Bear Shamans in Early California — Bert Alfred Gerow, 1915 ...3).pdfFounded 1966 Volume 38, Number...

Founded 1966 September 2004Volume 38, Number 3

— Bear Shamans in Early California— Bear Shamans in Early California— Bear Shamans in Early California— Bear Shamans in Early California— Bear Shamans in Early California

— Bert Alfred Gerow— Bert Alfred Gerow— Bert Alfred Gerow— Bert Alfred Gerow— Bert Alfred Gerow, 1915-2001, 1915-2001, 1915-2001, 1915-2001, 1915-2001

— Eliminate the SHRC?— Eliminate the SHRC?— Eliminate the SHRC?— Eliminate the SHRC?— Eliminate the SHRC?

NorCal DSM Nov 6NorCal DSM Nov 6NorCal DSM Nov 6NorCal DSM Nov 6NorCal DSM Nov 6ththththth

Shasta College, ReddingShasta College, ReddingShasta College, ReddingShasta College, ReddingShasta College, Redding

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SCA Newsletter 38(3)

A quarterly newsletter of articles and information essentialto California archaeology. Contributions are welcome.Lead articles should be 1,500-2,000 words. Longer articlesmay appear in installments. Send submissions as hardcopy or on diskette to: SCA Newsletter, Department ofAnthropology, CSU Chico, Chico CA 95929-0400 or asemail or attachments to:

<[email protected]>

The SCA Executive Board encourages publication of awide range of opinions on issues pertinent to Californiaarchaeology. Opinions, commentary, and editorialsappearing in the Newsletter represent the views of theauthors, and not necessarily those of the Board or Editor.Lead article authors should be aware that their articlesmay appear on the SCA web site, unless they requestotherwise.

Editorial StaffManaging Editor . . . . . . . Greg White (530) 898-4360

Contributing EditorsAvocational News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena NilssonCuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cindy StankowskiEducation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Elena NilssonFederal Agency News . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russ KaldenbergHistorical Archaeology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . openInformation Centers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynn CompasMembership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vicki BeardNew Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denise ThomasOHP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael McGuirtLegislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stephen BryneCASSP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris and Beth PadonState Agency News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . open

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On The Cover—Illustration by P.D. Schmidt and Greg White.

Society for California Archaeology Newsletter

Volume 38, Number 3, September 2004

Regular Features

From the PresidentAmy Gilreath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

SCA Business and ActivitiesLegislative Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4OHP Liaison . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6CASSP Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Pit River NAPC Workshop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Looking for Candidates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10NorCal Data-Sharing Meeting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Annual Meeting Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Bennyhoff Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12CAAMP Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

News and AnnouncementsElimination of SHRC? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16New Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16New NAGPRA Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16SAA Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Historic Preservation Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17New CDF Publication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18New Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Out of the PitsA “Phase Shift” in California CRM Mark Q. Suttton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

In Memorium: Bert Alfred Gerow, December 26, 1915-August 9, 2001Richard T, Fitzgerald, William R. Hildebrandt, and Alan Leventhal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Articles

Bear Shamanism and Social Control in Native California SocietiesSandra E. Hollimon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

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SCA Business OfficeDepartment of AnthropologyCalifornia State University, ChicoChico, CA 95929-0401

Ph (530) 898-5733Fx (530) 898-4220

M/Th 8:00-5:00W 12:00-5:00

[email protected]

report recommends the dissolution ofthe SHRC (replacing it, as needed,with ad hoc appointments), and a majorre-organization that will affect OHPand the programs that it will be able tocarry out. An SCA Newsflash wascirculated to members based on theinformation provided to the SHRC.Elsewhere in this issue, Shelly Davis-King, who attended the SHRCquarterly meeting, provides moredetails of that briefing.

Shifting gears, please take note ofthe Annual Meeting Call for Papersand Sessions presented in this issue.Kelly McGuire and Bill Hildebrandt,as the Program Co-Chairs, look forwardto receiving your submissions so thatthey may begin to schedule theprogram. With a plenary session,Native American Influences on theStructure and Composition ofPrehistoric Ecosystems, on Fridaymorning, followed by concurrentsessions Friday afternoon, all daySaturday, and Sunday morning, therewill always be something of interestscheduled.

Again, we ask members toencourage a student to present a paperor poster at the Annual Meetings. Tobe considered for the Student PaperAward – a $250 cash award, an AwardsBanquet ticket, and an SCA certificate– students need to submit their papersto the SCA Business Office byFebruary 1.

Again, we ask members to put forthnominations for our prestigious awards.These include the LifetimeAchievement Award, the CaliforniaIndian Heritage Preservation Award, aswell as our name-sake awards, theMartin A. Baumhoff SpecialAchievement Award, the James A.Bennyhoff Memorial Fund Award, theMark Raymond Harrington Award forConservation Archaeology, theThomas F. King Award for Excellencein Cultural Resources Management,and the Helen C. Smith Award forAvocational Society Achievement.

The “new” Proceedings processhas, in fact, turned outto be “improved.”

From the President

SCA Business OfficeDepartment of AnthropologyCalifornia State University, ChicoChico, CA 95929-0401

Ph (530) 898-5733Fx (530) 898-4220

M/Th 8:00-5:00W 12:00-5:00

[email protected]

SCA Executive Board 2002-2003

President: Dana McGowan, Jones&Stokes Associates,2600 V Street, Sacramento, CA 95818;W: (916) 739-3095; email: [email protected]

Immediate Past President: Sannie K. Osborn, PresidioTrust Building, 230 Gorgas Avenue, P.O. Box 29052, SanFrancisco, CA 94129-0052; W: (415) 561-5090.email: [email protected]

President-Elect: Elena Nilsson, URS Corporation, 1550Humboldt Road, Suite #2, Chico, CA 95928;W: (530) 893-9675. email: [email protected]

Southern Vice-President: Thomas L. Wheeler, CaltransSLO, 50 Higuera Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401;W (805) 549-3777; H (805) 547-0763;Fax: (805) 549-3233; email: [email protected]

Northern Vice-President: Richard Fitzgerald, Caltrans,District 04, 111 Grand Ave., Oakland , CA; 94623-0660(W) 510 622-1747; (H) 925 335-2454; email:[email protected]

Secretary: Vicki Beard, Tom Origer And Associates,P.O. Box 1531, Rohnert Park, CA; 94927;(W) (707)792-2797; email: [email protected]

Treasurer: Trish Fernandez, c/o SCA Business Office,Department of Anthropology, California State University,Chico, Chico, CA 95929-0401 ;[email protected], ATTN: SCA Treasurer.

SCA Business Office: Greg White, Department ofAnthropology, CSU Chico, Chico, CA 95929-001;(530) 898-4360; email: [email protected]

Visit our web site:

www.scanet.org

SCA Executive Board 2004-2005

President: Amy Gilreath, Far Western AnthropologicalResearch Group, Inc., 2727 Del Rio Place, Suite A,Davis, CA 95616; W: (530) 756-3941.email: [email protected]

Immediate Past President: Elena Nilsson, URSCorporation, 1550 Humboldt Road, Suite #2, Chico, CA95928; W: (530) 893-9675.email: [email protected]

President-Elect: Shelly Davis-King, Davis-King &Associates, P.O. Box 10, Standard, CA, 95373-0010.Tel: (209) 928-3443.e-mail: [email protected]

Southern Vice-President: Terry Jones, Social SciencesDepartment, CalPoly, San Luis Obispo, 1 Grand Avenue,San Luis Obispo, CA 93407; W (805) 756-2523;email: [email protected]

Northern Vice-President: Karin Anderson, RedwoodNational and State Parks, Cultural Resources, P.O. Box7, Orick, CA 95555. Tel: (707) 464-6101 x 5210.e-mail: [email protected]

Secretary: Janine Loyd, P.O. Box 7602, Cotati, CA, 94931.Tel: (707) 584-8200.e-mail: [email protected]

Treasurer: Stacy Schneyder, Jones&Stokes Associates,2600 V Street, Sacramento, CA 95818; W: (916) 739-3000; email: [email protected]

SCA Business Office: Greg White, Department ofAnthropology, CSU Chico, Chico, CA 95929-001;(530) 898-4360; email: [email protected]

With bath-tub rings evident inour reservoirs and the wailof fire-engines in the distant

background, it must be Fall again. Andwith Fall, I look forward to the Data-Sharing Meetings and theopportunities they provide to catch-upon the news of colleagues and friends.I hope we had a chance to visit at theSeptember 11, Southern Data-SharingMeetings held at Fort Hunter Liggett.I look forward to seeing others of youat the Northern Data-SharingMeetings at Shasta College inRedding, on November 6.

Two state-government issues arereceiving SCA attention this Summerand Fall. At the time of this writing, SB18 has passed out of the Assembly andthe Senate, and is on the Governor’sdesk for signature or veto. This is amuch-revised version of last year’sproposed legislation regardingtraditional tribal cultural places. SB 18now requires cities and counties toconsult with tribes regarding sacredsites, when creating or modifying land-use plans. An August 20 article byKevin Yamamura in the SacramentoBee reports “Schwarzenegger has nottaken a position on the bill, accordingto his press office. But a Republicananalysis noted that Schwarzenegger’sadministration has suggest it is ‘OKwith SB 18 in its current form.’ Thebill by Senate President Pro Tem JohnBurton, D-San Francisco … allowstribes to purchase land and acquireconservation easements to protectmeaningful sites.”

The second issue stems from theCalifornia Performance Review (CPR)report. A briefing provided by OHPstaff in early August to the StateHistoric Resources Commissioninformed Commissioners that the

(continued page 20)

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Committee ReportsCommittee ReportsCommittee ReportsCommittee ReportsCommittee Reports

Legislative LiaisonStephen BryneSCA Legislative Liaison

Congress may apologizeto American Indians

The U.S. Congress iscontemplating officially apologizingfor the mistreatment of AmericanIndians by the United States. Thebill’s author, Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., notes the controversy that killedan earlier attempt to produce acongressional apology to thedescendents of former slaves but saidthe circumstances are different forAmerican Indians. The bill says theUnited States, “acknowledges years ofofficial depredations, ill-conceivedpolicies, and the breaking of covenantsby the United States governmentregarding Indian tribes” and“apologizes on behalf of the people ofthe United States to all native peoplesfor the many instances of violence,maltreatment and neglect inflicted onnative peoples by citizens of theUnited States.” The bill neitherauthorizes nor serves as any claimagainst the federal government.

Congress prepares forsacred site debate

Nick Rahall, D-Virginia, theranking Democrat on the HouseResources Committee, claims thatNative American sacred sites are atrisk and he has offered an amendmentto the Department of Interior’s FiscalYear 2005 budget to protect them.Rahall says that the amendment isneeded to protect sacred sites safefrom land developers. According toRahall’s office, his legislation“prohibits any funds appropriated inthe FY 2005 Department of Interiorbudget to be used to adversely affectthe physical integrity of Indian sacredsites on federal lands.” According to

Rahall, despite laws aimed atprotecting religious freedom forAmerican Indians and respect fortraditional land, there is noenforceable law currently on the booksthat protects the lands from energydevelopment. Nationally-recognizedsacred sites include the Zuni Salt Lakein New Mexico and Medicine Wheelin Bighorn National Forest inWyoming.

California Missions

The Senate and HouseSubcommittees on National Parksheld hearings in March on theirhouse’s bills (HR 1446 and S 1306)related to the preservation ofCalifornia’s mission buildings andartifacts. Although the State bill (SB987) that would have provided $10million of Proposition 40 bond fundingto the California Missions Foundationdied without making it out of theSenate’s Appropriations Committee.Questions have been raised regardingthe funding ($10 million to be grantedthrough the Department of theInterior) and whether it would, perSenator Barbara Boxer, “violateConstitutional provisions requiring theseparation of church and state.” Theagreement reached requires theDepartment of Justice to issue afinding that there would be noviolation of the First Amendmentbefore funds could be released. Sincethe legislation requires matchingfunds, it remains to be seen if the StateLegislature will resurrect some form ofSB 987.

National Congress of AmericanIndians Resolution # MOH-04-002

This resolution urges theimmediate separation of all NAGPRAimplementation activities from theNational Park Service. The resolutionstates that, “there is growing concernthat the National Park Service ishampered in the proper enforcementof NAGPRA because of conflicts ofinterest that arise out of its complianceresponsibilities which are in conflictwith its enforcement duties as

SCA Business and Activities

SCA Committees 2004-2005SCA Committees 2004-2005SCA Committees 2004-2005SCA Committees 2004-2005SCA Committees 2004-2005

Advanced Annual Meeting PlanningTom Origer (707) 584-8200;[email protected].

