining projects. Being back 15 years later brought gratitude for the changes and opportunities in my career, as well as reflection on the impacts of that past work. I was especially grateful to learn more about current mining issues in the panel session “Mining, Refining, and Gigafactories: How the Lithium & Critical Minerals Economy is Harming Great Basin Indigenous Peoples.” I admire the dedication and courage of those working to confront these challenges and press for greater consideration of impacts on health, land, and life.
From those early days, I also remember buying Sarah Winnemucca’s Life Among the Piutes in a Reno bookstore (after being firmly corrected on how to pronounce NevAAAda). Hearing her complicated legacy discussed at the conference, directly from our Paiute hosts and in their homelands, was powerful. I also appreciated learning more about the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony and their role within the city of Reno, along with the economic opportunities that come with it. I made a point to shop at the Walmart on their land once I knew that sales taxes go to the Tribe.
My favorite moments came during the field trips. There’s something nostalgic about piling onto a bus as a large group, sharing stories and laughter while taking in the sweeping views. From joking about the Donner Party to “smelling the science,” it was a joy to learn together in that way. The experts and guides at each site were so generous with their time, humor, and knowledge. I left with deep appreciation for their teaching and generosity.
Amy
This was the first NATHPO conference I have attended in my career, which spans “archaeologist,” “museum professional,” “volunteer coordinator,” “instructor,” and now the Project Coordinator for Archaeology Southwest’s agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to assist with their NAGPRA efforts. I’m grateful to have attended this conference, as I have spent the past year working with many THPOs across the United States, and know I will be working with many more in the years to follow.
As a non-Indigenous person of European/settler descent, I understand the privilege I have in being in spaces like the NATHPO Conference. I am grateful to the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony as our gracious and welcoming hosts, who created a wonderful and warm event for us all. I also thank all the folks who led our tour buses, shared cultural knowledge and histories with us at stops along the way, and spoke with me and others about their work, their lives, and their experiences.
What stands out to me when I attend a conference like this is the care for people. Starting a conference with the trips Sky and others described above is not common at other conferences I have attended in the past. When field trips are provided, oftentimes and regrettably, the relationships have not been nurtured to where we are hearing about the sites, locations, and land from those who have lived or have ties to them since time immemorial. This is noticeable and jarring to me. In contrast, we started our conference with trips that included lunch at Lake Tahoe, and this grounded me and reminded me what I was there for.
I have a close friend who has shared with me in the past, in long conversations, that their Grandmother and Aunt both attended Stewart Indian School. Throughout our visit to Stewart, I texted this friend, while also talking with staff and docents about their family members who had attended there at the same time as my friend’s Aunt. My friend shared what I was also learning at Stewart—that different generations experienced wildly different “schools” while staying at and attending Stewart. My friend’s Grandmother would never speak of her experience at the institution, but they told me their Aunt enjoyed her experience. I am still processing what walking around the school grounds while texting my friend, hearing them share close stories about their family member’s lives, meant to me, and how much closer it brought the reality of these boarding schools home to me.
Again, I am so grateful to have attended this conference, and I look forward to attending again in 2026. Thank you to all who made the conference, presentations, visits, meals, and conversations so warm and welcoming.