Geoffrey Smith and Rochanne Downs: Archaeological collections long-term management strategy
Title
Archaeological collections long-term management strategy
Mentor A:
Department
Mentor B:
Department
Office of Indigenous Relations
Biosketch A – Geoffrey Smith
Geoff Smith, Ph.D., has worked in the Intermountain West since 2001 and primarily focuses on the archaeology of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition. Topics of interest include:
- human mobility strategies
- how environmental and social factors influenced hunter-gatherer lifeways in the Great Basin
- human dietary choices and the importance of Indigenous knowledge for interpreting food residues from archaeological contexts and
- public outreach, including collaborative teaching, training, and gathering events.
As executive director of the Artemisia Archaeological Research Fund (AARF), he is actively involved in fieldwork each summer and is currently directing survey projects in the northwestern Great Basin. He is also analyzing stone tool assemblages from Last Supper Cave and several surface sites along the Nevada-Oregon border. Finally, Smith is co-PI of the Traditional Nutrition Project, which brings together Indigenous community members and staff and students from the Universty of Nevada, Reno and the University of Oregon to share knowledge about how and when to gather Great Basin plants and the macro and micronutrients that different foods provide.
Biosketch B – Rochanne Downs
Rochanne Downs serves as the NAGPRA liaison and program manager. As a member of the Toi Ticutta Band of Paiute from the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe, she brings a true passion for the meaningful work of cultural resources protection, repatriation, education and collaboration with Tribal communities.
Rochanne completed her bachelor's degrees in history and geography from California State University Chico in 1998 and has dedicated the past 24 years serving the Fallon Paiute Shoshone Tribe in all facets of Tribal government including serving as the education director, cultural resources director, and Tribal historic preservation officers. Additionally, she has served on several workgroups and committees to build collaboration and understanding between Tribal communities and state, federal, and local agencies in areas such as NAGPRA, cultural resources management, jurisdiction, Tribal education, Tribal sovereignty, Tribal consultation, and economic development.
Rochanne enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the Great Basin, and preserving her culture for the future generations. Rochanne is honored to be given the opportunity to work on the expeditious return of Ancestors under the University’s care and looks forward to improving relations and opportunities between the University, our students, and our Tribal communities.
Project overview
The Office of Indigenous Relations (OIR) and anthropology department invite applications from students interested in archaeological collections management and museum studies. This is an exciting time for the University: we recently obtained a new curation space for the anthropology department’s archaeological collections and are in the early stages of planning and implementing a long-term management strategy to ensure that our pre-contact and historic collections are cared for in a transparent, culturally sensitive, and appropriate manner for years to come.
The successful PREP applicant will join a team of staff from the OIR and anthropology faculty and graduate students working together to develop and execute a collections management program centered on inventorying and organizing collections from sites spanning 13,000 years or more. Students will gain experience identifying, cataloging, and curating items from across Nevada and the Desert West. This PREP experience will ensure that students develop a sound foundation for a career in museum studies, anthropology and archaeology, and/or service of Tribal communities. It will include a behind-the-scenes tour of the Nevada State Museum in Carson City and other local museums to learn more about collections management.
Pack Research Experience Program information and application