Plains Anthropological Conference
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| Plains Anthropological Conference | |
|---|---|
| Name | Plains Anthropological Conference |
| Formation | 1930s |
| Headquarters | varies |
| Region served | Great Plains |
| Membership | archaeologists, anthropologists, students |
Plains Anthropological Conference
The Plains Anthropological Conference is a regional professional association for scholars of the Great Plains, linking practitioners from institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, University of Kansas, University of Oklahoma, and South Dakota State University. Its gatherings attract participants from agencies including the National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Canadian Museum of History, and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, as well as representatives from tribal institutions like the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa, Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma, Lakota people, Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes.
History
The organization originated in the 1930s as a forum connecting researchers working on Mississippian culture, Plains Village, Fort Ancient culture, Blackfeet Nation, Sioux Wars, and excavations near sites such as Cahokia, Hopewell tradition, Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site, Spiro Mounds, Medicine Wheel, and Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Early meetings included curators from the Field Museum of Natural History, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Royal Ontario Museum, and directors associated with projects funded by the National Science Foundation, Works Progress Administration, and the Smithsonian Institution. Over decades the association engaged with major investigations into subjects like Bison hunting, Pemmican trade, Missouri River, Platte River, Red River of the North, and debates surrounding the chronology of the Folsom culture and Clovis culture.
Mission and Objectives
The association’s stated aims emphasize collaboration among members from the American Anthropological Association, Society for American Archaeology, Canadian Archaeological Association, Archaeological Institute of America, and regional museums to advance knowledge of the Great Plains and adjacent regions. Objectives include promoting research at sites such as Ocmulgee Mounds, Pipestone National Monument, Fort Laramie National Historic Site, and supporting stewardship with partners like the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and tribal historic preservation offices from the Ute Indian Tribe, Osage Nation, and Crow Tribe of Montana.
Membership and Governance
Membership comprises professionals and students affiliated with universities including University of Wisconsin–Madison, Iowa State University, University of Colorado Boulder, University of Alberta, University of Manitoba, and agencies such as the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Montana Historical Society. Governance typically involves an executive committee with officers who have served at institutions like the University of Missouri, Arizona State University, Texas A&M University, and nonprofit organizations such as the Paleoindian Research Institute. Advisory roles have been filled by curators from the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, Philbrook Museum of Art, and representatives of tribal colleges such as Sinte Gleska University.
Annual Meetings and Conferences
Annual meetings rotate through host cities and campuses including Omaha, Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, Lawrence, Kansas, Ames, Iowa, Fort Collins, Colorado, Regina, Saskatchewan, Winnipeg, Rapid City, South Dakota, and Bismarck, North Dakota. Programs present papers on topics related to plains archaeology, ethnohistory, paleobotany, and geoarchaeology with sessions featuring research tied to landmarks such as Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site, Lewis and Clark Expedition, Santa Fe Trail, Red River Settlement, and Black Hills. Meetings often include field trips to research sites like Rods Run Site, Mound City, Coutts Site, and collaborations with projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and #National Science Foundation.
Publications and Research Contributions
Scholarly output associated with the group includes proceedings, edited volumes, and papers published in outlets tied to the Society for American Archaeology, American Antiquity, Plains Anthropologist, Journal of Field Archaeology, and university presses such as University of Nebraska Press, University of Kansas Press, and University of Oklahoma Press. Research topics have advanced understanding of bison ecology, pithouse villages, trade networks, glass trade beads, horse introduction, and the impacts of events like the Dust Bowl and the Homestead Act on Indigenous communities including the Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma and Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
Awards and Honors
The association recognizes contributions with awards comparable in prestige to honors offered by the Society for American Archaeology and American Anthropological Association, celebrating lifetime achievement, early career excellence, and student research. Recipients often include scholars from University of Texas at Austin, Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University, Brown University, and curators from the British Museum and Royal British Columbia Museum who have worked on Plains-related projects like excavations at Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump and studies of Black Kettle National Historic Site.
Education and Outreach
Outreach activities connect with K–12 programs, tribal schools, and public history venues such as the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of the American Indian, Canadian Museum of History, Buffalo Bill Center of the West, and regional heritage centers. Collaborative education initiatives involve partnerships with institutions like National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, tribal colleges including Sitting Bull College, and community museums focusing on exhibits about plains Indigenous peoples, fur trade, railroad expansion, and archaeological stewardship.