New Metro Phoenix area code/ten-digit calling -- west valley 623; central 602; east valley 480. If you are in the affected area, please update your http://www.swanet.org/email.html information with me. Note: SWA's phone number remains (602) 541-2491; FAX (603) 457-7957.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/areacodes/0321prefixes.shtml http://www.azcentral.com/news/areacodes/0321areamap.shtml

http://www2.cr.nps.gov/laws/36CFR61.htm -- 36 CFR 61 On Line -- Procedures for State, Tribal, and Local Government Historic Preservation Programs; AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior; ACTION: Final rule; SUMMARY: Through this rule, the National Park Service (NPS) revises requirements (and the description of its own administrative procedures) for State, tribal, and local historic preservation programs carrying out actions under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. Many revisions derive from the 1992 amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act. Other changes reduce the regulatory burden on, and provide more flexibility to, State, tribal, and local historic preservation programs in response to the President's Regulatory Reinvention Initiative and Executive Order 12866. Still others are made in recognition of the changing and maturing professional practice of historic preservation nationwide; DATES: This rule is effective on June 7, 1999; FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John W. Renaud, 202-343-1059, FAX 202-343-6004, John__Renaud@nps.gov

http://www.azstarnet.com/public/dnews/0401ao2.html Tonight, NPS will open Tumacacori National Historical Park from 7:30 to 9:30. Visitors can come in to see, by the light of the second of March's two full moons, the park's frontier mission that Franciscan priests began working on in the late 18th century.

http://www.azstarnet.com/public/dnews/calendar.htm Saturday, April 3 Picture Rock site tour. Take a guided tour of a traditional Native American structures exhibit and the 'Picture Rock' archaeological site on the Tohono O'odham Reservation. Tour begins at 9:30 a.m. at the Baboquivari District Office. Cost of $20 supports the Old Pueblo Archeology Center's culture education programs. Reservations are required, and participants must drive their own vehicles. Reservations: 798-1201.

http://www.bensonnews-sun.com/news/stories/99032401n.html A Sierra Vista man faces a May 11 court date in Justice Court Precinct 3 on a charge he defaced Kartchner Caverns. Stanley Stephens, 34, pleaded not guilty in Justice Court on March 11, according to court documents. The charge he faces is a Class 2 misdemeanor. Authorities say Stephens allegedly broke off one of the stalagmite formations inside the cave, according to Ken Travous, executive director for Arizona State Parks.

http://www.theriver.com/bisbeeobserver/Feature%20Stories.html Those people who believed mining camps were inhabited entirely by barbarians soon discovered a cultural climate equal to or better than what they enjoyed back home.

http://abcnews.go.com:80/sections/science/DailyNews/arizonaplants990325.html Experts say the Southwest is one of the most diverse and least botanically understood areas in the United States. The terrain is rugged and topologically diverse, ranging from scorching Sonoran Desert landscapes to snowy mountain forests. Many of the species that grow in isolated mountain ranges in Arizona and New Mexico are found nowhere else on earth.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/science/DailyNews/mammoth_fossils990401.html Digging for a new reservoir in Southern California has uncovered a huge array of ice age fossils, including a mammoth that may be the best-preserved bones of the elephant ancestor found in the region, experts said.

http://www.latimes.com:80/excite/990330/t000028308.html As one congressman asked with resignation in 1830, describing the United States' destruction of Native Americans as the price of its development, "What is history but the obituary of nations?" Also crucial to America's development was the Mexican War, in which a democratic United States swallowed two-fifths of the republic of Mexico, that is California and Texas and all the territory in between.

http://www.newscientist.com/ns/19990313/itnstory1999031312.html Archaeologists estimate the age at which a person died by examining telltale signs such as the state of skeletal development, and wear on bones and teeth. The methods used for analysing human bones can underestimate the true age of death by as much as 30 years.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-04/01/215l-040199-idx.html Reeve told authorities that he and Kues weren't trying to immediately sell the documents they stole, according to the affidavit. "It was their retirement account. If they could hold onto these documents for 30 years... they would double in value," Daly said. "And if they waited long enough they could protect themselves [from theft accusations] by saying they bought them from someone else."

http://www.canoe.ca/CalgaryNews/cs.cs-04-01-0031.html A revolver and knife held by a Canadian who was General Custer's right-hand man are expected to fetch up to $100,000 at an auction Monday. The 1860 Remington revolver, holster and a folding knife belonged to Canadian William Winer Cooke, a 30-year-old lieutenant who fought and died alongside Custer in the U.S. general's infamous Last Stand in 1876.

