KVCHA

Preserving, Protecting and Interpreting the Cultural Resources of the Arizona Strip

What's New!

March is Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. For the full calendar of activities taking place on the Arizona Strip and in the rest of the state, please go to www.azstateparks.com/shpo/index.html

Kaibab Vermilion Cliffs Heritage Alliance 

For at least 10,000 years, people have lived and traveled across the Arizona Strip, the vast, remote land north of the Grand Canyon to the Utah border. Native hunters and gatherers, Pueblo farmers, Spanish priests, Mormon homesteaders, ranchers, and visitors have all left traces--cultural resources that are an integral part of the region’s rich heritage. 

Caring for these irreplaceable resources across several million acres of land is a huge job. It requires many eyes, ears, and hands. The Kaibab Vermilion Cliffs Heritage Alliance was formed to help. Partners in the Alliance include Grand Canyon Trust, Coconino County, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Grand Canyon National Park, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Museum of Northern Arizona, Northern Arizona University, tribes, and other interested parties.

Mission

To develop a deeper understanding of the cultural resources of the eastern Arizona Strip and help preserve, protect, manage, and interpret those resources. Anyone interested in our mission is invited to participate. 

Projects

Research Design. An updated research design will be completed to guide future research on the Arizona Strip. A symposium was held in fall 2010 to launch the effort and the design is now underway.

• Read the press release here.
• A list of papers and posters presented can be found here.
• Visit our library to view selected posters from the symposium.

Volunteer Projects. Volunteer crews work with professional archaeologists on the North Kaibab National Forest, Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, and other locations. Thousands of hours of volunteer time have been donated to survey and record sites over several thousand acres of land.

Field School. Each summer a field school is held on the Strip to train college students in archaeological methods.

Online Bibliography. A literature review and bibliography are available for researchers interested in the region's cultural resources.

Ceramics and Lithics. A conference on the region's ceramics was held at the Museum of Northern Arizona in 2007, with published results. A pilot lithics project has been completed by the North Kaibab forest archaeologists, and is designed to be adapted by other agencies and curation facilities.

Awards

For its efforts, the Alliance has already received national, regional, and state recognition.

• Preserve America Stewards. This prestigious award from the national Advisory Council on Historic Preservation was announced in 2010 honoring volunteer efforts.
• Forest Service. In recognition of its "innovative and cooperative approach," the Alliance received the U.S. Forest Service Southwest Region's Windows on the Past Award in 2008.
• Governor's Award. The Alliance received the Arizona Governor's Heritage Preservation Honor Award in 2009 in the nonprofit category.

Public Outreach

Arizona Archaeology and Heritage Awareness Month. In March each year, public events are scheduled throughout the state, including on the Arizona Strip. For a complete calendar, go to: www.azstateparks.com/shpo/index.html.

A 10-minute informational powerpoint program about the Alliance is available for presentation to groups. Please contact the KVCHA coordinator. 

Contact

For additional information about the Alliance, or to volunteer for projects, please contact the Project Coordinator at P.O. Box 22311, Flagstaff, AZ 86002, by telephone 928-779-2962, or by email at mpcreh@msn.com.