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The Archaeology Channel Newsletter |  |
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Welcome to the Vol. 2, Issue 3, of The Archaeology Channel Newsletter!
Summer Doldrums? Hardly. We’ve had a very busy and productive summer. There’s always so much going on that it often feels like chaos, but in the moment of reflection devoted to this newsletter introduction, it’s apparent that we have made good progress along our planned path. We have added to our office staff, won important grants, added a valuable underwriter, expanded partnership initiatives, won more press recognition, and added more TAC content. A year ago, I spent most of my time in the office alone. Now the office has become a hub of activity with a staff of dedicated people. Most recently, Jeff Simons, a recently retired high school teacher, has come on board as our Education Coordinator, and Sean Hammond has joined us as our second Administrative Assistant. These new volunteers contribute a significant number of hours each week and have made us a much more productive group. We typically have three or four of our six work stations in use at any given time. To accommodate further growth in staff, we soon will need to move into a larger office space! In June, the Oregon Council for the Humanities awarded ALI a $3000 grant in support of our initiative to bring Dr. Louise Leakey as Keynote Speaker to TAC Festival 2007. In September, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians granted us $1000 for the same purpose. Now we have raised $9000 of the $11,000 needed to pay the expenses for Dr. Leakey. We made a big step in July when we signed an Underwriting Agreement with the Egyptian Tourist Authority, who are now sponsoring the TAC video, Egypt: Gift of the Nile and the Audio News index page. As Egypt is the leading country worldwide for heritage tourism, its endorsement of TAC in this way will help us attract other government tourism offices around the globe. Development of key partnerships with major firms is moving us closer to the mainstream of Internet media. WindowsMedia .com, which for many years has featured TAC videos on its Home Page, now links to our content continuously on its Entertainment page. The Fifth Network, a Madison Avenue advertising firm with its own proprietary video player has asked us to supply TAC content to them in exchange for a share of proceeds. We are moving forward with both Google Video and AOL Video to provide TAC content in arrangements that involve promotion of TAC and a share of video sales and advertising revenues. It will be some time in 2007 before we know how successful these ventures can be. One of our articles below details the press coverage that has spun off my selection as recipient of the Society for American Archaeology Award for Excellence in Public Education (see our last TAC Newsletter for details on that). I’m gratified to have this recognition, but more important for us is the visibility this creates for our programs. As of this writing, we have 85 videos up on TAC, after adding eight new videos in the last three months. By the end of 2006, we may have 90 videos up. We should reach the 100 mark some time in 2007. Soon we will add a significant new audio program, Wisdom of the Elders (see below), which we hope will spur lots of interest as well as traffic. Thank you for your continuing support. Member contributions are a critical part of our financial foundation, so please stay with us and help us attract more supporting Members as we move forward.
Rick Pettigrew
Our world is a richer place owing to the contributions of Native American cultures. However, until recently, most people in North America and around the world had no convenient media source for experiencing the Native American cultural tapestry. Starting three years ago, this gap has been filled by Wisdom of the Elders, a series of one-hour radio programs produced by a Portland nonprofit of the same name. We are both proud and delighted now to announce that Wisdom of the Elders (WOTE) is the latest addition to TAC audio programming! At the time of this writing, we are moving quickly to post the WOTE pages for your listening pleasure, so it may be available by the time you read this (click here for the available program list). Wisdom of the Elders is a Native American cultural magazine in audio. The program is heard on American Indian radio stations through the AIROS satellite system as well as on many public radio stations around the U.S. It has received financial support from many sources, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail, National Park Service, Sound Partners for Community Health at the Benton Foundation, the Oregon Arts Commission, and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund. Each program in the WOTE series contains an introduction and segments on such subjects as oral history, perspectives on tribal geography, native languages, traditional healing and nutrition, native crafts, traditional and contemporary music, and storytelling. The programs feature a wide variety of North American Indian groups, so far focusing largely on Plains and Pacific Northwest tribes. The productions are designed to promote respect and pride among Native Americans in their heritage as well as better understanding of Native American perspectives and traditions among the wider society in North America and around the world. We find this series delightful, entertaining and thought-provoking and we hope you do, too. Tell us what you think!