Archaeology Month RepresentativesLaura Leach-Palm(530) 756-3941;[email protected]

Annual Meeting Local Arrangements, 2005Glenn Gmoser (916) 651-8167;[email protected]

Annual Meeting Program Chairs, 2005Kelly McGuire (530) 756-3941;[email protected] Hildebrandt (530) 756-3941;[email protected]

Bennyhoff Memorial AwardPatricia Mikkelsen (530) 756-3941;[email protected]

CA Arch Site Stewardship ProgramChris Padon (562) 432-1801;[email protected] Padon (562) 432-1801;[email protected]

Curation RepresentativeCindy Stankowski (619) 239-1868;[email protected]

Education/AvocationalElena Nilsson (530) 893-9675;[email protected]

FundraisingEena Nilsson (530) 893-9675;[email protected] McGowan (916)-739-3095;[email protected]

Information Center LiaisonLynn Compas (916) 739-8356;[email protected]

Legislative LiaisonStephen Bryne (415) 458-5803;[email protected]

MembershipVicki Beard (707) 584-8200;[email protected]

Native American ProgramsJanet Eidsness (530) 629-3153;[email protected]

NewsletterGreg White (530) 898-4360

[email protected]

OHP LiaisonMichael McGuirt (916) 653-8920;[email protected]

ProceedingsSharon Waechter (530) 756-3941;[email protected]

Professional Standards and GuidelinesLynn Gamble (760) 371-1320;[email protected]

SCA WebmasterGreg White (530) 898-4360;[email protected]

SCA Business OfficeMelinda Pacheco (530) 898-5733;[email protected]

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NAGPRA’s goal of repatriatingancestral remains to Indian, NativeHawaiian and Alaskan communitiesconflicts with the National ParkService’s mandate to promotearcheological research and stewardshipof cultural resources.”

Senate Bill 18: TraditionalTribal Cultural Places

Senate Bill 18, a.k.a. the “SacredSites” bill, passed in the CaliforniaSenate and Assembly and is nowawaiting the Governor’s signature.This bill will require a city or county,prior to the adoption or amendment ofa general plan, to conductconsultations with California NativeAmerican tribes for the purpose ofpreserving places, features, and objectsprotected by specified provisions ofthe Public Resources Code that arewithin the city’s or county’sjurisdiction, and requires the city orcounty to maintain the confidentialityof information concerning the specificidentity, location, character, and use ofthose places, features, and objects.While existing state and federal lawsprovide some protection for NativeAmerican religious practices andsacred sites, tribes have complainedthat development decisions thatadversely affect these sites are oftenmade without their knowledge.Proponents of past protectivelegislation have estimated that thereare roughly 500 sacred sites in thestate.

Specifically, this bill makesfindings concerning the protection ofNative American prehistoric,archaeological, cultural, spiritual, andceremonial places. It also declares thelegislative intent to:

• Recognize that Native Americansignificant places are essentialelements of tribal culturaltraditions, heritages, and identities;

• Establish inter-governmentalconsultations between localgovernments and the tribes early inthe land use planning process sothat significant places can be

identified and considered, and thatpotential means of preservation,appropriate levels ofconfidentiality, and propertreatment and management planscan be determined and developed;

• Ensure that both local and tribalgovernments have information toavoid potential conflicts beforedevelopment entitlements vestand investments are made;

• Enable tribes to manage and act ascaretakers over these significantplaces;

• Encourage local governments toconsider these significant places intheir land use planning by use ofopen space designations; and,

• Encourage local governments toconsider the cultural aspects ofthese significant places early in theland use planning process.

Past legislation, which either failedpassage or were vetoed, would haveused the state’s environmental reviewprocess to address these issues andwould have given the state NativeAmerican Heritage Commission an

expanded role in developing criteriafor identifying such sites, listing themand facilitating discussions overdevelopments. “It was clear last yearwe had gotten a little complicated,”said Denise Ducheny, D-San Diego,who has been the bill’s primarylegislative advocate.

The bill will become law inJanuary 2005 if the Governor eithersigns it or allows it to pass into lawwithout his signature. The Presidentof SCA, Amy Gilreath, wrote a lettersupporting this bill to John Burton,then President Pro Tem of the Senateand author of the bill, on behalf ofSCA. This letter noted that, althoughthe SCA strongly supports the bill,SCA is concerned about the followingfive aspects associated with theimplementation of the bill:

1. A number of sacred or othercultural sites also havearchaeological values that might becompromised or otherwisedamaged as part of themanagement plans or conservationeasements proposed. The SCAwants to insure the protection ofarchaeological resources will be

Contact Your Representatives

California State Assembly www.assembly.ca.govCalifornia State Senate www.senate.ca.govU.S. House of Representatives www.house.govU.S. Senate www.senate.govGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger www.governor.ca.gov/state/govsite/gov_homepagePresident George W. Bush www.whitehouse.gov

Contact Your SCA Legislative Liaison

[email protected]

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov

http://thomas.loc.gov

http://acra-crm.org

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considered and implemented byqualified professionals.

2. The bill does not appear toencourage documentation of thetraditional resources. We wouldlike implementing regulations thatresult in such resources beingdocumented. Will “TraditionalTribal Cultural Places” be recordedon State of California Departmentof Parks and Recreation (DPR) 523forms and be entered into the statesystem? Would the resourcerecords be kept in the NativeAmerican Heritage CommissionSacred Lands File? How wouldconfidentiality be assured? Whowould have access to theinformation?

3. The Native AmericanHeritage Commission (NAHC) isresponsible for the maintenance ofa list of unrecognized CaliforniaNative American tribes. We areconcerned with how that list isdeveloped and maintained. Howdo tribes qualify for listing? How isthe list updated? How often? Areindividuals listed as representativeof tribes without verification (thisseems to be true of the current list)?Clear criteria for listing need to beestablished and clear tribalrepresentation is necessary.

4. The proposed legislationappears to provide an opportunityto assign conservation easementsto unrecognized California tribes.Tribal organizations and groupingsare renown for being fluid andadaptable, sometimes dissolvingand at other times reformulatingwith new alliances. What wouldhappen to an easement held by adisbanded tribal organization?What would happen when there areseveral unrecognized tribescompeting for the same easementor stewardship assignment? Manycounties have multipleunrecognized groups—who makesthe decision?

5. The legislation provides noguidance for the treatment/procedures when a Traditional

Tribal Cultural Place is located inan area that had been traditionallyassociated with a different group;since removed. Again, who makesthe decision and how?

References

Congress may apologize to AmericanIndians. www.washingtontimes.com.May 25, 2004.Congress prepares for sacred sitedebate. www.nativetimes.com. June30, 2004.California missions funding update.California History Action, Summer2004.Pared-down sacred lands bill passes incommittee. The Desert Sun, PalmSprings, California. June 17, 2004.

OHP LiaisonMichael D. McGuirt, RPAAssociate State ArchaeologistProject Review UnitState Office of Historic Preservation

While many of you were toiling inthe field over the summer, your stategovernment was busy consideringhistoric preservation issues. Opinionsvary on whether that was good or bad.Of the more notable events, the 45-day run (1 June–15 July) of the onlinesurvey for the ComprehensiveStatewide Historic Preservation Plan(Plan) came to a close, and the 3August release of the report fromGovernor Schwarzenegger’s CaliforniaPerformance Review (CPR) shook thehistoric preservation community with aproposal to eliminate the CaliforniaHistorical Resources Commission. Iwant to discuss the preliminary resultsof the survey, solicit input from themembership for the Plan, and providea tidbit of insight from inside the OHPon the CPR.

Comprehensive StatewideHistoric Preservation Plan

The OHP took the online surveyfor the Plan, the State Plan Survey:State Plan Issues and Priorities, off ofthe internet on 15 July. The primary

purpose of the survey was to solicitinput from the public on what thehistoric preservation agenda ofCalifornia should be for the five-yearperiod of 2006–2010. A total of 528people took the survey. The surveyresults will, in part, inform the OHP’sselection of the Plan’s primary topicsand issues.

The answers to the surveyquestions were somewhat surprising.The public was asked to choose up tosix responses for each question. Theprimary historic preservation topic thatthose who responded to the surveythought the OHP ought to focus onover the five-year period of the Planwas land use planning (51%), whichcould include, among other tasks,developing state and localgovernment statutes, developing andoverhauling regulatory guidelines,developing technical guidelines forconducting archaeologicalinvestigations, and providing moreroutine review of CaliforniaEnvironmental Quality Actdocuments. Information technologyconcerns, which could include taskssuch as providing electronic access tothe OHP’s historical resourcesinventory (46%) and integrating thatdata into a geographic informationsystems format (45%), and diverseoutreach initiatives (35–43%) appearto be notable secondary preservationtopics.

On the basis of the survey resultsand other public input to date, thetentative list of proposed topics for thePlan, as of this writing, includes, in noparticular order:

· Cultural Landscapes

· Incentives

· Heritage Tourism

· Land Use Planning

· Diversity

· Cultural Resources ofthe Modern Age

· Archaeology and HistoricPreservation


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· Information Technology andHistoric Preservation

· Outreach and Public Education

The next phase of the plandevelopment process, whilecontinuing to accept input from thegeneral public, will be to formsubcommittees to assist in definingand honing more specific issues foreach of the above topics, and toultimately assist in the developmentof realistic sets of goals that willactively and effectively address eachof those issues. The OHP will guidegoal development toward measurableand obtainable outcomes thataccurately reflect the rather meageramount of our fiscal resources.

The OHP will solicit participationin the subcommittee for theArchaeology and Historic Preservationtopic from, among other stakeholders,the SCA membership, Federal landmanaging agencies, archaeologicalnonprofit organizations, NativeAmericans, museums, and theacademic community. A preliminarysketch of the issues that thearchaeological subcommittee mayconsider includes the Californiaarchaeological resources survey(programs to locate, evaluate, andprovide regional contexts forarchaeological resources),archaeological resource protection(statutory, regulatory, and landmanagement programs forarchaeological site protection),archaeological resource preservation(programs that promote public andprivate partnerships to monitor andconserve archaeological sites, and tocurate archaeological collections),archaeological resource interpretation(archaeological outreach programs),and archaeological standards andguidelines (professional qualificationstandards and guidelines forarchaeological fieldwork andreporting).

As the OHP moves forward in theplan development process, pleasedon’t hesitate to contact me directlythrough email


([email protected]) or on thetelephone (916.653.8920) to offer yourcomments on what issues theforthcoming subcommittee onArchaeology and Historic Preservationought to consider, or to volunteer toparticipate in the subcommitteeyourself. The general SCAmembership will have furtheropportunities to provide input later inthe coming months. The OHP intendsto be present at the Northern Data-Sharing Meeting in November, andthe membership will also haveopportunities to comment at the StateHistorical Resources Commissionmeetings in November and February.The OHP also intends to provide the

SCA with a final opportunity tocomment on the Plan at the 2005Annual Meeting before thecompletion of the initial draftdocument in May.

The CaliforniaPerformance Review

Governor Schwarzenegger foundedthe CPR to develop recommendationsto improve the performance andproductivity of the state government.The CPR team of more than 275 stateworkers, academics, and public policyexperts sent its report to GovernorSchwarzenegger on 3 August (http://www.report.cpr.ca.gov). The primaryrecommendations in the report thataffect the state’s historic preservationpolicy are a recommendation toeliminate the California Historical

Resources Commission (Commission)(http://www.report.cpr.ca.gov/cprrpt/frmfunc/bdscmm.htm), and arecommendation to centralizeCalifornia heritage programs (http://www.report.cpr.ca.gov/cprrpt/issrec/res/res09.htm).

