Stop Crimes Against History on Tribal Lands

This year, the FIRST LEGO League introduced the UNEARTHED theme, challenging students to find solutions to real-world problems in archaeology. At Save History, we were eager to support several schools in exploring current issues in archaeology, including Skyline Gila River School here in Arizona and schools as far-flung as Illinois, Iowa, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon,…

SaveHistory.org, our collaborators, including the Yakama Nation are proud to present the latest edition of the children’s activity book: Save Indigenous History – Yakama Nation Collaboration.   About the Book Protecting cultural heritage starts with education. The Save Indigenous History activity books give children and families meaningful ways to learn about archaeological sites and the…

Stewardship of the land isn’t some new-fangled idea—it has been around since time immemorial. It is also the cornerstone of SaveHistory.org’s campaign to eliminate archaeological resource crime from Tribal and federal lands. With this in mind, the team at SaveHistory.org combed YouTube to find out how similar campaigns tried to reach the hearts and minds…

By Fermin Lopez (Pueblo of Pojoaque, THPO), Michael Spears (MOS Research, LLC), and Sean O’Meara (MOS Research, LLC) June 24, 2025 In the heart of the verdant northern Rio Grande Valley lies the Pueblo of Pojoaque, which is known in Tewa as P’osuwäegeh’ówîngeh, meaning “Water Drinking Village.” The Pueblo has a rich living cultural heritage…

By Sean O’Meara and Michael Spears, Principal Investigators at MOS Research, LLC April 15, 2025 The Pueblo of Nambé recently completed an important site protection project at one of their ancestral Pueblos with support from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Archaeology Southwest’s Save History & ARPA Assistance Initiative. For decades, this ancestral Pueblo had…

This blog is part two of a two-part series highlighting burial and cultural property law templates drafted to support Tribal Nations’ protection of their heritage on their lands. This second blog focuses on burial and cultural property preservation laws and Tribes. If you’d like to read about Tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and self-governance as general legal…

This blog is part one of a two-part series highlighting burial and cultural property law templates drafted to support Tribal Nations’ protection of their heritage on their lands. This first blog focuses on Tribal sovereignty, self-determination, and self-governance as general legal concepts here in the United States. If you’d like to read about burial and…

Call for Indigenous Artists & Illustrators Save History and the Yakama Nation are seeking up to five Indigenous artists with a preference for artists from the Yakama Nation and Pacific Northwest Tribes (must be U.S. citizens) to illustrate a Children’s Activity Book. The book will be shared on SaveHistory.org, in print, and on Save History…

By Anastasia Walhovd, Preservation Archaeologist and Save History Staff Member Save History is a collaboration of archaeologists, law enforcement, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to end archaeological resource crime on Tribal lands. This work brings our staff to Tribal lands across the United States, and recently we had the rare pleasure of visiting Washington…

We are excited to offer an advanced ARPA (Archaeological Resources Protection Act) damage assessment training in Phoenix, February 3–7, 2025. This advanced training is designed for archaeologists who will lead damage assessments. We are actively seeking professionals with work or lived experience in Tribal Nations to join our network of on-call partners who assist with…

In 1979, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) was passed. The law’s intention is to protect archaeological sites on Federal and Tribal land. The people who steward and care for the land that these sites are on have the responsibility to uphold the law when they see ARPA violations. The Save History campaign educates the…

In 1979, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) was passed. The law’s intention is to protect archaeological sites on Federal and Tribal land. The people who steward and care for the land that these sites are on have the responsibility to uphold the law when they see ARPA violations. The Save History campaign educates the…

In 1979, the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) was passed. The law’s intention is to protect archaeological sites on Federal and Tribal land. The people who steward and care for the land that these sites are on have the responsibility to uphold the law when they see ARPA violations. The Save History campaign educates the…

The Save History Crew led a 40-hour training on the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) for cultural resource managers and law enforcement at the Bureau of Indian Affairs office in Billings, Montana this past July. We had about 30 students in attendance with professionals working with Federal Agencies and Tribes coming from states such as…

Martin McAllister died at his home in Missoula, Montana on April 8, 2024.  He was 75. For those even peripherally involved in the preservation of this nation’s cultural heritage resources for the past half century, Martin’s name and fame are widely known.  It was my pleasure to meet Martin in 1993 when I was a…

The following is the full version of this article. An abbreviated article is available here.  NAGPRA, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, was passed on November 16, 1990, and includes criminal penalties for persons who traffic in Native American Human Remains and Cultural Items (all defined under the Act). The law was further…

This is an abbreviated version of the full text available here. NAGPRA, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, was passed on November 16, 1990, and includes criminal penalties for persons who traffic in Native American Human Remains and Cultural Items. Section 3 of the law established a new way of dealing with items…

