FALL NEWSLETTER 2025
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Extending program impact through outreach......pages 1-2 Crow Canyon Interns contribute to the mission.....pages 3-4 New CRM Field School: A successful, one-of-a-kind program..... pages 5-6
Extending program impact through outreach There’s nothing quite like standing, fully present, on the land in the Southwest, especially when surrounded by an intimate group of fellow learners and talented educators helping us think more deeply about ancestral places and their relationships to the landscape. The experience is truly transformational as past travelers will attest. This is the uniqueness of Crow Canyon’s Cultural Explorations program which has been taking inquisitive learners out onto ancestral landscapes for decades to help facilitate greater connection to and understanding of the many diverse cultures and histories of the American Southwest. Of course, travel to this part of the world isn’t accessible for everyone, and as an organization focused on making the human past accessible and relevant, we look for creative ways to make these lessons available to more people. Continued...
The weekly webinar series is one way. Since 2020, we’ve hosted hundreds of webinars featuring a wide array of topics by Indigenous knowledge holders, cultural specialists, researchers, academics, and educators. These webinars are seen by tens of thousands of people around the world, both live and through our YouTube channel. In July 2025, we hosted a special webinar presentation featuring an original short film and two of our dear friends and colleagues, Hopi educator Lyle Balenquah and author Craig Childs. The film, Glen Canyon Rising, was inspired by a 2024 Cultural Explorations travel seminar by the same name. Laura Brown, Crow Canyon film producer, Lyle, Craig, and the Crow Canyon Cultural Explorations team envisioned bringing important perspectives about Glen Canyon to a larger audience. As Laura explains, “This project came together over the last couple of years during a time when Glen Canyon has been a hot topic in the news…Glen Canyon has a lot of water, and it means a lot to many and has for a long time—many people in many cultures. Now, we have generations of people coming to this place in the last 60-70 years and they have no idea what it is, what it was before, what it is underneath, what the future really holds for this place. So, this is a very big topic.” In the film and subsequent webinar conversation, Lyle Balenquah shares not only the heartfelt connections that Hopi people have with Glen Canyon, but also present-day realities his community faces when it comes to water scarcity, water access, and the future. He reminds us of the Hopi people’s traditional values of sustainability and encourages sustainable use of our land, water, and air. Since the film’s airing, Glen Canyon Rising has had more than 13,300 YouTube views, while the 2024 Glen Canyon travel seminar had 12 participants. We’re grateful to be able to extend the reach of important stories like these to so many people who want to learn and grow. It’s experiences like these —whether on the land or through mediums like film and webinars—that help us expand our knowledge, respect and appreciate cultural heritage, and consider solutions to modern-day challenges. Extending program impact through outreach (Cont’d)
If you haven’t already, you can see the film and recorded webinar on our YouTube channel.
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Crow Canyon Interns contribute to the mission Every year, Crow Canyon hosts two sessions of interns. They live on campus for 10 weeks and contribute to our research, education programming, and collaboration with Indigenous partners. Six eager interns joined us for Session I (May 11—July 18) and four more for Session II (July 27— Oct. 3). Here are highlights of their contributions: Madison Drew, Field Intern, worked primarily at the Haynie site. One of her projects was to carefully clear post-occupational roof fall within a surface room. This work helps us better understand the sequence of occupation and use of space over time. Madison is a Ph.D. student in archaeology at the University of New Mexico, focusing on prehistoric Southwest ornamentation, ritual practices, and ceremonial objects.
Clancy Gonzales, Field Intern, also worked at the Haynie site. One of his projects was to examine pottery sherds uncovered during surface excavations. His contributions support ongoing efforts to respectfully study and share knowledge of the past in ways that acknowledge cultural continuity and uphold Indigenous perspectives. Clancy is a master’s student in archaeology at Utah State University, with interests in lithics and subsistence strategies in the U.S. Southwest and Great Basin.
Lydia Evans, Zooarchaeology Intern, spent time in the lab analyzing animal remains from the Haynie site, focusing on materials from a suspected turkey pen to better understand how ancestral communities related to animals as part of daily life, tradition, and environment. Lydia is a Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois, studying domestic human-animal relationships and community-based archaeology. Kalitta Iron (Diné), Education Intern, helped develop a new digital Diné Story Map for Crow Canyon’s remote learning initiatives. Her efforts contribute to helping shape how Indigenous stories and perspectives are shared in digital spaces. Kalitta attends Northern Arizona University, focusing on cultural and biological anthropology, archaeology, and Indigenous studies. Emily Reed, Archaeobotany Intern, helped set up a new Environmental Archaeology Lab and spent time analyzing tiny, charred plant remains from the Haynie site—including samples from the suspected turkey pen. Studying these ancient remnants helps reveal the continuity of traditions that have nourished Pueblo people for generations. Emily is a recent graduate of the University of Texas at Austin.