The Evaluating California’s Boardsand Commissions appendix of volume 2of the report recommends eliminatingthe Commission and transferring itresponsibilities to the proposedDivision of Parks, History, and Culture(proposed successor to the Departmentof Parks and Recreation) in theproposed Department of NaturalResources. The recommendationgoes on to say that “should the needarise, the Secretary [of the proposedDepartment of Natural Resources]may appoint an ad hoc advisorycommittee to deal with such matters asevaluating sites for listing on theNational Register of Historic Places,the California Register of HistoricalResources, and the CaliforniaHistorical Landmarks and CaliforniaPoints of Historical Interestregistration programs.” As a memberof SCA who is simply reporting onwhat’s happening in the OHP (but whoalso works for the governor), let mejust say that no one here has begunpacking. However, letters from theSCA membership to the governor thatexpress concern about thisrecommendation, and provideopinions on the present role of theCommission in the preservation andpromotion of California’sarchaeological heritage may help thegovernor to decide whether and how toimplement the recommendation.

A second importantrecommendation in the CPR report forthe historic preservation community isthe proposal to centralize California’sheritage programs. Proposals toreshape the authority structure for statecultural heritage programs, and tosupport the funding and operation ofthese programs through the creation ofa nonprofit public corporation arecentral to recommendation RES09 inchapter 5 of volume 4 of the report.The recommendation proposes to

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transfer authority over the CaliforniaRoom and Special Collections and theCalifornia Cultural and HistoricalEndowment from the state library tothe state Department of Parks andRecreation (California State Parks), orits successor, and to transfer authorityover the Department of GeneralServices’ California Records andInformation Management Program andState Records Center to the Secretaryof State. Other cultural heritageprograms would remain under theirpresent authorities, but would becoordinated through California StateParks. The second part ofrecommendation RES09 proposes that“the Governor should work with theLegislature to create a nonprofit publiccorporation under state control toprovide a more effective, lower cost/higher revenue mechanism for fundingand operating museums, historic sitesand programs.” Here again, commentfrom the SCA membership may provevaluable to whether and how thegovernor implements thisrecommendation.

CASSP TrainingWorkshopsBeth and Chris Padon

The SCA CaliforniaArchaeological Site StewardshipProgram (CASSP) recently offered twotraining workshops for volunteers. InApril, CASSP held a workshop forCalifornia Volunteers in Parks andColorado Desert ArchaeologicalSociety members at the recentlyacquired Vallecito Ranch, a part of theAnza-Borrego Desert State Park. StateParks Archaeologist Sue Wade, StateParks Rangers J.B. Zemon and NancyWittig all participated in the training.Twenty new CASSP volunteersattended this two-day workshop. Onthe second day, they joined SpecialAgent Todd Swain in the field and thevolunteers worked on footprintidentification and on tracking andobservation skills.

The Colorado DesertArchaeological Society received the2004 SCA Helen C. Smith AvocationalAward. They have provided manyvolunteer hours to protectarchaeological sites within the

Colorado Desert District of StateParks. During the workshop, severalmembers spoke about theirarchaeological volunteer activities thatinclude site identification, survey, anddocumentation. These volunteers look

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New site stewards at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park workshop, April 2004.

State Parks Ranger Nancy Wittig led a field exercise in boot footprints at the workshop.

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forward to sharing their enthusiasm forarchaeology with other CASSP sitestewards.

On the last weekend inJune, CASSP held the secondtraining workshop for theBLM Hollister Field Office.BLM archaeologist ErikZaborsky hosted theworkshop and provided theprehistoric overview andfield training. Six newvolunteers attended thisworkshop along with twocurrent volunteers. CASSPvolunteer Ray Iddingsattended both days oftraining to share hisexperiences with theprogram. Ray brought hisnotebook on the sites that hemonitors for Erik in the ClearCreek area. His notebookcontains a complete and up-to-date record with maps,descriptions, and detailedinformation on each resource.It is a great example for all ofus. Thanks, Ray. On Sunday,CASSP volunteer Phil Smithjoined the field trip at Fort

Ord Public Lands. Phil volunteers withBLM archaeologist James Barnes atthe Folsom Field Office. She also has

participated in the CASSP field work atCarniege/Tesla with Phil Hines StateParks archaeologist with the OffHighway Motor Vehicle RecreationDivision. Several of the newvolunteers are graduates of Rob’sEdwards Cabrillo CollegeArchaeological Technology Programand members of Santa CruzArchaeological Society which providesanother high-powered group ofvolunteers in CASSP.

The next training workshop fornew site stewards will be held inBarstow on November 6-7, 2004. BLMarchaeologist Amy Lawrence willserve as host for this workshop and BobBryson of the Mojave NationalPreserve, National Parks Service willprovide the field training. The initialtraining workshops last two days overthe weekend and cost $25 per person.Registration for the workshop isrequired because space is limited. Youcan register for a workshop, or obtainmore information about CASSP, bycontacting Beth Padon at (562) 432-1801 or e-mail [email protected].

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BLM archaeologist Erik Zaborsky talksabout archaeology at Fort Ord.

Group photo of participants and trainers at Hollister BLM Field Office workshop, June 2004.

CorrectionNewsletter 38(2):16-17:

In his lecture at the Amah MutsunCRM workshop, Philip Laverty,quoting from Robert Jackson’sdemographic study published in1994, stated that there was acrude rate of population declineof 96% at Mission Santa Cruz pergeneration not per year asreported in the article.

CorrectionMembership Directory:

CASSP Committee Chairs Chrisand Beth Padon can be contactedat (562) 432-1801 or [email protected].

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Pit River Tribe HostsCultural Resources WorkshopJanet P. Eidsness

The Pit River Tribe’s Environmental Department hosteda Cultural Resources Management (CRM) Workshop for tribalmembers in partnership with the SCA Native AmericanPrograms Committee on May 7-8, 2004. The workshop wasorganized by NAPC Chair Janet Eidsness working closelywith the Tribe’s Environmental Coordinator, MichelleBerditschevsky, and through her, with the Tribal BandCultural Representatives. The Pit River Tribe is comprisedof 11 bands (Ajumawi, Aporige, Astarawi, Atsuge, Atwamsini,Hammawi, Hewesadewi, Illmawi, Itsatawi, Kosealekte,Madesi) whose ancestral lands in northeastern California spanareas of Modoc, Lassen, Shasta and Siskiyoucounties. Thirty-four (34) tribal membersparticipated in the 2-day workshopheld in Burney at the tribal office,including elected tribal officials,several who have extensiveexperience working asconsultants and monitors, andmany who are new to CRM (seesidebar). Each participantreceived a copy of the Sourcebook.

CRM professionals from acrossthe North State assisted withpresentations. Illmawi CulturalRepresentative Cecelia Silvasshared her experiences and insights tothe discussion of Native AmericanMonitor roles and responsibilities. Alesson on deciphering “which law applies”was led by Janet Eidsness and supplemented bybrief talks about their job responsibilities by ChristopherO’Brien (USFS-Lassen NF), Wayne Wiant (Caltrans District2), Alison Macdougall (PG&E) and other guests. JulieCassidy (USFS-Shasta-Trinity NF) and Elaine Sundahl(Consultant, Redding) were joined by Eric Ritter (BLM,Redding) and Gerry Gates (USFS-Modoc NF) in presentingan introductory session on archaeology and basic artifactidentification. John Hitchcock (USFS-Klamath NF)demonstrated flintknapping techniques and its by-products,then gave those interested an opportunity to flake obsidiantoolstone. Trudy Vaughan (Coyote & Fox Enterprises,Redding) led an exercise in map reading that used localUSGS Quads provided by Doni Smith (USFS-Lassen NF).Classroom lessons were applied and reinforced in fieldsettings during visits to an archaeological midden site onPG&E property and to a suite of cultural resources includingthe rock-constructed fish trap complex at Ahjamawi LavaSprings State Park arranged and guided with assistance fromGinger Mike-Mercado, Mary Mike and other knowledgeableAjumawi band members.

Nominations Chair Looking forCandidates for the Board

The SCA has three Board positions that need to be filledas of Spring, 2005: President, Southern VP, and Treasurer.Jamie Cleland, Ph.D., has agreed to serve as the NominationsChair. Members are encouraged to contact him to submitpotential candidate’s names. If you are interested inparticipating or know someone who would like to serve,Jamie can be contacted at: (619)[email protected]. On request, Jamie will send you jobdescriptions lifted from the Executive Board Manual. CheckSCAHome.org and the recently distributed MembershipDirectory for SCA Bylaws, especially Article VI-Officers andDuties, and Article VIII-Nominations, Voting, and Electionshttp://www.scahome.org/about/bylaws.html. Candidates will

need to submit Position Statements to the BusinessOffice by November 20th. Newsletter 38(4) will

publish the Position Statements and ballotwill be distributed around this time. Ifcandidates want examples of priorposition statements, last year’sDecember Newsletter is a good ‘go-to.’

2004 SCA NorthernCaliforniaData-Sharing Meeting

The Northern California Data-Sharing Meeting will be held on

Saturday, November 6, 2004, at ShastaCollege, Redding, California. The theme

of this year’s meeting will be the archeologyof Northeastern California. If you or anyone you

know (e.g. a student, colleague, co-worker) is interestedin making a presentation please contact Northern V-P KarinAnderson. Karin will be looking for abstracts at the end ofSeptember or early October, and would welcome anyoneinterested in helping to coordinate the meeting. There willbe a social event the evening following the meeting, butthese details are yet to be worked out. Specific room location,times, and agendas will be coming out in October. If anyonehas ideas to contribute or would like more information, pleasecontact Karin Anderson, Redwood National and State Parksvia email [email protected] or phone (707) 464-6101x 5210. I look forward to seeing you there.

The time and room number will be announced. Thetheme will be the Archeology of Northeastern California. Ifyou are interested in making a presentation, wish tovolunteer, or simply would like more information, pleasecontact Karin Anderson, SCA Northern Vice-President,phone: (707)464-6101 x 5210, e-mail:[email protected].

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Pit River TribeCultural ResourcesWorkshopParticipants:

• Zalynn Baker

• Irwin Brown

• Donna Cawker

• Amber Davis

• Ryan DeGarmo

• Dustin Elsmore

• Sharon Elmore

• Shawna Harrison

• Robert Hursey

• Andy James

• Jessica Jim

• Virginia Mercado

• Edward Mike

• John Mike

• Mary Mike

• Bonnie Montgomery

• Florence Moran

• Miquel Reynoso

• Launa Rhoades

• Rodney Sanders

• Alvin Scholfield

• Cecelia Silvas

• Antonio Vargas

• Selena Vargas

• Ramon Venegas

• Christopher Villarruel

• Marta Villarruel

• Vernon Ward, Sr.

• Hishkama Wilson

• Lalaina Winn

• James Wright

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Society forCalifornia39th AnnualMeeting,April 21-24,2005,SacramentoKelly R. McGuire

The SCA 2005 Annual Meeting will be held at theHyatt Regency adjacent to the Capitol Building indowntown Sacramento. The Hyatt boasts state-of-the

art accommodations and convention facilities, all under oneroof. It is also the home of our current Governor, (but don’texpect to see Arnold “pumping up” in the courtesy fitnessroom). The downtown location and proximity to theSacramento Airport should make it easy for the out-of-townSCA member to attend the meetings without having to rent acar. Please be aware of both the late dates of this year’smeeting (mid-April as opposed to late March), as well as thelate start and finish within the week (Thursday throughSunday). The Hyatt is accepting reservations now. Call 1-800-233-1234 and identify yourself as an SCA conferenceattendee.

Following a Thursday evening reception with a no-hostbar for early arrivals, the 2005 meetings will begin with aFriday morning Plenary Session entitled “Native AmericanInfluences on the Structure and Composition of PrehistoricEcosystems.” Plenary speakers will include Drs. Charles Kayand William Hildebrandt, who will detail the effects ofprehistoric hunting practices on select terrestrial and marinemammal populations. Dr. Kat Anderson will focus primarilyon Native management practices directed at plant resources.Dr. Frank K. Lake, Karuk tribal member, will review Nativeperspectives on ecosystems management. Dr. Anderson willalso have a signing for her new book Tending the Wild:Indigenous Management of California’s Natural Resources andBio-diversity at the conclusion of the Plenary Session.

The Banquet is scheduled for Saturday night and willfeature Dr. Paul Koch as the guest speaker. Dr Koch is apaleontologist at UC Santa Cruz, and internationallyrecognized expert on Pleistocene extinctions. Otheractivities and events, including the Silent Auction, are in theplanning stages, details of which will be announced in theDecember Newsletter.

