Arizona SHPO’s Plan to Integrate Tribal Perspectives, Values, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge into the Section 106 Process

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Tribal Engagement Best Practices: Lessons from Arizona and New Mexico" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

“We envision an Arizona where our diverse cultures and collective heritage are embodied in places and celebrated through unique stories, fostering vibrant communities that thrive both economically and socially. Through generational stewardship, education, dynamic partnerships, and a balanced approach to preservation and development, we can preserve our historical and cultural places for present and future generations.” Arizona’s vision statement for the 2025-2035 statewide comprehensive historic preservation plan was developed in collaboration with tribes, agencies and other stakeholders to guide heritage programs in all levels of government. This vision underscores the need for collaborative stewardship in the preservation of tribal heritage, including a recognition of the relationship between archaeological and natural resources and cultural landscapes. This paper addresses the inability of the current National Register framework to properly document properties associated with tribal heritage and the limitation of Section 106 review to resolve adverse effects to such properties. Given Executive Orders promulgating the use of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in federal decision making, we argue the need for SHPOs, federal land managers, and cultural resources professionals to work collaboratively to ensure that appropriate consideration be given to tribal voices in the identification, evaluation and treatment of tribal heritage on public lands.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Tribal Engagement Best Practices: Lessons from Arizona and New Mexico

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 53184