Part Five: Indigenous Voices in Parks and Protected Areas

Indigenous Voices in Parks and Protected Areas: Applied Ethnography from the American Southwest to Central Australia 

 

CHAIR: STOFFLE, Richard (U Arizona) 

 PANELISTS:SITTLER, Christopher (U Arizona) Interpreting Interpretations: Native Voices in Public Displays 

STOFFLE, Richard (U Arizona) Stone Arches as GeoFacts in Utah National Parks: Epistemological Divides in Environmental Communication 

VAN VLACK, Kathleen (Living Heritage Rsch Council) Sky Watchers: Indigenous Astronomy in Two National Parks 

PLESHET, Noah (U Arizona) Indigenous Engagement in Parks and Protected Areas in Central Australia KAYS, Cameron (U Arizona) American Indian Traditional Spring Cleanings 

PENRY, Grace (U Arizona) The Identification of the Shinny Stick and Its Significance for Native American Women 

ALBERTIE, Mariah (U Arizona) Aztec Butte Sacred Or Profane

 

ABSTRACT: 

STOFFLE, Richard (U Arizona) Indigenous Voices in Parks and Protected Areas: Applied Ethnography from the American Southwest to Central Australia. Indigenous peoples are reaffirming their connections with traditional lands and resources through formal consultations within government agencies. To this end, they have collaborated with applied anthropologists to conduct ethnographic studies that have informed governance and decision-making by land managers and tribal governments. This session showcases a range of ethnographic studies in National Parks and National Monuments in the Southwest— Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, and Hovenweep National Monument—conducted by our University of Arizona (UofA) research team. One panelist offers a comparative perspective from central Australia, based on work as an applied anthropologist on cultural and natural resource management projects undertaken by Indigenous governments. This panel documents how studies have influenced how the NPS and Government agencies understand cultural resources, publicly interpret them, and utilize these insights in park management. 

 

Session took place in Portland, OR at the 79th Annual Meeting of the Society for Applied Anthropology in March 2019.