SCA members are encouraged to begin searching theirtreasure chests for items to donate for the Silent Auction, andto consider volunteering for one of the many tasks needed toensure a successful Annual Meeting. Meeting organizers also

are requesting sponsorships from individuals, firms, andagencies to provide funding for printing, food and drinks,awards, and other expenses. More details onaccommodations, symposia titles, and field trips will appearin the December issue of the Newsletter and will be posted onthe SCA website.

First Call for Papers

Proposals for symposia, workshops, papers, and posters arerequested for the 2005 SCA Annual Meeting. The form forproposals and abstracts is printed on the following page, andalso is available on our SCA website. Abstracts of 100 orfewer words may be submitted using a hard copy of the formor electronically as email attachments preferably in MicrosoftWord format. The maximum length for papers is 15 minutes.

The deadline for proposals for organized symposia andworkshops is January 1, 2005. Proposed symposia should besubmitted as a package with abstracts and forms for all papers.Symposium organizers are encouraged to contact the ProgramChair if they have any questions, and to discuss roomrequirements, scheduling, and other arrangements. Theprogram chairs for this year meetings are Kelly McGuire([email protected]) and Bill Hildebrandt([email protected]). The local arrangements chair is GlennGmoser ([email protected]).

The deadline for abstracts for contributed papers andposters is February 1, 2005. With the exception of slide andoverhead projectors, presenters must supply their ownaudiovisual equipment. A screening room will be availableat the meetings to check your slides or overheads.

Money for SCA Researchers!!!!Call for Proposals, James A. BennyhoffMemorial Fund Award

SCA members are invited to submit research proposals forthe James A. Bennyhoff Memorial Award. The award isintended to support original research on the prehistory ofCalifornia and the Great Basin.

Special consideration will be given to projects that areconsistent with the scholarly interests held by Dr. Bennyhoffin relation to California and Great Basin prehistory,specifically those emphasizing analyses of artifacts inexisting museum collections or regional repositories,and/or those reported in inventories and reports.Appropriate research would include: (1) thedevelopment, significant refinement and/ormodification of time-sensitive typologies or seriationstudies useful in identifying prehistoric spatial ortemporal units, or (2) relating primary data to revision ofexisting culture historical taxonomic frameworks.

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Society for California Archaeology2005 Annual Meeting, April 21-24, 2005

Paper Abstract, Symposium Proposal, and Poster Concept

• Symposium Proposal Deadline: January 1, 2005• Paper/Poster Abstract Deadline: February 1, 2005

Please use this form to submit proposals for Meeting Sessions and Paper/Poster Abstracts

Submit completed form to: Kelly McGuireFar Western Anthropological Research Group, Inc.2727 Del Rio Place, Suite ADavis, CA [email protected]

Type of Session (circle one): Symposium Poster Workshop Round Table

Title:

Type of Paper (circle one): Contributed Paper Organized Symposium Paper

Title of Paper:

Author(s) or Symposium Chair(s):

Affiliation (identify affiliation by last name for each):

Address (senior author or Symposium Chair):

Audio-Visual Equipment Needs (circle all that apply):

Whiteboard Flip Chart Slide Projector Overhead Projector Other:___________________

If a Workshop or Round Table, how many participants do you expect?:

Abstract of Paper, Poster, or Symposium (maximum 100 words): ( ___ attached )

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Telephone:

Fax:

Email:

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Projects may involve more than one subdiscipline ofanthropology and may have objectives beyond those ofculture history; nonetheless, a significant portion of the studymust involve direct work with artifacts or other primary sourcedata (e.g., mission registers, historical/archival documents),and must show promise to enhance the scientificunderstanding of California and Great Basin prehistory.Research projects may involve preparation of a thesis,dissertation, or a formal refereed publication.

Funds from the award (up to $1,000) may be used by therecipient for any purpose directly related to the study; e.g.,travel for the purpose of studying collections, photography,illustrations, graphics, radiocarbon studies, or obsidiananalyses. Additional support is available to conduct up to 100obsidian hydration readings (courtesy of Origer’s ObsidianLaboratory), up to 50 obsidian source analyses (courtesy ofRichard Hughes at Geochemical Research Laboratory)andAMS dates courtesy of the CAMS facility at the LawrenceLivermore National Laboratory.

Application for the Bennyhoff Memorial Fund Awardshould include a concise statement of the research problem tobe addressed, a detailed budget and time-line for completionof different phases of the project, and a resume. Theapplicant must complete the proposed research and reportwithin one calendar year of receipt of the award and submit itto the committee. Applications should be mailed to:

Chair, Bennyhoff Memorial Fund Award Committee2727 Del Rio Place, Suite ADavis, California 95616

Any questions about the award can be directed in writing tothe address above or e-mailed to [email protected]. Allrequired materials must be received at the address above nolater than February 15, 2005. We will inform the applicants ofthe outcome in March, and if a Memorial Fund Award isgranted, the recipient will be announced during the banquetawards ceremony at the 2005 annual SCA meeting inSacramento.

SCA Annual Meetings, 2005-2007

Year Place Dates of Meeting

2005 Hyatt Regency Sacramento April 22-24 (all day Friday - Sunday noon)

2006 Marriott Ventura Beach March 30-April 1 (all day Thursday - Saturday)

2007 Doubletree Hotel San Jose March 23-25 (all day Friday - Sunday noon)

Committee for Advanced Annual Meeting Planning AnnouncesDates and Times for 2005-2007 SCA Annual MeetingsCAAMP has continued to move forward with our search for future annual meeting sites. As of September, 2004, contracts are inplace for 2005-2007 (see below).

CAAMP is currently negotiating a contract for the year 2008. Our target venue is the Hilton Burbank Airport and ConventionCenter. More on this in a future report.

CAAMP has completed the preparation of a questionnaire regarding Annual Meetings. The intent is to distribute thequestionnnaire at the fall Data-Sharing meetings, and then shortly after the Data-Sharing meetings the questionnaire will be sentto current members via the internet.

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News and Announcements

Elimination of StateHistorical Resources Commission?

The recently issued California Performance Review(CPR) report (www.cpr.gov) prepared for Gov.Schwarzenegger includes a recommendation to eliminate theState Historical Resources Commission even though theNational Historic Preservation Act of 1966 as amended in2000 requires a qualified state commission. If thisCommission is eliminated, it also basically eliminates theOffice of Historic Preservation, which will eliminate severalprograms.

It costs the State $17,000 to support the Commission eachyear, in return OHP receives federal funding ($1.2 Millionlast year).

Elimination of the Commission and OHP would mostlikely also eliminate the following:

1. Nominations to the California and National Registers, andtherefore, any public participation process.

2. The Information Centers.

3. Section 106 Reviews.

4. Technical support provided to local governments.

5. Preservation-oriented Tax Credit projects.

6. The Certified Local Governments (CLG) program/CLGGrants, and

7. The California Main Street Program (just recently movedinto OHP.)

The SCA Board has sent a letter of opposition to theproposal. We ask you to consider drafting a letter expressingopposition to the proposed elimination of the Commissionand support of OHP to the Governor, our localrepresentatives, and candidates for office (since it an electionyear). Letters should be mailed to:

The Honorable Arnold SchwarzeneggerState Capitol buildingSacramento, CA 95814

BooksBooksBooksBooksBooks

New Book Published on the Curation ofArchaeological Collections

Our Collective Responsibility: The Ethics and Practice ofArchaeological Collections Stewardship is the newest bookon the curation of archaeological collections in the UnitedStates. It is edited by Dr. S. Terry Childs of the National Park

Service’s Archeology and Ethnography Program andpublished by the Society for American Archaeology. Thebook collects articles on ethical issues concerning thestewardship of archaeological collections and offers verypractical examples of collections management and care. Inparticular, articles cover project budgeting for curation, thelong-term preservation of archival and digital records, accessand use of collections, Native American issues, andcollection rehabilitation.

New Technical Brief LaunchedThe Archeology and Ethnography Program launched the

latest in its series of online Technical Briefs. Technical Brief#18, “Protecting Archeological Sites on Eroding Shorelines:A Hay Bales Approach” by Robert M. Thorne, is available at<http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/pubs/techbr/TCH18A.htm>. Dr.Thorne is an authority on site stabilization and preservationwho describes an inexpensive, yet effective method topreserve archeological sites along lakeshores through the useof hay bales. More Technical Briefs offering alternativetreatments to preserve and protect archeological sites, as wellas information about archeological contracting, collectionsmanagement, public outreach and education, and otherimportant topics can be found at <http://www.cr.nps.gov/aad/pubs/techbr/>.

AnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncementsAnnouncements

National Park Service Director SelectsNAGPRA Manager

National Park Service Director Fran Mainella announcedthe selection of Dr. Sherry Hutt as the Program Manager fornational implementation of the Native American GravesProtection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). In assuming theProgram Manager position, Dr. Hutt will focus on developingand implementing a business improvement process forimproved program functioning, delivery, compliance withapplicable laws and regulations,and for building customerconfidence and support for this nationally-important federalprogram. She will also represent the NPS on the AdvisoryCouncil for Historic Preservation¹s Archeology Task Force.

Dr. Hutt is an internationally recognized expert oncultural property laws,including NAGPRA. She is widelypublished on the administration of NAGPRA and hasprovided training to Indian tribes, Native Hawaiianorganizations, museums, and federal agencies. She holdsboth a J.D. degree and a Ph.D. Dr. Hutt retired from theArizona Superior Court in 2002 after 17 years of judicialservice, and is currently on the faculty of the Graduate Schoolof Public Policy at George Mason University. Dr. Hutt hasbeen assigned under provisions of the Intergovernmental

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Personnel Act (IPA) that provides for the temporaryassignment of personnel for two years between the federalgovernment and state and local governments, colleges anduniversities, Indian tribal governments, federally-fundedresearch and development centers, and other eligibleorganizations.

The National NAGPRA Program is responsible for a widerange of responsibilities delegated under NAGPRA to theSecretary of the Interior, including promulgation ofregulations, providing staff support to a Secretarial reviewcommittee, managing publication of Federal Register noticesto facilitate repatriation of cultural items from museums andfederal agency collections, administration of a grantsprogram, assessment of civil penalties, and providingtechnical assistance and training to Indian tribes, NativeHawaiian organizations, museums, federal agencies, and thepublic at large.

MeetingsMeetingsMeetingsMeetingsMeetings

Call for Papers - 2005 SAA Symposiumon Archaeology of the Western States

We are seeking papers on Western States archaeology forpresentation at the Society for American Archaeology 2005Annual Meeting to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Paperscan be in any discipline that relates to the betterunderstanding of archaeology in the Western United States(e.g., geoarchaeology, GIS, zooarchaeology,paleoethnobotany, lithic source analysis, education, etc. ).Another objective of this session is to cover as many periodsand locations in the West as possible. All points of viewshould be represented, the theme of this symposium isWestern Archaeology (and Architectural History), not anyparticular period, method or theory. Paper topics can be on,for instance, issues in CRM or SHPO that relate to thearchaeology of the Western States. You do not necessarilyhave to present new field work. In fact, we all know that,while necessary to present, papers on single sites are notalways the most interesting. The main objective is todisseminate information on the archaeology and historicarchitecture of the West. Please participate.

Let us know if you are interested in presenting and thesubject of your proposed paper by mid-July. A symposiumdiscussant will also be necessary, please consider this role aswell. Please have your SAA application package to JohnKilleen (address below) by August 16th (including check orcredit card information). Do not send your applicationdirectly to SAA if you want to be in this symposium, it has togo in the symposium package. The deadline for thesymposium proposal is September 5th. We will need theabstracts and paper titles to complete the symposiumapplication.

Proposed Symposium title: “Recent Archaeology in theWestern United States: from prehistory to the recent past”

John J. Killeen, R.P.A.Archaeologist/Environmental Studies ManagerU.S. Army Corps of EngineersLos Angeles DistrictP.O. Box 532711915 Wilshire BoulevardLos Angeles, CA 90053-2325(213) 452 3861(213) 452 4219 (FAX)[email protected]

AAAAAwardswardswardswardswards

SCAProgram and SCA MembersRecognized with 2004 Governor’sHistoric Preservation Awards

“Following the Smoke” and Ken Wilson

Following the Smoke, a Passport in Time programdeveloped and led by Ken Wilson when with the Six RiversNational Forest has been twice honored this Fall. On theNational level it received the Advisory Council on HistoricPreservation Chairman’s Award. On the State level, itreceived a 2004 Governor’s Historic Preservation Award.

