C O N S E R V A N C Y
Field Notes SOUTHWEST—Zuni tribal officials and staff and members of the Conservancy gathered to celebrate the transfer of the Box S site to the Pueblo of Zuni. Box S, which is known to the Zunis as Heshodan Imk’oskwi’a, or Emerging Village, is a large masonry pueblo that was occupied by Zuni ancestors between A.D. 1260 and 1285. The Zunis obtained the site from the Conservancy with the help of a grant from the Lannan Foundation. In recent years, the site had been looted, but the majority of the approximately 1,100 masonry rooms remain intact. The Conservancy acquired the pueblo
in 1999, after almost 20 years of negotiations with the landowner.The Zunis worked with the Conservancy to stabilize the site, backfill the looted rooms, and plant native grasses. The celebration included tours of the site’s archaeological features, a Zuni meal, and a traditional Zuni dance. Zuni Governor Malcolm Bowekaty spoke to the group, expressing his gratitude to all the people who helped to protect this sacred place. He spoke first to his tribal members in Zuni, and then, turning to the rest of the audience said,“For you, this place represents the past. But for us, it is still living. Many important
Conservancy members toured archaeological features such as roomblocks and a kiva at
people are buried here, and we still turn to them when we need them.” The Zunis will maintain the site for tribal and spiritual purposes, as well as for educational and scientific ones. By allowing the public to visit, the Zunis hope to educate people about the importance of preserving ancestral Native American sites.
A Small Piece of a Big Puzzle MIDWEST—One might be tempted to think that an archaeological site that is a state park, a National Historic Landmark, and a World Heritage Site would be safely preserved for future generations. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth if the site is Cahokia Mounds, the remains of the largest prehistoric town north of Mexico. Although the State of Illinois preserved the center of Cahokia by making it a state historic site, Cahokia’s outlying areas are endangered by the industrial, commercial, and residential development of nearby East St. Louis and the surrounding communities. The Conservancy created its second Illinois preserve on the western edge of Cahokia. Surrounded by highways, a golf course, modest homes, and small businesses, this three-acre preserve had been used for agriculture until John Kelly, an archaeologist with Washington University of St. Louis and
Box S Pueblo.
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fall • 2001
MARK MICHEL
Celebration at Zuni Site