By Doug Coffman, ALI Administrative Assistant As 2006 reaches its final quarter, planning is underway for the 4th annual TAC International Film and Video Festival—1-5 May 2007. The months of painstaking work that go into producing each year’s event are steadily melting away. We’ve been busy soliciting films from around the globe; securing financial support in the form of grants, underwriting contracts and sponsorships; and generally administrating our way through the myriad details involved in producing a major event of this type—all of which will be happily forgotten come opening night! In the midst of it, of course, the Institute’s other business—such as producing the Web site and building its Member base, creating new business partnerships, and running our many other programs and special projects—must be carried on as well. Nevertheless, with each successive year, the promise of even better things to come keeps us all energized for the task. This year is no exception, what with all the exciting people, places and events swirling about. The film crop for 2007 promises to be the best yet, and will reach new highs in terms of content and quality for sure, if not number as well. This year we’ve received about 85 video entries from more than 20 countries and the USA, including our first-ever films from Albania, Bulgaria, Iran, China, Indonesia, Japan, Lithuania, Russia, Serbia, Taiwan, and The Netherlands. We now begin the task of reviewing the films and selecting the best-of-the-best. We expect yet another stellar slate of compelling, high quality films to emerge as this process unfolds. A highlight of the 2007 TAC Festival will be the appearance of fourth-generation Kenyan, Dr. Louise Leakey (Ph.D., London University), as our official Keynote Speaker on opening night—May 1. Dr. Leakey upholds the Leakey family legacy in the search for human origins through continuing research with the Koobi Fora Research Project in the Turkana Basin of northern Kenya. Daughter of renowned paleoanthropologists, Meave and Richard Leakey, and granddaughter of Lewis and Mary Leakey, Louise is now a National Geographic “explorer-in-residence.” She leads the exploration and excavation project at Lake Turkana, made famous through the work of her parents for its many contributions to the human fossil record. For 35 years, the rigorous process of search, excavation, and paleoecological and geological analysis in the Turkana Basin has made it one of the most comprehensive field efforts yet organized to explore human origins and evolution. Ms. Leakey now lives in Kenya with her husband and young daughter. As Rick mentioned above, speakers of Ms. Leakey’s stature do not come cheap. Let me therefore take this opportunity to thank each and all of you—our valued Members, friends, and colleagues—for your interest and encouragement. It may sound trite, but it is certainly true: We simply could not do this without your continued support. Photo: Dr. Louise Leakey in the field
By Doug Coffman, ALI Administrative Assistant It was with great pleasure, in our last Newsletter, that we brought you the exciting news of the prestigious award presented recently to Dr. Rick Pettigrew, ALI’s President and Executive Director, by SAA—the 7,000- member Society for American Archaeology. If you’ve not yet seen our text interview with Rick about the Award for Excellence in Public Education, now’s the time. The entire interview has been archived on TAC with the rest of our July newsletter for your enjoyment and we hope you’ll take the earliest opportunity to read it if you haven’t already. Since the appearance of our July newsletter, announcements of Rick’s award have appeared widely, as expected, in national and world media. Among many others, these media include our major state newspaper, The Oregonian, as well as the E-Newsletter of the World Archaeological Congress. We hope you will find a convenient time to take a look at these highly informative postings. In its Sunday edition for August 20, 2006, The Register-Guard—our hometown paper here in Eugene, Oregon—published a feature article about Rick’s work with ALI and the role of ALI’s programs as a public sentinel for high-quality information about the human past. We hope that this and future press about our organization and its achievements will give us a significant boost toward making household words of The Archaeology Channel and TAC International Film and Video Festival. In addition to plentiful public announcements of SAA’s 2006 Award for Excellence in Public Education, news of the award seems to be generating interest in ALI and its programs, especially The Archaeology Channel. We seem to be enjoying a rise in new Memberships with ALI, and have lately taken on several new volunteers with our organization (such as Barbara Camin, featured just below in our Volunteer Spotlight), in part because of the recent publicity. All this press coverage should make a difference. As Rick framed it in his interview for the last edition of this Newsletter: “Now that I’ve been awarded this honor, I can go out to the professional community and elsewhere and let people know that what we are doing has been recognized by our professional peers as something that is worthwhile. And that gives us credibility. It gives us the voice of a very important institution—the SAA—and it’s going to help us to convince people to support what we’re doing.” Then, as if to drive home his point home about the importance of media coverage and Member support for the future of this organization, Rick added: “I think we have about six billion stakeholders in this process of learning about our past, and we really need to get the word out; we really need to make that effort to share it.” Well put, Dr. Pettigrew... and good luck! Photo: SAA Award for Excelllence in Public Education
