Green Rush Archaeology: An Overview of Cultural Confirmation and Economic Opportunities

Summary

This is an abstract from the "SAA 2021: General Sessions" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

In November 2016, California passed the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (Proposition 64) to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. As a result, local county governments enacted their own county ordinances for Cannabis Legalization. In Humboldt County, in compliance with the Commercial Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance (CMMLUO) Cultivation Application checklist (version 2.0) an Archaeological, Paleontological, Tribal Cultural Resource Survey prepared by a qualified archaeologist must be completed for every Cannabis permitting application. For nearly four years, cannabis legalization has not only provided adequate studies into the environmental impacts associated with this cash crop, but allowed further archaeological analysis to assist in reaffirming local tribal histories while providing tribal members, recent graduates, and seasoned archaeologists a unique work experience and economic opportunity. In Humboldt county and others across the state, this process has enabled archaeological research among thousands of private land holdings without any previous, formal archaeological survey. This has opened a door into the land’s rich cultural history, offering new, bountiful information to reinforce the traditions and ethnographic records of a world nearly abolished by the physical and cultural genocides of America’s western expansion.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• SAA 2021: General Sessions

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33000