This program involves a series of week-long gatherings inthe Six Rivers Forest. The Forest in partnership with theKaruk Indigenous Basketweavers provide the public with arare opportunity to interact with traditional Karuk, Yurok, andHupa Basketweavers in the gathering and processing ofbasketry materials and then learning to weave. Over 500individuals have participated in this event over the last sevenyears. Other activities have included a demonstration BrushDance, traditional singing and drumming, a drum makingdemonstration, eating traditional foods, beargrass braiding,net weaving, visiting a ceremonial dance pit, and apresentation by renowned elder traditional herbalist andbasketweaver Josephine Peters. The archaeologists andvolunteers have also assisted the basketweavers in preparinghazel and beargrass areas for burning in the fall. Thepreparation for burning includes removing heavy fuels so thatthey do not damage or kill the basketry materials andconstructing firelines to control the burn around the units.

SCA NAPC “Cultural Resource Management forCalifornia Indians and CRM Professionals”

The SCA is proud to announce that the SCA NativeAmerican Programs Committee’s “Cultural ResourceManagement for California Indians and CRM Professionals”

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Program has been recognized with a 2004 Governor’sCalifornia Historic Preservation Award. Since 1992, the SCAhas maintained a Native American Programs Committee topromote communication and exchange information betweenCalifornia Indians and professional archaeologists. As part ofthis program, the Committee has sponsored CRM workshops,distributed hundreds of copies of Sourcebook on CRM,Archaeology, and Cultural Heritage Values, and sponsoredsymposia involving Native scholars. This ongoing program ischiefly designed to empower Indian people to be moreeffective in interpreting, managing, and protecting significantIndian sites throughout the state.

Eric Blind’s and Ben Wood’sMission Dolores Digital Mural Project

This award concerns the rediscovery of wall decorationsin the Mission Dolores, painted circa 1791 but covered overin 1796 by an elaborate reredos at the rear of the altar. Twovolunteers—Eric Blind, an archaeologist for the Presidio ofSan Francisco and Ben Wood, an artist—heard of the muralsand developed a process for lowering a digital camera andlights into the narrow space between the murals and reredos,taking the first-known images of the 200 year old folk art.The project brought to public view this artwork which willlikely not be seen in any other manner, since public viewwould require demolition of the 1796 reredos. The SCA isworking with Eric and Ben to present this imagery in the2005 Archaeology Month poster, so make a note to get yourposter at this spring’s Annual Meeting.

The SCA congratulates Past President Ken Wilson,current NAPC committee chair Janet Eidsness past NAPCchair Philip DeBarros, and SCA member Eric Blind and allothers involved for their excellence. Additional details on theGovernor’s Historic Preservation Awards are available at:

<http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/pages/22050/files/2004%20Recipients%20PPT.pdf>

New CDF PublicationNew CDF PublicationNew CDF PublicationNew CDF PublicationNew CDF Publication

New Publication on the History of theCalifornia Department of Forestry andFire Protection Archaeology Program,1970-2004Dan Foster

Over the years, the CDF Archaeology Program has facedcriticism from many of our colleagues—some of which I tookpersonally. After more than 20 years, hopefully a littlewisdom is creeping in along with the laziness and

forgetfulness that comes with aging, and I am beginning tounderstand these criticisms better. I believe they are made bypeople who mean well but are misinformed or naive aboutthe unique working environment here, and unaware ofchallenges we face and the progress we have made. Ratherthan continue to get angry, I am trying hard to educate andinform my fellow colleagues and members of the publicabout our program and the constraints we face, so they canbetter understand and appreciate the years of hard work thathave been given here to make California a better place andgive Archaeology a bigger role in forestry and inenvironmental planning. That is one of the reasons why weproduced this volume. My hope was to create an interesting,informative account that would provide a betterunderstanding of the program to all who read it.

Foster, Daniel G., and John Betts2004 History of the California Department of Forestry and

Fire Protection Archaeology Program, 1970-2004.CDF Archaeological Reports, Number 30. 251 pages,161 photographs. Available from Coyote Press ofSalinas, California: (831) 422-4912 orwww.coyotepress.com.

Review of “History of the California Department ofForestry and Fire Protection Archaeology Program,1970-2004”

E. Breck ParkmanSenior State ArchaeologistCalifornia State Parks

The “History of the California Department of Forestryand Fire Protection Archaeology Program, 1970-2004” byDaniel G. Foster and John Betts (2004) reveals the history ofone of California’s most important and perhaps leastunderstood archaeological programs. This history is informedby a variety of sources, including the program’s publishedrecord as well as the anecdotal remembrances or “voices” ofthose associated with it. I was especially moved by the storytold in parts by the voices associated with CDF’sarchaeological program. Their story is informative andentertaining. But where I was moved, there may be some whowill object to anecdotal remembrances as history.

For example, let’s take Dr. Robert Heizer (1915-1979),one of California’s most famous archaeologists. If he werestill alive, Heizer would probably have disliked thispublication. Foster and Betts remind us that when Heizer wasasked by Arlean Towne to provide comments, biographicalinformation, and taped interviews that would help her capturehis contributions to the history and development of thearchaeology of central California, he had this to say:

In answer to your letter of February 17, I have to tellyou that I have no interest at all in being interviewed,nor do I feel that I “owe” anyone or any other subject

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any comments. I say this because history is notpersonal recollections, but what people have done. Myprincipal teacher, Alfred Kroeber, was not an anecdotalperson, and perhaps I learned this from him. Over theweekend I went through a big accumulation of notes,letters, and the like going back to 1932, and readingthis really convinced me that it is the publishedwritings of a person that must be the basis of hiscontribution to a subject. I have destroyed that file,precisely so it will not become “archival” and subjectto the possibility of being pawed through and itscontents “interpreted” (Robert F. Heizer – February24, 1975 in Towne 1976).

I remember reading Heizer’s letter when Towne’s thesis(“A History of Central California Archaeology, 1880-1940,”CSU-Sacramento, 1976) was first published by Coyote Pressin 1984. It struck me as tragic then, and even more so now. Ifeel strongly that Heizer was wrong, and yet I believe hereally believed what he wrote. My only encounter with theman came a few months later that same year (1975), whenSally Dean and I telephoned him at Berkeley to questionhim about his 1950s excavation of a Central Coastarchaeological site (CA-MNT-85). We were working on thesite that year, and were interested in what had become of aninfant burial Heizer had encountered there earlier.Unfortunately, it was clear to us from the start that he did notwish to cooperate. When pressed for information, he grewangry and hung up the phone. I regret that this is the onlystory I have to share about Robert Heizer. He was asignificant (some would say “great”) figure in Californiaarchaeology, whose many achievements I respect, but I thinkhe was wrong about the makings of history. His letter toTowne suggests that he failed to grasp the historical andanthropological importance of anecdotal and archivalinformation in detailing the history of a movement, program,or culture. Personally, I believe that a history consists of manythings, including oral traditions, anecdotal recollections, andwritten correspondence. Some of these other sources of dataare just as important as a person’s publications. In certainways, they are probably more important.

I regret that Heizer destroyed his files because there wereundoubtedly materials in them that would have helped betterexplain his own contributions to California archaeology, andinform us how we got to where we are today as a profession.Apparently, Heizer did not see that, but fortunately, DanFoster and John Betts do. In their “History of the CaliforniaDepartment of Forestry and Fire Protection ArchaeologyProgram, 1970-2004,” Foster and Betts have utilized bothpublished and anecdotal data to best detail and explain thehistory of CDF’s archaeological program. Because of this,they have succeeded in telling the story of one of California’smost important archaeological programs. It is an interestingstory that largely begins with Dan Foster in 1981.

In 1981, I had the good fortune to work with Dan Fosteron a large archaeological survey at Cuyamaca Rancho State

Park in San Diego County. I have referred to that time in myown anecdotal contribution to the “Voices” section of theFoster and Betts history. I remember the CDFannouncement in 1981 that advertised for a permanent StateArchaeologist. I was happy in my role at State Parks, but for abrief time, I entertained the notion of applying for the CDFposition. I figured that it would be a good challenge and Iliked the idea of creating an archaeological program fromscratch. However, as I thought about it, I realized this was achallenge that I was not prepared for. I did not apply. Dan didapply. Without a doubt, he was the best candidate, andperhaps the only one who could have met the challenges thatconfronted the position. Dan met those challenges with greatskill, and he succeeded in creating a superb program that hasbenefited the archaeological record and the citizens ofCalifornia. To be perfectly honest, I do not believe that hegets enough credit for what he has done.

The CDF archaeological program has sometimes beenmaligned and often misunderstood, especially in its earlyyears. However, with the publication of this history, Fosterand Betts have presented the readers an inside look at howthe program really works. They have discussed past failuresalong with the successes. As a result of their candor andopenness, we can each judge for ourselves if this program hascontributed significantly to California archaeology.Personally, I believe it has made an enormous contribution,and I would like to challenge other State and Federalagencies, universities, and private companies to do as much.

The “History of the California Department of Forestryand Fire Protection Archaeology Program, 1970-2004” byFoster and Betts is an important work. I believe it issomething that all California archaeologists will want fortheir libraries.

Review of “History of the California Department ofForestry and Fire Protection Archaeology Program,1970-2004”

Sharon A. WaechterFar Western Anthropological Research Group, Davis, California

Any archaeologist who has ever worked within agovernment agency probably knows all too well thefrustration of having legal mandates to meet but not enoughmoney to meet them (and often little sympathy frommanagers). Some in this situation give up – either by movingon to other jobs or by “retiring in place.” But there are thosearchaeologists, thankfully, who stick with it and find creativeways to stretch their budgets as far as possible.

Dan Foster and his colleagues at CDF are goodexamples of this kind of archaeologist. Over more than 20years, they have created a viable program despite constantbudget cuts, often uninformed management, the on-goingproblem of dealing with private lands and privatelandowners, and a lack of appreciation from many of their

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Sharon Waechter and Don Laylander have in-hand 42submissions for Proceedings 18, which they are currentlyediting. This compilation of papers presented at last year’sAnnual Meetings remains on schedule for distribution at theupcoming Sacramento Annual Meetings.

The Board was very pleased to see the 2004-05Membership Directory in members’ mailboxes in earlyAugust. The previous issue was several years old, and thenumber of members with email contacts has easily doubledsince then. Our Directory now also includes a list of all SCAAwards Recipients in years past, as well as the Society’sbylaws with the changes adopted this past spring. If youhaven’t received it, please give our Business Office a call([530] 898-5733) or drop them a note([email protected] ) to check on what address we havefor you, or the status of your membership dues.

Based on comments received via email, our first “e-zine”Newsletter was well received. Commonsense keeps meconcerned though, that we haven’t heard from arepresentative sample of members. So, if you think of it, giveyour Board members some feedback. Let us know if youaccessed it, if you are indifferent, etc. And if you haven’tbeen to www.scahome.org lately, you are truly missing out ona great resource. Back-issues of our Newsletters are posted foropen access (1998-2004), as are interviews with past Banquetspeakers, news on upcoming archaeology and anthropologymeetings, and contact information for Board members andCommittee chairs. Plus, we have a regularly updated JobBoard, now with seven full-time positions announced.

Look for a 2005 Annual Meeting preliminary schedule topost up in the weeks ahead.

— Amy Gilreath

From the PresidentFrom the PresidentFrom the PresidentFrom the PresidentFrom the President(continued from page 3)(continued from page 3)(continued from page 3)(continued from page 3)(continued from page 3)

archaeological colleagues for the very difficult job they do.The CDF Archaeology Program consists of six individualswho have to cover nearly one-third of this huge state,responding to fire emergencies, inspecting TimberHarvesting Plans, working with Native Americans, consultingwith other agencies, educating foresters and fire personnel,reaching out to the public …

But don’t take my word for it; read it for yourself. DanFoster and CDF consultant John Betts have just completed ahistory of the CDF Archaeology Program from 1970 to 2004.Roughly the first half of the publication, which will beNumber 30 in a series of CDF Archaeological Reports, is abrief history of the development of forestry and conservationethics in California; the enactment of federal legislation topreserve cultural resources; and the implementation of thatlegislation by our state agencies, including the Office ofHistoric Preservation, Parks and Recreation, the Governor’sState Historical Resources Commission, and CDF. This is agood review for anyone who wants to know more about thevarious regulations under which most of us operate.Following this is a more detailed discussion of the primaryregulations under which CDF carries out its cultural-resourcesprotection program: CEQA, NAGPRA, the Forest PracticeAct, and many others. This section illustrates how closelyCDF must work with other agencies and organizations toprotect cultural resources on 31 million acres of privatelyowned wildlands in California. Using case histories from themid-1970s to the late 1980s, the authors illustrate the struggleby archaeologists from CDF, State Parks, and elsewhere tochange the attitudes of foresters and agency officials towardthe protection of these resources.

