Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite Holidays (certainly my favorite of THE holidays).

While this has been a tough year for me and mine considering all that has happened, I have much to be thankful for. I am thankful mostly for the true friendship and love that has been shown to me this year.

When times are tough generosity means more than ever. Many friends have shared a couch, laundry machines, meals, and most importantly an ear.

I was fortunate enough to spend the holiday weekend with some of my family and relax for a few days, though the holidays are ramping up and will be the toughest one yet, as cheesy as it sounds, we have each other.

The most important thing I learned from Great Grandma was to keep a sense of humor, and as I head into this rocky papersthenfinalsthenpackforthemovethenchristmas, I remember that this time will provide lots of opportunities to laugh.

Bison Butchering

For my "lithic analysis" class, I was required to butcher a bison. I was hesitant from the start. I grew up in a 'hunting' household where Dad would bring home various dead things and mom, brother, and I would end up plucking and cooking said dead things. I guess, for me, it lost its luster when I was 5.

As my classmates cheered and boasted of their enthusiasm to get bloody I sat resigned, thinking of the poor beast that would be slaughtered just so we could "prove ourselves" as "real" archaeologists by doing something that would never need to be done in the field of archaeology. The luster diminishes even more at this point.

I then got to make my own tools (the coolest part, I think). I had 15 minutes to create a tool out of a hunk of obsidian. Having never flintknapped before I think I did a pretty good job.

The day of the butchering: we drive up an the bison's head is laying a few meters from the body, eyes all cloudy. There is blood all over the grass. I take one look at the body and decide, no thank you. I've been tortured enough in grad school already. Thankyouverymuch. As if an entire childhood of hunting shows and waking up to elk calls instead of Saturday morning cartoons wasn't enough, I'm now being asked to dismember an animal whom I may get to eat at some undisclosed date.

Not only this, but the attitudes around me are appalling. I'm glad that some people were enthusiastic. Less for me to have to do. But not having enthusiasm for something you are being required to be present for that you would never have chosen to have done in the first place is perfectly rational. I didn't want to do it. It's gross. It smelled bad. and I didn't chose this.

The appalling attitudes of which I speak are this: rude comments. "You are an archaeologist, you should be excited about this". No actually, I am excited about archaeology. I am not a Great plains or paleoindian archaeologist either. I do not like hunting, or butchering.

Don't get me wrong though, I love hunters, and I wholeheartedly believe in hunter's rights and the culture that goes along with killing and processing their own food. There is incredible value in knowing where your food comes from. And more power to the person who can be involved. I admire those folks. But they are not me. and I am no butcher or hunter. If I was told I could eat nothing that I did not kill or collect I reckon I would be eating lots of grains and small game like rabbits or maybe something as large as a turkey. (I've done birds before)

But really, I practically throw up when putting ground beef in my pan when it comes from the store. I don't like the smell of raw meat, I don't like the look of raw meat. My mother the RN scared the crap out of me about germs in food. Why the hell, does being an archaeologist mean that I MUST be excited about this?

It reminds me of grade school, when all the mean and competitive girls said that I HAD to love sports. No I don't. I hate them.

Then after having to peel the cold, clumpy fat out of the bison meat with my pretty handy hunk of obsidian, The final de-lustering blow came. "Where are you from anyway?" "California" "Oh no WONDER you can't butcher". Expletives deleted. I threw down my tools and spent the rest of the day by the fire.

I'm so sick and tired of being persecuted in Utah for my Californian heritage. I REFUSE to apologize for things that I am neither ashamed of, nor at fault for. Yes, I know that I am blonde, but I AM Native Californian, no matter how little a percentage (and by the way my white relatives are Californian too). My family comes from there and let me tell you, my people have been butchering things in CA for many generations. I am just the squeamish one... and frankly, I'm ok with that.

I think it is preposterous that I am expected to be ashamed of who I am and where I come from. Utter bullshit.

conferences!

Finally an update that is actually going to be about archaeology! Conferences are the best thing you can do in any industry to keep yourself psyched, examine job (or thesis) prospects, hang out with colleagues, coworkers, classmates, meet new folks and get a good idea of the research that is going on in your field. In the last couple of months I have attended the Utah Museums Association Conference and the Great Basin Anthropological Conference.

The Utah Museums Association Conference was my first museum conference. It was extremely interesting and enlightening. Firstly, it was a chance to mingle with professionals that didn't necessarily have an archaeological bias. I learned what an intense love of preservation they have and how the economic downturn, which they called 'the new normal', had affected the industry. I was inspired by the solidarity with one another they showed. They are clearly dedicated to making it all work and helping each other through it. My professor: Dr. Bonnie Pitblado discussed an innovative distance learning program that she has designed for museum professionals and students. There are broadcast courses that will be from my campus but including other students all over the country.

The Great Basin Anthropological Conference! This was my 3rd one. It was so nice to see my old friends (from work, school, internships! everyone was there!) The first night I drove down to have Navajo tacos with my friends from my forest service seasons! I also got brave and participated in the Kareoke BBQ the next night! I sang Miranda Lambert's 'gunpowder and lead' and 'famous in a small town'. I was nervous as heck, but it was really fun. I am told I was not the worst singer there, so that was a small ego boost!

The presentations were fantastic. For an archaeologist who loves the Fremont, I was extra lucky this year because almost 1/2 of the presentations were right up my ally! The other presentations were awesome too.

I saw an amazing symposium called "skeletons are people too" that was about bioarchaeology (a subject I am considering pursuing in my 'thesis') There were talks about the dietary deficiencies of ancient Americans, collections that may demonstrate cannibalism, an analysis of a baby burial, an example of extreme projection and misinterpretation thanks to NatGeo, and a heartbreaking exposure of a massacre that happened in the historic period near Nephi Utah. This may sound morbid, but the discussant Dr. Patricia Lambert (another professor at my school) said it perfectly when she explained that telling the untold stories of the dead is a noble cause despite antiquity.

I saw another session on high altitude villages that included some of my classmates and professors. It was quite interesting to see the environment utilized in these high altitude situations and how they appear to be much more common than previously thought.
The last day of the conference was particularly awesome because some of the most accomplished archaeologists discussed several issues that swirl around the world of Great basin Anthropology. Dr. Don Fowler concluded the session from the crowd when he announced "nobody does it to you like your own" before standing up and walking out before it looked like the speakers were finished. it was mildly hilarious.

I got a lot of time to network, discuss research, oggle books I can't afford, visit with friends and party a little. I am extremely grateful for all my archaeology mentors and friends, everyone was willing to help me with projects, offer me jobs, get me free banquet tickets, etc. I am blessed.