Kokopelli's Flute: 4/11/10

Wraping it Up!

Scenario:

A forest ranger in Canyons of the Ancients National Monument in Southwestern Colorado is responsible for patrolling approximately 640,000 acres of a canyon strewn, river, desert wilderness area. This wilderness area is protected by the Bureau or Land Management and is home to thousands of Native American ruins and remnants. The ranger was speaking about the magnificence of this desert canyon region and he spoke about how some individuals just cannot help but to pick up artifacts. They know it is not legal, but are compelled to take artifacts from these sacred spaces anyways. He spoke about how these actions (taking pieces of the past from their place) completely ruins the evidence that archaeologists need to better understand the people and cultures who left these artifacts behind. He also explained how people, by picking up pottery shards and disturbing ruins, destroy important clues to the past. It is as though people continue to steal pieces of a jigsaw puzzle until there are so few pieces left, discovering the puzzle images is merely impossible. The ranger shared an example that happened just last week. He caught a woman who had approximately 80 pottery shards in her pocket! What was intriguing is that the ranger said she had completely defaced the site by scouring the entire site and taking pieces from all over it. The ranger went on to say that if this woman had gotten out a shovel and dug up a pot it would have done far less damage to the site and be far less offensive. She took all of the clues and displaced them and completely vandalized the whole site.

Think about it:
Why would it have been less offensive to actually dig up one intact pot, verses pick up handfuls of pottery shards that were broken and scattered throughout an entire site?

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Synthesizing Information

First Discussion starter:

Evaluate the difference between pot-hunters actions, Tepary Jones taking the flute from Picture House in Kokopelli's Flute, and discovering and keeping arrowheads or pottery shards found in forests and or canyons in your backyard or near your home.

Critical Thinking - Making Deeper Connections

Taking it Deeper:

Think about the questions below and respond to them in a thoughtful and organized paragraph in the discussion board.

1. What would the Ancient Native Americans/Anasazi think of any or all of these actions and why do you believe this?

2. If you have taken a pottery chard from the wilderness, or an arrowhead from your backyard would you have a different action next time based on your experience with Kokopelli's Flute and Native American Studies?

3. Can you make a connection between the Native Americans perspectives of ancient archaeological sites and Naturalists/Environmentalists perspectives of "Leave No Trace."

4. Do you agree with the ranger?