VOICES OF THE ANCIENTS: JULY 2025, CEDAR CITY, UTAH
In the spring of 2025, the Project Archaeology team (IHE and Southern Utah University, SUU) was in the process of choosing 64 teachers out of 200 applicants for a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)-funded institute for educators -- Voices of the Ancients: Archaeology and Oral History in the American West. It was to be a five-day immersion event designed to enable teachers to expand the narrative of American history to include Indigenous people, past and present.
Then a terse email arrived. “We regret to inform you that this NEH program will no longer be offered due to DOGE’s termination of the grant award.”
Our team immediately went into emergency mode to save at least part of the institute. With such late notification, it was impossible to replace the terminated NEH grant. But with the very generous donations of three dozen contributors, and the willingness of institute staff to work as volunteers, we were able to salvage the event for 27 teachers, from 15 states.
Teachers get their first glimpse of a Fremont pithouse; the replica shows how the structure was built and how people lived in it.
Teachers became archaeologists as they learned the basics of documenting ancient rock art in the field.
Eileen Quintana, Navajo teacher and elder, explains how indigenous people see themselves as part of the land.
Cedar Breaks National Monument provided a magnificent backdrop for stories of connection between people and the land.
The Institute focused on the Fremont people, the ancient inhabitants of what is now the state of Utah. Visits to several archaeological sites, a replica of a Fremont pithouse, and the SUU Library’s Special Collections provided tangible connections with the past.
The field excursions allowed teachers to feel dirt under their feet, hone their scientific inquiry skills, and see cultural landmarks as windows to the past. Indigenous educators of several tribal groups provided perspectives that helped participants bridge the past to the present.
Two Project Archaeology curriculum guides showed teachers how to take the archaeology and history of the Fremont back to the classroom as an engaging investigation for their students:
Project Archaeology: Investigating Shelter
Project Archaeology: Investigating a Fremont Pithouse
Virgil Johnson, Goshute elder and retired teacher, guides teachers through the history of indigenous people after European contact.
Rick and Rena Pikyavit, descendants featured in the Fremont Pithouse curriculum, share stories that connect them to their ancestors
and to the land.
Teachers practice archaeological inquiry with authentic data from a Fremont pithouse occupied a thousand years ago.
Jed Rogers, oral historian, demonstrates the intricate relationship between oral history and collections of documents, photographs, and artifacts.
It was a whirlwind week. Here’s what the teachers told us about it:
“I loved this institute and can’t wait to implement this curriculum in my classroom.”
“This course is important to me and my students because it provides authentic, hands-on activities in Native oral history to teach archaeology, artifacts, and Native history.”
“The lessons helped me to prepare to teach this topic by providing rich, interdisciplinary content grounded in archaeology and indigenous perspectives, along with ready-to-use, inquiry-based instructional materials.”
“This program provided an amazing experience that I will bring back to my students & school. The combination of experiential learning and curriculum planning & implementation were fantastic.”
“Getting the Native Perspectives is crucial in any history in the U.S. Our history is multicultural and needs to be taught that way.”
“Meeting so many awesome people that I will be able to work with in the future was a highlight for me.”
“Getting to see and do taught me so much and I am excited to make my students’ learning more hands-on.”
“Excellent course. Meaningful P.D. (professional development) that opens the heart and mind.”
“I appreciated that the indigenous perspective was the framework of the workshop. Too often, people from the ancient past are dehumanized. The living connection with the past focused on the humanity of the Fremont and why respecting what they’ve left behind is important today.”
“Hands-on, interactive lessons were great!”
“The ability to have these experiences did not seem possible. Being able to meet these amazing educators, understand the importance of cultural heritage & inclusive history, go to these culturally significant places were a major highlight and I am beyond grateful to have been able to participate.”