By Barbie Camin I came to ALI in March of this year, bringing an extensive administrative background to assist Dr. Pettigrew. My professional experience was gained over years in the corporate world, where I was generally employed at headquarters offices of multinational firms in Silicon Valley (California), London (United Kingdom), and San Juan (Puerto Rico). In the 1980s and early ‘90s, I provided executive support services to some of the world’s leading venture capital, legal practices and investment firms as head of my own company–Sand Hill Office Services of Menlo Park, California. A native Californian, I am the daughter of an Australian mother and a U.S. Naval officer. My father’s civilian life took him around the world several times. Consequently, since my youth I have traveled from California to the east coast and to Australia multiple times, to Puerto Rico, other islands of the Caribbean, Curacao, Mexico and parts of Western Europe. For some years I have held personal interests in various fields of science, including astronomy, geology, physical science, oceanographic research, weather phenomena, disease, and the development of medical treatments. I recall learning about ancient Mesopotamia, the architecture of the Parthenon, and once enjoyed Yanni's contemporary live concert at the Acropolis, in Athens, Greece. I've enjoyed documentaries of the treasures of Egypt in addition to observing up close and personal exquisite selections at the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose, California. Writing this article has caused me also to recall other interests over the years, such as the Mayans of Mexico and cliff dwellers of Utah. As an avid fan of historical fiction, much of my reading runs along international themes: Clive Cussler's global adventures, the extensive research and novels of James Michener (Hawaii, Sahara, Caravans, etc.), stories of the U.S. Civil War, and of the kings and queens of England, Scotland and Spain. I now contribute part time to ALI in response to the Director's request for an additional volunteer, and am enjoying this new experience. I was especially pleased to be on board in time to participate in the 2006 installment of TAC International Film & Video Festival in March, at the McDonald Theatre here in Eugene. Photo: Barbara at Belknap Gardens, Oregon
By Kiera Tara O'Brien Travelers to the green hills and ancient springs of the River Jordan now have an opportunity to visit a major archaeological site which, some Biblical scholars claim, links directly to the life and times of Jesus Christ. Archaeological discoveries (http://www.elmaghtas.com/xcavation/xcavation.html ; http://www.bu.edu/asor/outreach/Features/bethany. htm) since the mid-1990s suggest that the Biblical site of Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where John the Baptist is said to have baptized Jesus, is actually located on the eastern side of the Jordan River, rather than on Israel’s West Bank, which, until now, has been more commonly visited by modern-day pilgrims. Visitors to the new archaeological park at the Bethany site are greeted by well preserved archaeological remains, functioning baptismal pools, a visitor center and pedestrian trails running through the site’s natural setting. Along the spring-fed tributary of the Jordan River known as Wadi el-Kharrar, archaeologists uncovered an early Christian urban settlement as well as a string of structures dating from the Roman era and the Byzantine period, when Christianity really took hold in the region. Workers have brought to light remains of a Byzantine monastery built under the Emperor Anastasius (AD 491-518), 10 churches, beautiful mosaics with Greek inscriptions, two natural caves identified as hermit grottos, a system of water pipes, and four shallow, plaster-lined pools which may have been used as baptismals by early pilgrims (http://www.baptismsite.com/arch1.asp). These finds tie Biblical references to baptismal sites and related events together with historical literature, geographical evidence and recent archaeological excavations. Bethany Beyond the Jordan is mentioned in John 1:28 as the home of John the Baptist, while later accounts by pilgrims locate this area east of the Jordan River where John baptized visitors in a local spring. A seventh century pilgrim, John Moschus places Jesus’ baptism near the site of Saphsaphas. According to a sixth- century mosaic map of the Holy Land found in the Jordanian town of Madaba, Saphsaphas is located in the area of the excavations at Wadi el-Kharrar. John the Baptist’s activities at Bethany Beyond the Jordan had a profound effect on the development of Christian culture by initiating the baptismal rite . Followers of the faith experienced a complete identity change – they were not destined to enter the Kingdom of Heaven by right of their Jewish birth alone, but also by renouncing their sins in a baptismal rebirth. More than the site of John the Baptist’s revolutionary message and his baptism of Jesus, Bethany Beyond the Jordan is linked with other important Biblical events, including Elijah’s fiery ascent to heaven, the place where Israel gathered to cross into Canaan and, on nearby Mount Nebo, Moses’ final view over the "promised land" before his death (http://www.jordanembassyus.org/03212000008.htm). For Biblical archaeology, the “wilderness” of the land to the east of the Jordan River is a burgeoning hub of research, which has sprung to life since the Israeli- Jordanian peace accord in 1994 stopped hostilities in the region. The discoveries at Wadi el-Kharrar have cemented Jordan’s prominent position in the cultural history of the region, particularly as a key area of the Holy Land, cherished by billions of people through the centuries and widely recognized as the site of events that have influenced modern culture. With the addition of the archaeological park at the Baptism Site (http://www.baptismsite.com; http://www.travel2jordan.com/baptismsite.htm; http://www.travel2jordan.com/sitesofjordan.htm), visitors to Jordan are now afforded an opportunity for a first-hand encounter with this extensive and powerful history – a place for discovery and reflection. Photo: Baptismal Pool from the Roman Period. Courtesy The Baptism Site of Jesus Christ