The next section is a comprehensive overview of theCDF Archaeology Program, from its inception in the mid-1970s to today. The section covers in detail the CDFArchaeological Training Program for non-archaeologists; howthe agency conducts archaeological inventories; their reviewof Timber Harvesting Plans and other projects; consultationwith Native Americans; efforts at public outreach; and thecomplex dance between CDF’s need to fight wildland firesand its desire to protect cultural resources. Anyone who everwondered what “those CDF archaeologists” do must readthis: you will be awed by the number and extent of the dutiesfulfilled by this tiny but dedicated staff. This section endswith a special tribute to Fritz Riddell, who played such a hugerole in establishing the cultural-resources programs for StateParks and CDF.

Roughly the second half of the publication is filled withthe “Voices” of archaeologists, historians, CDF and StateParks managers, Native Americans, foresters, universityprofessors, museum directors, students, and volunteers, allsharing their experiences working for or with CDF. Many ofthe names and faces will be familiar. I personally haveworked with Dan Foster and his staff for only about threeyears, and so my view is somewhat limited. What I learned

from reading the “Voices” of those who have known themmuch longer is that they (and especially Dan) have a passionand dedication to cultural resources that is infectious. Anyarchaeologist who has forgotten – or not yet felt – suchpassion should read this publication, and see if you don’tcatch it, yourself.

Also available as a .pdf with all photographs in color at<www.indiana.edu/%7Ee472/cdf/proginfo.html>. and on theCDF Archaeology Program web site at <www.indiana.edu/%7Ee472/cdf/proginfo/cdfarchhist.html>.

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Out of the Pits○

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Out of the Pits:Guest Editorials on Problems andProspects in Professional Archaeology—in California and Beyond

A “Phase Shift” in California CRMMark Q. SuttonCSU Bakersfield

As frozen water melts, it changes from solid ice to fluidwater; that is, it shifts phases from a solid to a liquid. Theactual form of water during this transition is poorly known, asit has no real substance. A similar phase shift seems to betaking place within the CRM component of Californiaarchaeology, a sort of “phase mutation” from the traditionaland relatively clear-ut Phase One (discovery) and Phase Two(evaluation) to a nebulous “Extended Phase One” (oftencalled “XPI”). Where did this new form of matter comefrom? Who developed it? What is its substance?

Whatever its nature, the purpose of XPI seems clear. It isa fast and cheap way to conduct some sort of limitedevaluation of the significance of an archaeological site withinthe confines of the inventory phase.

Money is hard to come by and while inventory isunavoidable, there is always pressure to reduce costs. Thus,contractors are increasingly being asked to “take a look” at asite without the contracting agency having to go through theprocess of developing or funding a formalized testingcontract. While no formal Determination of Eligibility orsignificance may be made in an XPI, some sites that do notappear promising may not “make the cut” and thus neveradvance to the testing and formal evaluation stage. Byembedding the testing within the inventory and droppingseemingly insignificant sites early in the process, a sort of“triage” can be conducted and in theory, precious resourcescan be devoted to more promising sites.

The problem lies not in the goal of an XPI, but in itsexecution. In the push to retain the illusion of “inventory,”field methods for site testing during an XPI are very limited,with shovel test pits (STPs) being a major element, perhapsbecause a real excavation could not be called inventory.

The use of STPs for evaluation has serious problems (seeSutton 2004) and I fear that significant sites will fall throughthe cracks. In our zeal to be faster and cheaper, we may becompromising the very goal of all of our work, which is togain an understanding of the past.

I think that the concept of the Extended Phase One couldbenefit from some open discussion to determine whether itshould be a part of California archaeology. It is myimpression (and only an impression since no one seems toknow) that XPI was developed by some agency and imposedon agency archaeologists without much professionaldeliberation. Is site significance triage appropriate? Inreality, we already do it to some extent. Few archaeologistswould recommend testing for every single site encounteredin a survey, and some judgment is employed inrecommending which sites should be tested. In a traditionalPhase Two testing program, the testing has generally beenmore comprehensive than what seems to be done in an XPI.Do we really want to circumscribe the testing and evaluationprocess? We should think about this before the XPI becomesan entrenched procedure.

Reference

Sutton, Mark Q.2004 On the Efficacy of Shovel Test Pits for the Evaluation

of Sites: You’ve Got to Be Sh[ovel Test P]itting Me.Society for California Archaeology Newsletter38(2):30-32.

Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’Editor’s e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]

Ochlerotatus Mosquitoes of CaliforniaOchlerotatus Mosquitoes of CaliforniaOchlerotatus Mosquitoes of CaliforniaOchlerotatus Mosquitoes of CaliforniaOchlerotatus Mosquitoes of Californiahttp://www.mosquitoes.org/Ochlerotatus.htm

WWWWWest Nile Vest Nile Vest Nile Vest Nile Vest Nile Virus Home Pageirus Home Pageirus Home Pageirus Home Pageirus Home Pagehttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/index.htm

Magnetic Declination CalculatorMagnetic Declination CalculatorMagnetic Declination CalculatorMagnetic Declination CalculatorMagnetic Declination Calculatorhttp://www.geolab.nrcan.gc.ca/geomag/mirp_e.shtml

W W W W Web Sites of Interesteb Sites of Interesteb Sites of Interesteb Sites of Interesteb Sites of Interest

22


New Publications

study that crossed phylogenetic boundaries. Of particularinterest was determining whether clear differentiation incalcium isotopes exists among marine mammals at lowtrophic levels (i.e., plant-feeders versus invertebrate feeders).

Results of the study confirm that marine mammal boneand tooth enamel calcium isotope values contain dietarylevel information that can discriminate herbivorous andmolluscivorous marine mammals from higher trophic levelcarnivores. Although the exact mechanism for the isotopicfractionation is not clearly understood, similar values fordistantly related marine mammals feeding on similar dietssuggest that this mechanism is not affected by physiologicaldifferences between groups and the method can be appliedacross phylogenetic boundaries.

Fagan, B.2004 The House of the Sea: An Essay on the Antiquity of

Planked Canoes in Southern California. AmericanAntiquity 69(1):7-16.

It has been well documented that the Chumash used theplanked canoe to deep-water fish offshore of the ChannelIslands. The common assumption is that the planked canoe—otherwise known as tomol—originated about 1500 years ago.Fagan proposes, however, that forms of the planked canoeexisted earlier than currently postulated, perhaps as early as8,500 years ago. The rise in sea level and the need for longoffshore expeditions is suggested to be the motivatingcircumstances for the development and use of plankedcanoes in Southern California, particularly in the SantaBarbara Channel.

Three main types of early watercraft—dugout canoe, reedcanoe, and planked canoe—are compared to delineate thepotential advantages and limitations characteristic of eachform of vessel used in the open sea. Frequent voyagingrequired a vessel made of durable materials that could bemaneuvered quickly. Fagan suggests that the planked canoehas several key factors that render this type of vessel ideal fortravel and transport; 1) durability and repairable, 2) greaterload capacity, and 3) relative ease of handling in rough water.Since Chumash canoe builders built planked canoes using abasic toolkit, the author argues that visualization skills were amore important consideration than technology. Optimal skillswere used in selecting driftwood, preparing the planks, andconstructing the body.

Early archaeological sites located on San Clemente andSanta Catalina islands are offered as indirect evidence for

NewPublications

Denise Thomas

This series offers an annotated bibliography of recentlypublished and some unpublished literature pertinent tocurrent debates and methods in Californian archaeology.Prehistoric and historical archaeology will appear in alternateissues. If you have any news or ideas about how this sectioncan better fit the needs of its audience feel free to email theauthor: [email protected]. Please limit contributions tothose that can be easily accessed by all members of the SCAand have appeared within the last five years.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Clementz, M.T., P. Holden, and P.L. Koch2003 Are Calcium Isotopes a Reliable Monitor of Trophic

Level in Marine Settings? International Journal ofOsteoarchaeology 13:29-36.

Currently, nitrogen isotopes and elemental concentrationshave been used in archaeological and palaeontologicalresearch to reconstruct trophic levels. The limitation of usingnitrogen isotopes is that samples (i.e., hair, muscle, collagen)are not typically preserved in specimens over 200 kyr,limiting the method to relatively young samples. Recentstudies have shown that calcium isotopes also correlate bytrophic level. If calcium isotopes are shown to be consistentwith the nitorgen findings, because calcium isotopes are morestable, information on trophic relationships within foodwebscould be calculated for specimens that are millions of yearsolder than presently possible.

Expanding on recent research, Clementz et al. focused onestablishing trophic relationships among modern marinemammals with the goal of verifying previously observedpatterns in a single species remaining true for a multi-species

SCA Northern California Data-Sharing Meeting, Saturday,November 6, 2004, Shasta College, Redding, California

If you are interested in making a presentation, wish to volunteer,or simply would like more information, please contact:

Karin Anderson (707)464-6101 x 5210 or email: [email protected]

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In Memorium

early voyages between mainland and offshore islands. Beadexchange networks extended offshore by 4500 B.P. asdemonstrated in archaeological assemblages from SanClemente Island, an island 73 kilometers from mainland.Exchange networks imply a certain degree of regular contactbetween island and mainland groups. Althougharchaeological evidence of early planked canoes is currentlylacking, Fagan believes that careful attention toinconspicuous traces of planked canoes such as stone toolsand asphalt plugs in sites dating pre-1500 B.P. could clarifythe question of tomol adaptation.

Middleton, W.D.2004 Identifying Chemical Activity Residues on Prehistoric

House Floors: A Methodology and Rationale for Multi-elemental Characterization of a Mild Acid Extract ofAnthropogenic Sediments. Archaeometry 46 (1):47-65.

Elevated soil phosphorus levels have traditionally beenused for archaeological site identification and delimitation.Recent studies have employed sediment chemistry more asan interpretive tool for the detection of specific activity areas.Phosphorus can be effective in detecting human occupation,but due to the ubiquity of phosphorus, producing valuabledata necessary to interpret activity loci is difficult. Formeaningful interpretation, Middleton emphasizes the needfor a holistic approach by implementing a multi-elementalcharacterization technique which considers more than asingle attribute such as phosphorus. Defining additionalelements makes it possible to differentiate between distinctsources of phosphorus enrichment.

Middleton clearly outlines the procedure employed forconducting multi-elemental characterization of sedimentsincluding the method of extraction and digestion of thesediment sample used in the study. The author also discussesthe formation of anthropogenic chemical residues and multi-elemental characterization and identification of residues.Lastly, Middleton presents results of two case studies: adomestic residence (AD 250-750) known as Ejutla shellworkshop located in Oaxaca, Mexico and Building Five—Neolithic residential structure—at Catalhöyök (7500-6500BC) on the Konya Plain of Turkey.

In conclusion, Middleton emphasizes two points inreference to the utility of multi-elemental characterization.First, multiple elements (or other sediment properties) mustbe assessed to make specific identifications of residuesources. Single sediment properties are indistinct and uselessin revealing discrete activity areas. Second, methods chosento address research questions must be selected based on theability for that method to produce valuable data to answerthose questions, particularly in sediment chemistry. Modernequipment makes multi-elemental characterization a feasibleand effective method for analysis. The method candetermine a large suite of elements simultaneously, rapidly,and relatively inexpensively for a large number of samples.

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In Memoriam:Bert AlfredGerow,ProfessorEmeritus atStanfordUniversity,December 26,1915-August 9,2001Richard T. Fitzgerald,William R. Hildebrandtand Alan Leventhal

In the last decade orso the archaeologicalcommunity of California has sadly lost many of its most

important scholars and mentors including Francis Riddell,Franklin Fenenga, Clem Meighan and James Bennyhoff. Wemust now add Bert Gerow of Stanford University to this list.Dr. Gerow, or simply “Bert” as we called, him passed away in2001 at the age of 85 leaving behind an important legacy ofstudy on central California prehistory.