(above, from left to right) Session I interns, Kalitta Iron, Clancy Gonzales, Madison Drew, Emily Reed, Stefania Wilks, Lydia Evans
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Crow Canyon Interns contribute (Cont’d) Stefania Wilks, Archaeobotany Intern, also studied charred plant remains from the Haynie site—including remarkably preserved corn cobs and kernels dating back centuries. Her work helps us better understand the deep history of this vital crop and honors the enduring relationship between people and the land. Stefania is a Ph.D. student at the University of Utah, studying what people ate and how they adapted to environmental changes. Alexa Uberseder, Laboratory Intern, has been conducting artifact analysis in the lab. One of her projects involves heavy fraction sorting from flotation samples collected from the Haynie site. This work helps better understand artifact assemblages and lithic material types at a micro scale. Alexa is a graduate student in anthropology at Eastern New Mexico University, focusing on serrated lithic technology in south-central Utah. Laney Brink, Laboratory Intern, has been focused on artifact analysis and identification. Laney designed her own research project to study the absorbed and physical residue produced during carbon paint production within corrugated pottery. Her primary interests are in the intersections of chemistry and cultural heritage, focusing on how scientific analysis of ancient materials can help uncover previously unknown information. Laney is a recent graduate of the University of the Peloponnese "Archaeological Sciences" MSc program. Izzy Gilliam, Field Intern, has been studying a presumed front room from an earlier Pueblo I room block at the Haynie site. Her efforts are important to understanding the sequences of occupation and the cultural continuity of the site. Izzy is a recent graduate from Colorado College in anthropology and museum studies. Riff Denbow, Field Intern, has been studying a pit structure at the Haynie site that was constructed prior to the west great house and underlies a portion of its footprint. Riff helped uncover evidence of two occupations instead of one as previously documented. His efforts help us understand cultural continuity and length of usage of the site. Riff is a recent graduate from CU Boulder in anthropology and geology.
(above, from left to right) Session II interns, Alexa Uberseder, Laney Brink, Izzy Gilliam, Riff Denbow
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New CRM Field School: A successful, one-of-a-kind program
This summer, 11 students from universities across the U.S. came to Crow Canyon to participate in a 2-week intensive Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Field School. They walked away with significant experience— both practical and ethical. “This field school is unique in that it’s driven by industry needs: what skills do companies and agencies want from new hires,” explains Kelsey Hanson, CRM Field School
Co-Director and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Texas at Arlington.
Paper presentation: "Preparing Students for Tomorrow’s Archaeology: Lessons from the Crow Canyon CRM Field School," Authors Kelsey Hanson and James Potter Poster: "Crow Canyon’s Cultural Resource Management Field School: Updates from the 2025 Field Season," Authors Kegan Roady, Matt Steber, Kelsey Hanson, James Potter Poster: "Low-Cost Drones in Archaeology: Evaluating Recreation-Grade UAVs for Site Documentation at the Hawkins Preserve," Authors Will Ryan and Kelsey Hanson CRM Field School students and directors present at the Pecos Conference
CRM is the process of identifying, evaluating, preserving, and managing cultural and historical resources, including archaeological sites, historic buildings, artifacts, and landscapes, often in compliance with environmental and preservation laws and to facilitate responsible development. Most archaeologists today work in CRM, and employers can include government, land agencies, and private firms. “This is not a traditional field school,” explains Jim Potter, CRM Field School Co-Director and Crow Canyon Board Trustee. “Most archaeology field schools are oriented around a professor’s research, and students go out to a site and dig. Ours is strictly a training program to develop skills needed to enter the workforce. We’re not collecting data or oriented around research. This is one of the only field schools focused exclusively on workforce training.” Students are trained in site documentation techniques by recording previously recorded sites at the Hawkins Preserve in Cortez. They also participate in a mock site project that provides students with a real-world scenario to think through without affecting the archaeological record. This year, specialists in geophysical survey came to talk about this important technology and how it’s used in CRM.
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New CRM Field School: (Cont’d) “The CRM process involves more than work in the field,” explains Jim. “ It involves working with regulatory agencies and lots of tribal consultation. We aim to give students a well-rounded perspective on the entire process. Students come out of it not only with technical skills of recording a site, but a fuller understanding of all the stakeholders in the process.” For example, in addition to learning from CRM-specialized archaeologists, this year’s students heard from Crow Canyon Executive Vice President of Indigenous Affairs, Theresa Pasqual. She spoke about the ethics of stewardship and shared her perspective as a former Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for Acoma Pueblo. Students also heard from Fermin Lopez, who spoke about the ethics of working with Indigenous communities. Fermin is an alumnus of the 2024 CRM Field School program and a Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Pueblo of Pojoaque Historic Preservation Office. “Students enrolled in the CRM Field School are also enrolled in a college course, and they get college credit for it. If students do well (which they all did this summer), they can receive a recommendation letter from one of the program directors to support their job searches,” explains Kelsey. With two years of this new program behind us, we’re thrilled with its success so far and excited about its potential to impact the industry. Of the students who have completed the program and have their degrees in hand, 80% now hold CRM positions. The 2025 Field School students are still enrolled in school but are poised for similar successes once they graduate.
Learn more about CRM Field School at CrowCanyon.org/crm-field-school
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is a nonprofit organization located near Mesa Verde National Park in southwest Colorado. Our Mission: To empower present and future generations by making the human past accessible and relevant through archaeological research, experiential education, and American Indian knowledge. Our Vision: To expand the sphere in which we operate, both geographically and intellectually, and show how the knowledge gained through archaeology can help build a healthier society.
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center 23390 Road K, Cortez, CO 81321 800-422-8975 info@crowcanyon.org CrowCanyon.org
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