Cultural Landscape Studies: Central Washington Yakama Nation Partnerships

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2019: General Sessions" session, at the 84th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This is our 15th year of formal collaboration between Central Washington University (CWU) Department of Anthropology and the Yakama Nation Cultural Resource programs (YNRP). CWU (Ellensburg) is located in the center of Ceded Lands of the YN and an hour from YN tribal headquarters (Toppenish). Contracts, learning agreements, lecture programs, internships, and field school sessions have involved three CWU academic programs and four YNRP. The majority of our partnerships involve: inventory, mapping, monitoring, damage assessment, supporting databases, and site assessment. Two initiatives are highlighted: 1) lidar and ground mapping of house settlements, and 2) ground penetrating radar studies of sites with cooking features and house features. Airborne Lidar coverage has grown and improved in resolution due to extensive wildlife and fisheries studies and habitat improvements. This coverage is aiding mapping and monitoring of house settlements that remain threatened by looting, grazing and fire management. Pilot projects using ground penetrating radar are proving useful for evaluating type and number of cooking/heating features outside and inside of small and large house features. While sources of funding and support are under threat, our working relationships stretch our capabilities, build resilience, and add educational and cultural outcomes for the communities we serve.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 84th Annual Meeting, Albuquerque, NM (2019)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 23649