Bert was born in Lafayette, California in 1915. His fatherwas an architectural sculptor who designed and producedsome of the figures used for the Panama-Pacific Exposition.Bert’s family moved away from the Bay Area to Inglewoodwhen his father found work on the movie sets of Hollywood.He attended Inglewood High School, where he was electedPresident of his class. Upon graduation at the height of theGreat Depression, Bert enrolled at UCLA but, at the urging ofhis father, went out to find work. Bert was unable to findemployment, so like many other young men he joined theCivilian Conservation Corps (CCC). He was sent to YosemiteNational Park for about a year, and would return for vacationsfor the rest of his life. During his time in Yosemite he foundthe time to teach algebra to some of his fellow CCC laborers.After completing his work with the CCC, he returned toUCLA and graduated with a Bachelors degree in ClassicalLanguages. After UCLA, he applied to graduate schoolshoping to get into a prestigious East Coast institution, butfound it difficult for students west of the Mississippi to getaccepted. As a result, he applied to UC Berkeley where hewas admitted to the Department of Anthropology in the fallof 1938.

It was at Berkeley that Bert came under the tutelage ofAlfred Kroeber, and in 1940 was sent to conduct a study ofsouthern California Indian basketry. During these first yearsof graduate school Bert supported himself as a teaching

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In Memorium

assistant, and met his future wife, Marjorie Ward, just beforethe onset of World War II. They were introduced through amutual friend and got to know each other while Marjorie wasattending one of Kroeber’s classes for which Bert was theTeaching Assistant. Marjorie recalled that Kroeber was a strictteacher who demanded the absolute attention of his studentsduring his lectures. Bert and Marjorie were married justbefore the war, a marriage that lasted over fifty years andproduced five children.

With the outbreak of the war Bert tried to enlist but wasturned away due to a physical problem. In 1942, however, hewas contacted by the Navy School of Oriental Languageswho were looking for graduate students with outstandinglanguage skills to participate in intelligence work. It wasKroeber who recommended Bert for this duty, and in shortorder Bert headed off for the Naval school in Colorado tolearn Japanese. Upon graduation in 1943 he was sent to theAdvanced School of Naval Intelligence in New York City,where he graduated in 1944.

Bert was then sent to Tinian as a Japanese LanguageOfficer assigned to the Atomic Bomb Mission. According toMrs. Gerow, Bert assisted one of the two planes, either theEnola Gay or the Bock’s Car, that were used to drop theatomic bombs on Japan, — this, of course, was unknown to hiswife until after the war. Following the Japanese surrender, hewas sent to Tokyo to serve as an interpreter, and later becamea language instructor at the School of Naval Administration,Stanford University, upon his return to California. In 1946 hewas sent overseas once again — this time to Seoul, Korea —where he continued his military duties as a Division Chief ofEngineer Intelligence until 1947. Bert finally returned hometo California and quickly landed a temporary anthropologyteaching position at Stanford before finishing his Ph.D. atBerkeley in 1950. His dissertation, in keeping with hisethnological training under Kroeber, was on MidwesternNative American folklore and was entitled “Bloodclot Boy:An Historical and Stylistic Study of a North American IndianHero Tale.” A year after finishing his degree he was hired asAssistant Professor of Anthropology at Stanford in 1951 wherehe remained until his retirement in 1979.

During Bert’s professional career he made severalimportant contributions to California prehistory, somepioneering for their time. During a period when many peopledid not regularly save or analyze faunal remains, Bert notonly analyzed faunal remains from Bay Area sites, but was thefirst to document evidence for “resource intensification” and“increased diet breadth.” Although his research predated theregular use of evolutionary ecology and the aforementionedterms, Gerow with Force (1968:31-33) found that largeterrestrial mammals like deer and elk were depleted early on,while the more elusive sea otter became more important laterin time. Documenting these very same relationshipscontinues to be a focus of many researchers in the regiontoday.

Bert and one of his students, Donovan Clark, begananalyzing obsidian hydration readings from central Californiaarchaeological sites back in 1959 (see Gerow with Force1968:119), many years before the method was usedelsewhere, and decades before it was embraced by many ofus. Bert’s interest in the dating technique continued into hisretirement, when he was always willing to train students at hishydration lab on the Stanford University campus.

Most of us, however, are more familiar with his work atUniversity Village and other San Francisco Bay Area sites.Principal among his findings were the flaws in application ofthe Central California Taxonomic System (CCTS) developedin the Delta Region by Lillard, Heizer, and Fenenga in the1930s. Gerow’s excavations at the University Village siteidentified a prehistoric culture (“Early Bay”) that was as oldas the Early Horizon/Windmiller culture of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region, but was significantly differentalong a variety of archaeological dimensions (e.g., burialposture, osteometrics, certain beads and ornaments, andseveral types of utilitarian artifacts). This finding ran counterto the CCTS which saw a single, unilinear cultural sequencethat covered much of central California. He presented hisideas in a 1954 paper entitled “The Problem of CulturalSequences in Central California Archaeology” to the AnnualMeeting of the American Association for the Advancement ofScience, but they were largely ignored for 25 years due to thepowerful influence of Heizer and other of his Berkeleystudents.

The fact that Gerow’s perspectives on central Californiaprehistory were largely disregarded in the publishedliterature and at archaeological meetings impeded Gerow’scareer and frustrated him to the extent that he would harbor agrudge towards Heizer for the rest of life. Whenever spendinga significant amount of time with Bert, one would be sure tohear his lament about how he was right and Heizer was wrong.Time, however, was on Gerow’s side and subsequent researchby Fredrickson and others throughout central and northernCalifornia has shown that there was a great deal of inter-regional variability among prehistoric cultures and, ironically,the identification and tracking of this variability is Gerow’sgreatest legacy to California prehistory. Bert more fullydeveloped his ideas in what was probably his most importantsynthetic publication “Co-Traditions and Convergent Trendsin Prehistoric California” where he used osteometric andarchaeological data to study large-scale interactions andpossible gene flow between prehistoric populations of thecentral valley and the south coastal region. In recognition ofthat legacy he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Awardby the Society for California Archaeology in 1989.

His training of students and propensity for lively debatewas clearly illustrated between 1981 and 1985 when thecurrent authors worked and studied together at San Jose StateUniversity. When Hildebrandt first arrived at San Jose State asa young Ph.D., he immediately visited Gerow at Stanford,

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In Memorium

and later, with the assistance of Leventhal, helped Bert teachsome classes on our campus. Leventhal became good friendswith Bert — not an easy task — by regularly picking him up athis home and delivering him to the San Jose State campus, toSCA meetings, and archaeological gatherings at otherlocations. Bert freely shared his published and unpublisheddata, and all he wanted back was lively discussion and a simple“thank you.” Bert’s contributions during this special time atSan Jose State included a comprehensive analysis of themortuary population and artifact assemblages derived from theSJSU excavations at the Ryan Mound (ALA-329) where hedirected excavations between 1959-1967. Through this andother efforts Bert enhanced the careers of several students andcolleagues, including Rick Fitzgerald, Mark Hylkema, TerryJones, Alan Leventhal, Jim Nelson, Glen Wilson and severalothers who continue their studies of central Californiaprehistory. As students of Bert’s “Advanced Topics inCalifornia Archaeology,” we were often intimidated by hisgruff teaching style. But his command of the archaeological

literature, attention to detail and critical examination ofcompeting explanations left us with a lasting impression.

Another attribute of Bert’s, and one particularly appreciatedby Terry Jones, was that he was unafraid to criticize what heconsidered to be sub-par research efforts, or interpretationswhich he didn’t feel were consistent with the data at hand.Political correctness was not an issue with Bert (as he proved atStanford over repatriation of Native American remains andcollections) and his honest criticism has prevented many of usfrom pursuing useless research agendas. For those with apropensity to continually split the archaeological record intosmaller, more complicated units, you should take heed of hisclassic reprimand that you are simply “slicing the bolognathinner and thinner.” This criticism should stand as a legacy forcurrent and future students of central California prehistory, asthe archaeological record we have created is still largelyincomprehensible to many archaeologists from adjoiningregions due to its troubling layers of complexity.

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Bear Shamanism andBear Shamanism andBear Shamanism andBear Shamanism andBear Shamanism andSocial Control inSocial Control inSocial Control inSocial Control inSocial Control inNative CaliforniaNative CaliforniaNative CaliforniaNative CaliforniaNative California

SocietiesSocietiesSocietiesSocietiesSocietiesSandra E. Hollimon

Anthropological Studies CenterSonoma State University

Illustration from “Prairie and Forest” by Parker Gillmore, Harper and Brothers, Publishers, New York, 1874.

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In many Native California societies, bear shamanism is amechanism of social control. The threat of punitiveaction by the bear doctor is sufficient to maintain

appropriate behavior by most members of the group. Whilethere are certainly other mechanisms and agents of socialcontrol, the role of the bear shaman is the focus of thisdiscussion.

A distinction must be made between groups thatdisplayed bear impersonators who performed in a variety ofritual contexts, and those who believed in a special class ofpersons who were capable of transforming into bears, and thenback to human status. In the former example, the shamanwore a bear suit, but even within a given group, consultantsmight differ as to which type of bear doctor occurred in theirsociety (e.g., the Yuki [Kroeber 1925:201, 854-855] and theChumash [Hudson and Blackburn 1985:157]).

Examples of the former, where the bear suit and otherparaphernalia bestowed the power, and human instruction wasrequired for effective use, include Pomoans, Maidu, Miwok,Sinkyone, Kato, Nongatl, Coast Yuki, Mattole and Hupa;examples of the latter, where bear power is acquired andtransformation into a bear allows the execution of enemies,include the Yokuts, Wintun, Salinan, and Chumash (seeKroeber 1925 and Heizer 1978 for surveys).

The examination of bear doctors as social control agentscan be discussed in the context of emerging complexity. Thebear doctor, and similar officers, could provide the potentialforce and authority employed by political leaders, such as thechief. Although there are numerous analogous figures inNative California societies, such as the Tolowa “Indiandevils” (t’tna’ge [Driver 1939:421]), I confine my discussionto bear shamans and those who were culturally sanctioned toact as executioners.

Power Acquisition and Maintenance

Throughout Native California societies, it is generallybelieved that power is unevenly distributed in the universe;extrapolating from this principle, power is then alsounequally distributed in humans (Bean 1992:29). Individualsmight gain power in two basic ways: inheritance and personalacquisition, the latter often obtained during altered states ofconsciousness. A person might be instructed in theknowledge, attainment, and employment of power by thepower giver itself, such as a sacred being or tutelary spirit, orthrough training from a shaman or other ritual specialist (Bean1992:27). In many Native North American cultures, theshaman is seen as the mediator between human and spiritworlds, and the role is considered a highly skilled onerequiring a specialist, where the skills are passed from anexpert to a novice through an apprenticeship (Shennan1996:371).

An example of this principle is found among the Yuki,where a bear doctor received supernatural instruction in the

form of dreams about bears, and the novice would then live inisolation away from the village for a period of time. Afterreturning to human society, the apprentice would beinstructed by experienced bear doctors, particularly withregard to physical agility and fitness, and feats oflegerdemain. It was believed that these persons actuallyturned into bears and that they would kill individuals againstwhom they bore a grudge. In other instances, consultantsindicated that the bear doctor was encased in a bear hide,which was so hard that it could repel arrows (Kroeber1925:201). This feature certainly lends to the impression thatbear doctors were invincible, and partially explains thecommon belief that they had the power to return to life afterbeing killed (Kroeber 1925:855). In contrast, among the Kato,bear impersonators could sometimes be killed by being shotin the back or buttocks where the hide was fastened (Driver1939:421).

It is the institutionalization of ritual specialization thatinforms questions concerning emerging organizationalcomplexity. In some Native California societies, theelaboration of hereditary power maintenance likely wenthand in hand with ascribed socio-economic and politicalpower, such as that found in the chiefdom form ofsociopolitical organization (see Bean 1978, 1992). Placingone’s faith, or an entire community’s fate, in the logisticalabilities of others is a hallmark of non-egalitarian forms oforganization; “The common ascription of charisma to personswilling to make the effort to lead and help their fellows maybe couched in terms of drawing upon spiritual power, or uponunusual intelligence” (Kehoe 2000:69). Therefore, personssuch as shamans are elites by virtue of their opportunity toaffect the lives of their communities. “As a result of hismediating position with the spirit world, the shaman haspower, privileges and position which are unavailable toanyone else” (Shennan 1996:371).