FYI: letter to editor, Phoenix New Times: feedback@phoenixnewtimes.com / mkiefer@newtimes.com Dear Editor --

Reagarding " A Grave Error The Bureau of Indian Affairs stonewalls its desecration of a prehistoric Native American burial site " By Michael Kiefer < http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1998/current/news1.html >, some commentary is warranted.

The statement "every time you stick a shovel in the ground, you run the risk of being an accidental archaeologist" should be clarified. Southwestern archaeologists know that prehistoric and historic sites are clustered resources. Some areas have concentrations of significant sites and some areas have few or no prehistoric or historic resources. Human burials are more problematic; they can occur anywhere, but again, that does not mean that they occur everywhere. Property owners, developers, land speculators and investors, and agencies can contact the Arizona State Museum (Tucson), the Arizona State Historic Preservation Office (Phoenix), or the Museum of Northern Arizona (Flagstaff), to learn about their potential for finding a site during construction. For a modest fee, private archaeological research firms also will assist concerned landowners. A little due diligence will save time and money.

Kiefer wrote... "archaeologists who work for other government agencies are wondering how the Bureau of Indian Affairs, of all government entities, got away with such a blatant violation of federal law..." then reports that " a damage assessment... was performed..." In May 1997 and October 1998, SCIP held meetings with representatives of the various Indian tribes who claim descendance from the Hohokam to brief them on the damage caused by the earth-moving. All the parties involved have discussed what to do next. SCIP is now following procedures.

My experience in Arizona is that NO agency in the state of Arizona has clean hands, despite printed protestations like "the rest of us would not do something like this.."

The truth of the matter is that humans foul up from time to time. Look into the records of any agency, even those employing archaeologists in the NEPA, NHPA and ARPA processes. You'll find that people make mistakes. Most agencies DO take steps to not repeat mistakes. This is the key to the whole issue.

It doesn't seem anyone got away with anything. Just look at the scrutiny SCIP now faces! With or without your reporting, they will be on the hot seat for some time. Check and see if they are hiring a staff archaeologist or a contract firm to cover their actions in the future? That step (or lack thereof) is something you did not consider in the article.

As to allegations of possible of criminal intent, you cannot rely upon the professional intuition of archaeologists and Tribal representatives, and you did not report the position of the US Attorney. Guilt is determined by a guilty plea, by a finding made by a judge and jury, or in some other type of adjudication hearing. The site was damaged, and I'd be the first to say 'shoot the bastards!'... but the legal system needs to assess the guilt, not the Tribal representatives or the archaeologists.

If the legal system chooses not to investigate or prosecute, then you should research and explain why. You'll find, unfortunately, that it is sometimes difficult to bring ARPA cases and vandals to trial.

A couple of years ago, the Arizona Attorney General's Office (Grant Woods) and I introduced a Bill in the legislature designed to close some of the loopholes in the Arizona statutes. I wanted to make it more difficult for vandals and fools. After clearing the House, the Bill died in the Senate during the eleventh hour. I was told it wasn't a priority. I was mockingly reprimanded by a State Senator whom said "Who cares about a few broken pots and bones? This is not important!"

Well, it IS important, but our efforts and our legal adjudications aren't consistent at this time. Its hard to be consistent, harder to get everything you want, and impossible to be perfect.

Two and a half years later, don't whine. Tell me what has been done right in Coolidge now that we are faced with the unpleasant situation ?

Sincerely,

Brian W. Kenny
Applied Anthropologist
Southwestern Archaeology, Inc.
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