Arizona Project Archaeology is bringing the Project Archaeology (PA) Investigating Shelter curriculum to our state’s classrooms!
Investigating Shelter guides students through a complete investigation of an archaeological site using artifacts, maps, historic photographs, drawings, and oral histories. The curriculum includes an investigation of an authentic archaeological site using real data and a living descendant. The PA National Program had developed 18 unique investigation guides for teacher use, but nothing specific to Arizona. With funding from the Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society (AAHS) F. Lewis Orrell Jr. Bequest Curriculum Development Award, and in partnership with the Project Archaeology National Program, Arizona Project Archaeology (AzPA) created an Arizona-specific investigation – Investigating an ‘Olas Kii Pithouse.
This four-year curriculum development project started in 2020. With funding secured and the PA curriculum template in hand, AzPA partner and National Park Service (NPS) Archaeologist Sharlot Hart took the lead in developing this investigation. She coordinated with Tohono O’odham (TO) tribal members and teachers for content and questions. She worked with Desert Archaeology archaeologist Henry Wallace to use Honey Bee Village excavation maps and data. She worked with the University of Washington libraries and National Museum of Natural History to appropriately secure pithouse photographs and image permissions. She regularly met with TO Nation representatives and presented this curriculum at the Four Tribes meeting.
The curriculum development team worked closely with tribal members to ensure appropriate representation of their culture. We engaged in an extended conversation with tribal representatives and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding the title and focus of this investigation. Our collaborative conversations led the curriculum development team to revise our verbiage in the investigation. As Hohokam are ancestors to the current O’odham tribes, we focused an O’odham Investigation.
From there, we recognized that there are several O’odham tribes to consider: Tohono O’odham, Gila River, the Ak-Chin and the Salt River (Pima Maricopa). Since our indigenous authors are from the Tohono O’odham tribe, we rebranded our investigation again.
A request from our indigenous teacher authors led to our last change. The teacher asked that we use the Tohono O’odham word for pithouse – ‘olas kii.
In tandem with Sharlot’s academic efforts, PA Master Teachers Nicole Armstrong-Best, Jeri Meeks, and Brooke Wheeler worked with the PA National Program to meet curriculum development benchmarks and resolve challenges – of which there were many! COVID complicated contact with the TO Nation, especially as offices and museums closed, physical resources became temporarily unavailable, and all meetings moved online. Then our team replaced our grant writer in 2021. During 2022 and 2023, the PA National Program moved from Montana State University (MSU), was temporarily hosted by the BLM, and then settled into its new headquarters at Southern Utah University (SUU).
During this time, our team paused as the PA National Program, SUU, and MSU discussed intellectual property, copyright, and business processes. AzPA continued to work with PA National Program, sent the grantor yearly progress reports, and requested grant extensions. In Spring 2024 we fully expensed our grant, finished the final review of the investigation draft with the PA National Program, and submitted the final draft for layout and printing. We also submitted the artwork for the cover. Lastly, we confirmed a shared copyright for AAHS and PA/SUU.
Investigating an ‘Olas Kii Pithouse was completed in May 2024! The investigation was printed by the middle of May and AzPA used it in June, for the first time, at our 2024 Arizona Rural STEM Summit pre-conference workshop. We continue to feature this investigation at all teacher conferences we attend and educator workshops we host. In addition, Project Archaeology: Investigating an ‘Olas Kii Pithouse is now available for teachers, nationwide!