Save History is seeking five Indigenous artists who belong to Oklahoma-based Tribal Nations (must be U.S. citizens) to illustrate Save Indigenous History: A Children’s Activity Book—Oklahoma Edition. This book will be shared on SaveHistory.org, in print, and on Save History social media. What is Save History? Save History is a collaborative effort by Tribal organizations,…

Ashleigh and Angeline Boulley pose with the author’s latest novel, Warrior Girl Unearthed.   Warrior Girl Unearthed by acclaimed Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley is a young adult novel set in Anishinaabe land of northern Michigan. This young adult novel introduces us to Perry Firekeeper-Birch, a spirited 16-year-old who embarks on a summer adventure unlike any…

We are excited to announce the release of Save Indigenous History: An Activity Book for Children. This 30 page book is full of activities, coloring pages, and educational material that teach kids about respectful visitation of archaeological sites.  Five talented Indigenous artists illustrated many of the pictures for this project, including: Xenia Berejnoi (Yaqui Yoeme…

Ashleigh and Shannon at the 9th Annual Repatriation Conference hosted by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation at the Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, Shawnee. From November 7–9, 2023, the Save History team attended the 9th Annual Repatriation Conference hosted by the Association on American Indian Affairs and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Attendees included…

Happy Native American Heritage Month! This November, we are releasing a video series about respecting Indigenous places of cultural and spiritual significance.    First, we hear from Barnaby Lewis, Gila River Indian Community Tribal Historic Preservation Officer. He discusses the impacts development has on cultural resources, as well as the lack of justice when people…

Save History is seeking up to five Indigenous artists (must be U.S. citizens) to illustrate a Children’s Activity Book. The book will be shared on SaveHistory.org, in print, and on Save History social media channels. What is Save History? Save History is a collaborative effort by Tribal organizations, archaeologists, federal and Tribal law enforcement, and…

Kayla Shaggy is a Diné and Anishinaabe multimedia artist, who, in her own words, “really loves making comics.” Kayla’s resume is impressive. She illustrated for Unsolved Mysteries on Netflix. She also did cultural consultation for Navajo characters for INTERIOR/NIGHT, an award-winning video game studio. Because of her skill, background, and belonging to Indigenous communities, the…

Ndee (Western Apache) communities often avoid ancestral sites and places associated with the past out of respect. Ndee communities demonstrate such respect in the form of avoidance to protect both community members and archaeological sites from potential harm. Most importantly, avoidance helps maintain Gózhó, a state of balance and harmony in the world. However, desecration,…

Photo credit: Tyrel Iron Eyes The Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) protects archaeological resources on Tribal and federal lands and requires that archaeologists conduct a damage assessment. In order to conduct a damage assessment, land managers, archaeologists, and law enforcement collaborate to assess the damage. During this process, the vandalism or damage is recorded, mapped,…

Ashleigh Thompson, Director of Tribal Collaboration at Archaeology Southwest, interviewed Dr. Doreen Bird (Kewa Pueblo) about the importance of protecting cultural landscapes. Bio: Doreen Bird, PhD, MPH is from Kewa Pueblo, New Mexico. She has worked for the protection of sacred places such as Chaco Canyon in New Mexico, Bears Ears Monument in Utah, Mauna…

Who We Are We are professional archaeologists and resource managers with career and organizational commitments to the protection and appropriate uses of heritage sites and objects—places and things inherited from the past and still valued today. The Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and Archaeology Southwest are dedicated to the proposition that archaeological and historical…

Archaeological sites are fragile and non-renewable. The impacts of our visits to sites can add up to significant damage. But there are ways to appreciate these special places and preserve them for future generations.   “I always stress respect. Everything is a sacred, living entity. Everything has a spirit… Every place you go should be…

  “Archaeological sites being ‘abandoned’ doesn’t mean that they’re abandoned in the spiritual world. They are still a part of this culture. Tangible aspects were left there so that people don’t forget.” Kenny Bowekaty, as told to Stacy Ryan   Kenny Bowekaty is from the Pueblo of Zuni and has worked as an archaeologist for…

  “Native people have been dealing with desecration of not only our homelands but our burials and our sacred places for ages and ages and ages. It’s nothing new to us.” Pete Coffey, as told to the Art Bust podcast   By Shannon Cowell with Pete Coffey–One Feather In 2014, Pete Coffey–One Feather received gruesome…

Archaeological Resource Crime is a Wicked Problem John R. Welch, Landscape and Site Preservation Program Director People around the world agree that taking stuff that’s not theirs and digging up graves is wrong. So why do these wrongs keep happening? Why are they common, almost universal? Why have several generations of community leaders and law…

What Does a Crime Against History Look Like? Stacy Ryan, Preservation Archaeologist A crime against history, or an archaeological resource crime, refers to violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act. Prohibited acts include the theft, vandalism, and trafficking of cultural items and human remains that are at least 100 years of age. These acts are…