Such a situation was described among the Numic groupsof the Great Basin, as well as societies in California (e.g.,Blackburn 1976; Gayton 1930):

It was only through the acquisition of shamanisticpower that men could truly become political actors andgain prestige and status in Numic society. In turn, thisadvantaged them in a number of ways: women desiredsuch men as preferred marriage partners, and thepopulation at large respected them, largely out of fearof their potentially malevolent [power]. And in thatshamanistic power was partly inherited, but in any caselimited to a small segment of the population(estimated at about 2%), it is apparent that a veryrestricted, incipient elite group, comprised of shaman/headmen, existed within the ostensibly egalitarianNumic society (Whitley 1994:366-367).

Indeed, many so-called egalitarian societies may recognizedifferences in ability and temperament, but may not endowall those differences with organizationally meaningful results.For example, among the Canadian Inuit, superior hunting

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ability is not a legitimate basis for the formation of socialinequalities, but the role of shaman is such a basis (Shennan1996:371).

Employing Power as a Mechanism of Social Control

Social control can be accomplished through many culturalmechanisms, such as formal legal institutions, ostracism, andother means. Features such as taboos and systems ofclassification are sustained through the strategic work ofshamans, such that they have a key role in determining whatare approved and disapproved modes of behavior, and intransmitting these and the cultural framework on which theyare based (Riches 1992:383; Shennan 1996:371). Specifically,rituals can function in multiple ways, sequentially orsimultaneously, including as a mechanism for social control,and in maintenance of the power structure (Burns andLaughlin 1979:250-251). “Correct” behavior may bedisplayed, and “incorrect” behavior can be exposed andnegatively sanctioned. When ritual maintains the powerstructure, there is restricted access to ritual by persons inauthority.

From where does this authority come? Sorcery is a meanswhereby the authority achieved through shamanicperformance can be carried over from ritual to non-ritualcontexts, because a reputation for sorcery is an advantagewhen persuading others to do what ones wishes them to do(Atkinson 1989:275-276). Politically, the value of sorceryderives not from its actual use but from its potential for use.Although shamanic practice may look like an individualachievement, it can be argued that a shaman is powerful onlyinsofar as others attribute power to him or her, and thatmotivation for the shamanic office does not rest solely withthe individual but rather derives from, and is promoted by, theinterests of wider social groups (Atkinson 1989:279).

An example can be seen among the Chumash during thecontact period. It was widely believed that an executioner or“poisoner” was appointed from among the ranks of the`antap. The title `altip’at/shw/ is glossed as the “master ofherbs and keeper of poisons” (Walker and Hudson 1993:45,55). While the identity of this individual was a closely-guarded secret, he or she could be distinguished by specificactions during large mourning ceremonies. It was thought thatrival chiefs would target each other for poisoning, and that awealthy man would begin to be poisoned some monthsbefore the mourning ceremony. The poisoner had theprerogative of ransoming the man for a cure, or allowing himto die. If the latter occurred, the poisoner received apercentage of “the gate” from the chief at the subsequentmourning ceremony. This is a prime example of socialcontrol. Whether or not the poisoner frequently (or ever)killed someone is irrelevant; the belief that this person coulddo so “provided a chief with indirect coercive abilities thatundoubtedly augmented his political power significantly(Blackburn 1976:237-238).

A similar institution was documented in Lake Miwok andCoast Miwok societies. The Coast Miwok recognized fourkinds of professional poisoners (Kelly 1978:419). Among theLake Miwok, professional poisoners were tolerated becausethey were often the only recourse for those with seriousgrievances. The wállipo poisoner dressed in owl feathers andran at high speeds, hooting as he went. Anyone in his pathrisked sickness or death, and sometimes these poisoners wereambushed and killed (Callaghan 1978:269).

A cognate exists in Kashia Pomo traditions, and the notedhealer, the late Essie Parrish, saw a walipo when she wasyoung (Oswalt 1964; Vivian Parrish Wilder, pers. comm.).While Loeb (1926:329) doubted that much poisoning evertook place, he noted that the belief in poisoners heightenedthe fear of them throughout the populace. In fact, Loeb(1926:334) concluded that the cultural emphasis on poisoningfears contributed significantly to the development of Pomoetiquette and hospitality rules, and that childhoodenculturation included precautionary instruction aboutpoisoning (see also Aginsky and Aginsky 1967; Colson 1974;Theodoratus 1971). My informal ethnography among theKashia and Dry Creek Pomo demonstrated that bear doctorsare still in existence in these societies, and that the threat ofpunitive action still resides with these social control agents.

Bear Shamans as Agents of Social Control

In much the same way, bear shamans function as socialcontrol agents by virtue of the threat they pose to“wrongdoers.” When the identity of a potential executioneris unknown, it behooves people to behave with deferenceand propriety, in order to not offend someone who mightretaliate. Civility is reinforced by fear of the possibility oflosing one’s life at the hands, and weapons, of the bear doctor.Nevertheless, the bear shaman appears to have beentolerated or even encouraged as a “necessary evil,” believedby the group to be acting on its behalf in removing externalthreats from enemies of the group (Kroeber 1925:855). It isalso possible that the bear shaman might serve as aconvenient scapegoat when someone from the communitywas attacked or killed by a bear (see Hudson and Blackburn1985:157).

Symbolic Properties of Bears

Bears are large, potentially dangerous to humans, butdisplay many human-like qualities. In part, this explains thebear’s nearly universal supernatural significance (Rockwell1991; Shepard and Sanders 1985; see also Hollimon 2001 fora summary of Eurasian and North American examples).Their association with supernatural power led many NativeNorth American societies to espouse fictive kinship withbears (Hallowell 1926; Kroeber 1952; Miller 1982).

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The Bear Shaman’s Equipment

Among many groups, an actual bear suit was constructedand donned by the Shaman. The Eastern Pomo bear doctorwore a suit made from an openwork twig basket, over whichthe bearskin was attached. Abalone disks with tiny holes forthe wearer to see through were placed in the eye openings ofthe basket. If a bearskin was not used, a soap root fibergarment could be substituted. Woven basketry shoes wereattached directly to the costume, giving the impression of abear’s feet. A sort of armor was made from shell beads, andwound tightly around the doctor’s body, in order to protectagainst arrows. The beads could also be used to buy thedoctor’s secrecy; if a person were attacked by a bear doctorwho was found out, the doctor could pay for the victim’ssilence (see Collier and Thalman 1996:368). Two basketswere half filled with water, and encased in woven fabric orrawhide. These made a swashing sound that resembled theviscera of the bear as it moved (Barrett 1917:455-456).

A similarly elaborate costume was used by Chumash bearshamans and impersonators. The suit was often referred to asa “machine” due to its purported ability to be “driven” as acar would be; a system of reins was inside the suit, and couldbe employed to guide the suit and control its speed (Hudsonand Blackburn 1985: 154-158). A consultant indicated that thebear machine was treated with ̀ ayip, a ritual substance (mostlikely alum) that was analogous to Christian “holy water, forthese people had much respect for it [the suit] (Blackburn1975:259; Hudson and Blackburn 1985:156).

A common feature of Native California shamanism is theidea that shamans can travel great distances at high speeds,especially when transformed into a bird (“magical flight”),bear, or other creature (Bean 1992:24). The ability to travel atgreat speed, analogous to the “magical flight” of the shaman,is frequently attributed to the suit, or to the transformedhuman-bear. This has been noted among the Sinkyone, Katoand Coast Yuki (Driver 1939:364), the Lake Miwok(Callaghan 1978:269)

Weapons used by bear doctors included daggers andknives. Among Pomo groups, the dagger was made of elkhorn, and was between six and ten inches long. Its tip wassharpened, and it was suspended from a string loop, fromeither the neck or the belt (Barrett 1917:457). Obsidianknives were also employed by bear shamans; the EasternPomo version was hafted with string to a split oak handle(Barrett 1917:457), while the Chumash bear suit had obsidianknives in the elbows (Hudson and Blackburn 1985:156).

Ritual Maintenance and Disposal of Equipment

As Corbett (1999:54-56) has noted with regard toChumash deer tibia whistles, the regulated manufacture,maintenance, and disposal of regalia is a key factor in theestablishment and continuity of elite organizations, such asthe ‘antap religion. Controlled access to ritual knowledge,

and its attendant spiritual sanction, was a feature of manyNative California societies that displayed emergentorganizational complexity. For example, the “functionalfamilies” of the Patwin employed ritual formulas, charms, andmedicines that ostensibly made them more successful in theirparticular functions (McKern 1922), as did the canoemanufacturing guild, “the Brotherhood of the tomol,” amongthe Chumash (Hudson et al. 1978).

Among the Patwin, the Bear organization was sometimesa third level of elite secret society (Loeb 1932; Kroeber1932). Bear shamanism was also practiced by members of asecret society among the Lake Miwok. Initiates donnedbearskins with appropriate ceremony and breastplates ofarmor. They were invulnerable and traveled at superhumanspeed. A Coast Miwok consultant from Bodega Bay statedthat Lake Miwok female bear shamans used their powers togather food and seashells from distant places, but male bearshamans were dangerous and might kill anyone theyencountered (Callaghan 1978:269).

Informal associations of bear doctors were also present inNative California groups. Western and Northeastern Pomobear doctors possessed a special set of magical religiousparaphernalia (particularly the bear costume) with which theyacquired power of movement, poisoning and curing. Theposition was purchased from a previous doctor, and it requiredspecial training and many ritual restrictions. Bear doctors hadan informal association and were greatly feared and admired(Barrett 1917; Bean and Theodoratus 1978:294; Loeb1926:335-338). Chumash bear shamans appear to haveworked more or less independently of the ‘antap society, theformal religious/political institution (Walker and Hudson1993).

Finally, the bear doctor may have operatedindependently from any recognized organization, essentiallyas a “rogue agent.” Few ethnographic references describebear doctors in this way, suggesting that in most cases, therewas some means of community recognition and tolerance ofthe role. As an analogous example, the Chumash master ofherbs and keeper of poisons was apparently on the chief’spayroll, granting the poisoner’s actions the weight of moralauthority. The mourning ceremony, at which the poisonerperformed, brought together distant communities, but alsoprovided a venue for competitive display of power by someindividuals. If the chief paid the executioner to poisonsomeone, he/she had an audience to which he/she coulddemonstrate social control. Further, these persons wereusually held accountable for the results of their actions inwhich power was manipulated; several mechanisms of socialcontrol applied to the power holder, and negative sanctionscould be employed for those who broke culturally approvedrules about the use of power (Bean 1976:412).

The secrecy surrounding the storage and disposal of thebear suit and other paraphernalia increased the likelihood thatmembers of the community would not identify the bear

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doctor (see Collier and Thalman 1996:362, 368). Among theChumash, the bear doctor hid his skin in a cave somewherevery secretly (Blackburn 1975:259). In addition, the threat ofthe bear shaman could be maintained, even if his power wereonly illusory; a Chumash oral narrative describes a man whowas a shaman, who turned into a bear “to return to hiskinsmen,” and he was described as harmless, “althoughnobody knew it” (Blackburn 1975:265).

Archaeological Implications

The material correlates of the bear doctor might be foundin archaeological contexts. These include the suit andweapons that were unique to the bear shaman. Of course,differential preservation limits the likelihood that thesewould be recovered. Perhaps the most promisingarchaeological evidence of bear shamanism can be found inthe “ritual” deposition of bear bones, such asaccompaniments in human burials, or bear skeletal remainsthat were deliberately buried and lack evidence of foodpreparation (see Heizer 1980). Examples come from CCO-308, where a California grizzly bear (Ursus horribilus) wasdiscovered in a Middle Horizon context (Fredrickson 1966),and CCO-138, which yielded a California black bear (Ursusamericanus californiensis) buried with a child about five yearsof age in a Late Horizon deposit (Cowan et al.1975).

Archaeological evidence of bear shamanism mayultimately date to extremely old sites in North America.Hallowell (1926) and others have noted the similarity ofbeliefs in bear ceremonialism that range throughout northernEurasia and North America. This suggests that these beliefshave a great antiquity, and their particular development inNative California shamanism can be further examined.

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