In the age of social media, artificial intelligence, and “fake news,” transparency on the part of archaeologists is more important than ever. Since the January 2024 NAGPRA regulation updates, exhibit closures at popular museums have led to unprecedented media coverage of NAGPRA. Such publicity provides archaeologists opportunities to engage and educate the public on NAGPRA. In this paper, I share approaches to discussing NAGPRA with members of the public, specifically from the positionality of an archaeologist. Highlights include sharing a history of NAGPRA and what current NAGPRA regulations mean for Indigenous peoples, museums, federal agencies, archaeologists, and the public. Additionally, approaches to explaining exhibit closures will be explored. While geared towards public archaeologists, these skills may also be helpful in classrooms and professional spaces as we approach 36 years since the passage of NAGPRA.

The Dry Lakes Plateau (DLP) is an archaeological district in the Bodie Hills, California, originally listed to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002 for its landscape level significance and significance to produce future data under national register criterion D. In 2021, the Bridgeport Indian Colony and a team of volunteers sought to amend the original nomination. This amendment renamed the district using the traditional Numu toponym Tiipu Sonyahapu, expanded the boundaries of the district, added new contributing sites, and recognized the district as a Traditional Cultural Place. This project was built on a love for the land and a desire to come together to protect it. This talk presents the ongoing heritage preservation work in this region that engages multiple Tribal nations, federal land managers, and local communities to better protect this sacred landscape from destructive activities including mining, recreation, and ground disturbing archaeological work.

Dutch heritage has long dominated the cultural landscape and touristic appeal of Holland, Michigan. However, Holland’s diverse population increasingly challenges this monolithic narrative and raises critical questions about whose past is remembered and celebrated. This paper first contextualizes how Dutch heritage was introduced and reinforced in the 19th and 20th centuries through public monuments, festivals, and religious identity. It then examines current community efforts to represent the multivocal heritage that has always existed in Holland but has only recently been acknowledged. Finally, the plans for a community-based, mixed-method historical archaeological project are presented as an equitable means of interpreting and memorializing Holland’s past and present.

Archaeological shell middens are a fragile and often overlooked archive of long-term coastal resource use and environmental change. In Ireland, over 500 recorded middens attest to enduring relationships with littoral resources, including their critical role in historical subsistence during periods of hardship, such as the Great Famine.

This paper presents a citizen science initiative aimed at engaging local communities in the discovery and monitoring of middens along Ireland’s northwest coastline. With climate change impacts and accelerating coastal erosion, these middens are disappearing before they can be properly studied or understood. Their loss erases vital evidence of how coastal communities lived with and depended on the shoreline, especially in times of hardship, and limits our ability to trace long-term patterns of subsistence in marginal environments.

By integrating digital tools for heritage monitoring, this project aims to foster public stewardship of coastal archaeology while generating new data for research and heritage management.

This Discussion Focuses On The Current State Of Cultural Resource Management (CRM) Positions As They Pertain To Emerging Professionals, And How Field Schools Are A Vital Part Of Entering The CRM Sector. In This Paper, I Analyze How Field Schools Influence Eligibility To Enter The World Of CRM, How CRM Is Changing In Terms Of Qualifications, And Include Perspectives From Students, Hiring Professionals, And Institutional Faculty. I Clarify The Necessary Steps An Emerging Professional Must Take In Order To Have A Successful Career In Archaeology In The Branch Of Cultural Resource Management. This Research Also Discusses The Way Governmental Policy Changes Affect CRM Job Security And Institutional Funding As It Relates To Archaeological Field Schools. The Aim Is To Inform Participants Of The Hurdles Emerging Professionals Face And Mobilize Efforts Of Support In Light Of Contemporary Challenges In The 21st Century.