The Archaeology Month lecture at the museum was well-attended. The lecture title was, A Tale of Two Canyons: How Ancient Native American Sites Have Entered Into Activist and Extremist Ideologies and Why That’s a Really Bad Thing By Jody Patterson Ph.D.
Abstract:
Recapture Canyon, located just east of Blanding, Utah, houses hundreds of archaeological sites spanning several millennia of prehistoric and historic occupation. Pueblos, granaries, small cliff dwellings, and rock art are close to several easily accessible routes into and within the canyon. The spectacular cultural resources of the canyon have made it a popular attraction for locals’ and visitors’ recreational use for many years with very few problems. However, when unauthorized trail improvements were made and motorized access to the canyon closed indefinitely, Recapture Canyon became a symbol for various interest groups with land use ideologies at opposite ends of the political spectrum. In this presentation, we examine the implications of using cultural resources as leverage in the larger land management debate and compare how similar Section 106 processes resulted in very different outcomes for Recapture and Nine Mile canyons.
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