By Doug Coffman, ALI Administrative Assistant Issues concerning the needs and rights of Earth’s remaining indigenous groups fall within the purview of “archaeology,” as broadly understood and applied within the educational mission of ALI and The Archaeology Channel. On the windswept prairies of western South Dakota, a fierce local and regional debate provides a dramatic case-in-point. The conflict gives stark evidence of the ways in which commerce-driven instincts of modern entrepreneurs and developers can clash with the quieter, spirit- driven interests of nearby native communities. Geologically defined as a “lacolith”–a non-eruptive swelling of ancient consolidated magma–Bear Butte juts 1253 feet above the South Dakota grassland just north of Sturgis, close by the famed Black Hills. But one person’s mound of rock is another’s holy mountain. To members of the Lakota and other northern plains tribes, Bear Butte is “Mato Paha”–the sacred place where, in a burst of spiritual passion, the Cheyenne prophet Sweet Medicine once received the Creator’s wisdom for the cultural guidance and preservation of the plains tribes. In centuries gone, tribal peoples prayed to the Great Spirit from the Butte’s rugged slopes, leaving colorful offerings to the tribes’ brighter future. The devotions continue to this day. But the prayer of centuries is jeopardized today, as commercial development threatens to engulf Bear Butte—now a National Historic Landmark. Recently, a group of private businessmen in nearby Sturgis received a federal community-development block grant to build a rifle range within earshot of the Butte. Then, in 2006, an Arizona entrepreneur began development on private lands just two miles from Bear Butte (see photo), where builders now work to complete a massive tourist complex containing restaurants, campgrounds and a planned 30,000-seat arena for outdoor rock music concerts, all centered on what promoters call “the world’s largest biker bar”. All of this is to water and entertain the hundreds of thousands of modern road warriors from across the nation who pass annually through the Sturgis area mounting steel horses. From late July through early August alone, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally draws tens of thousands of riders for up to two weeks of sightseeing and general carousing. For many, this involves heavy drinking, “hot hot women” and loud music–all within view . . . and earshot . . . of the tribes’ sacred mountain. During that period, spirit and enterprise clash at Bear Butte. Sturgis County Line, as the huge new bar is called, capitalizes upon, and periodically disrupts, the peaceful, unspoiled setting upon which traditional native observances also depend. Sides have been taken in the ensuing legal battle over the fate and future of the Bear Butte lands. While the tribes agitate for a four- or five-mile buffer zone surrounding the Butte, developers tout existing land- use laws permitting them to do essentially what they like, where they like. Into the breach fall county and local officials who, so far at least, have been unable to resolve the conflict. If ever there were an instance where indigenous rights and commercial interests met and failed to mesh, it is at Bear Butte. On legal, moral, ethical, political, social and, of course, religious grounds, the issues in this land-use dispute are deeply contentious and complex. And so the full story is still unfolding. If crisis brings opportunity, though, then perhaps a way can yet be found to ease the tensions. Meantime, the contenders seem locked in opposition. While the entrepreneurs continue to enjoy the benefit of Meade County’s lenient land-use laws, the tribes may soon be getting some powerful help of their own, again from on-high. Under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, a U.N. Working Group has just finished drafting a major document–over thirty years in the making–which addresses the global rights of Earth’s remaining indigenous peoples and the responsibilities of countries to promote and protect those rights. The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as the document is titled, is now in the hands of the U.N. General Assembly, where its adoption appears imminent. If the Declaration is to do more than simply ratchet up tensions in entrenched conflicts like the one at Bear Butte, however, incorporating its principles within a successful search for real solutions will demand the utmost in cross-cultural sensitivity and mutual respect from all parties involved. Editor’s Note: In a short audio companion to this story, ALI Director Rick Pettigrew, interviews Montana attorney, Robert “Tim” Coulter—Executive Director of the Indian Law Resource Center in Helena, Montana—about the controversy at Bear Butte. Mr. Coulter, a member of Citizen Potawatomi Nation, has participated in drafting the U.N. Declaration mentioned in this story; work which has led to his continuing involvement in developments at the Butte. For our TAC Newsletter readers, we have made this interview available for listening via the links below: MP3 (left-click to listen directly or right-click to download) For further information about this story, Defend Bear Butte (InterTribal Coalition to Defend Bear Butte) Protect Bear Butte (Lakota Action Network) Protect Bear Butte, A National Monument (The Petition Site) Photo: Bar and campground construction begins two miles this side of Bear Butte.
Please let us know what you think of the newsletter. We welcome any suggestions for improvement. Contact us at: info@archaeologychannel.org
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