SAA Sessions

As always, the Society for American Archaeology meeting has a lot of sessions of interest to museum anthropologists. Below are a few highlights, for the annual meetings this week in Sacramento. If you're headed there, be sure to check these out!

Wednesday Evening, March 30, 2011
OPENING SESSION AND PRESIDENT'S FORUM NAGPRA: CREATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND PRACTICES

Room: Exhibit Hall C (CC)
Time: 6:00 PM-8:00 PM
Organizer: Sara Gonzalez
Chair: Darren Modzelewski
Moderator: Sara Gonzalez
Participants:
Ramon Vasquez-Discussant
Ventura Perez-Discussant
Desiree Martinez-Discussant
TJ Ferguson-Discussant
Alston Thoms-Discussant
Margaret Bruchac-Discussant
Martin Wobst-Discussant
Wendy Teeter-Discussant
Reno Franklin-Discussant

Saturday Morning
FORUM TWO DECADES OF NAGPRA: REFLECTIONS AND PROSPECTS

Room: 317/318 (CC)
Time: 8:00 AM–10:00 AM
Organizers: Dorothy Lippert and Vin Steponaitis
Chairs: Vin Steponaitis and Dorothy Lippert
Moderator: Joe Watkins
Participants:
Jennifer Richman—Discussant
Donald Craib—Discussant
Lynne Goldstein—Discussant
Patricia Capone—Discussant
Patricia Lambert—Discussant

Sunday Morning
FORUM WHEN THE TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE ARE ONE:
EXPLORING THE IMPLICATIONS OF INDIVISIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE FOR ARCHAEOLOGY

Room: 316 (CC)
Time: 8:00 AM–10:00 AM
Organizer: George Nicholas
Participants:
Martin Wobst—Discussant
Margaret Bruchac—Discussant
Desiree Martinez—Discussant
John Norder—Discussant
Robert Preucel—Discussant
Ora Marek-Martinez—Discussant
Des Kahotea—Discussant

Abstract: Archaeology is concerned foremost with the tangible manifestations of past lifeways, leaving the intangible to ethnographers and others. However, in many indigenous societies there may be little distinction made between “tangible” and “intangible” heritage; thus, “artifacts” and “sites” not only reflect ancient activities, but hold knowledge or even embody ancestors. Such indivisibility, when and where it occurs, has profound implications for how the archaeological record is approached, interpreted, and valued; how cultural heritage is protected (or not); and how community needs and concerns are addressed. Panelists explore the relationship between the “tangible” and the “intangible” at the intersection of traditional worldviews and archaeological practice.