Community Archaeology Starting Young: Local High School Engagement in Tucson, Arizona

Author(s): Rebecca Renteria

Year: 2018

Summary

The past few years archaeology has seen an increase in community-based approaches. These approaches are important when addressing issues of who archaeology knowledge, interpretation, and sites belong to. Archaeological interpretations historically come from those in roles of academic authority, but we increasingly see acknowledgement of collaboration and contribution from community members not in those roles. A rise in diversity of cultural and heritage backgrounds among archaeologists is a factor in decentering approaches as they have been traditionally practiced. Encouraging this diversity should begin with archaeology education and exposure before college years. Linking Southwest Heritage through Archaeology is a program that aims to expose high schools students, who are from historically underserved and underrepresented groups in archaeology, to sites and opportunities that may spark interest in their continuing education and activism in archaeology. With a partnership between the National Park Service, University of Arizona, and nonprofit Environmental Education Exchange we have been providing opportunities for students to learn about archaeology while they contribute ideas that are shaped by their cultural and heritage backgrounds. By providing these opportunities we learn approaches to increase diversity in our field while providing a conduit for students to continue involvement in archaeology.

Cite this Record

Community Archaeology Starting Young: Local High School Engagement in Tucson, Arizona. Rebecca Renteria. Presented at The 82nd Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology, Washington, DC. 2018 ( tDAR id: 445386)

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

Spatial Coverage

min long: -124.365; min lat: 25.958 ; max long: -93.428; max lat: 41.902 ;

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22240