In-Situ Newsletter of the Nevada Archaeological Association Summer 2001 2001 Annual Meetings locations including Lake Mead, Las Vegas Overton, Nevada Wash and the Virgin Anasazi of the Moapa Anne DuBarton, NAA President Valley and Zion National Park. One presenter traveled farther north to present The 30th Annual Nevada data on an eastern Nevada site. After Archaeological Association Meetings lunch presentations continued; the proved to be our most successful yet. A Wetlands Park and the Apex region were record eighty people registered for the the focus of two prehistoric presenters. meetings on March 9-11 held in Overton Another presentor showed that there are and neighboring Logondale in the Moapa still prehistoric archaeological sites worth Valley. investigating in the Las Vegas Valley. We kicked the conference off on Later in the afternoon, papers focused in Friday with a ceramic workshop conducted historic archaeology. These talks focused by Laurie Perry (Bureau of Reclamation) on mining, the development of and Greg Seymour (Las Vegas Springs transportation corridors, the Civilian Preserve). Several members, both Conservation Corps, and novel ways to re- professional and avocational, had positive use blasting powder cans. On Saturday comments about the organization and night everyone gathered at the Lost City amount of information they came away Museum for drinks, dinner, and a with. Later, on Friday afternoon, the presentation by Dr. Claude Warren (UNLV outgoing board met at the Best Western Emeritus). Claude discussed Church of Hotel. We discussed several ongoing Latter Day Saints (Mormon) settlements projects including the NAA Web Page, and how they reflected the values and preservation of the Longstreet Cabin in beliefs of the Mormons. Quite a few of Ash Meadows, and next year’s meetings in Claude’s students were in attendance. We Carson City. Our first day ended with a reminisced about our field school wonderful reception sponsored by the experiences in the Moapa Valley. Archaeo-Nevada Society. We drove to the On Sunday several field trips were Valley of Fire Visitor’s Center during a offered. One group traveled to Arrow spectacular thunder and lightening show. Canyon to visit petroglyph sites, while the Upon arriving at the Visitor’s Center we first of two boat trips to the Main Ridge were treated to food and conversation. site headed for what Harrington called On Saturday everyone met at the “Pueblo Grande de Nevada.” Margaret historic Logondale School for a breakfast Lyneis (UNLV) and Steve Daron (National supplied by the Lost City Museum Park Service) guided the group. After two docents. Morning papers focused on days of rain, we had partially blue skies several southern Nevada and Utah and everyone thought that stormy weather 1 had moved on. The morning group Seven Opportunities for Asian Studies traveled to the site without mishap until in Nevada they attempted to leave. One of the boats Sue-Fawn Chung, UNLV wouldn’t start, and had to be towed back to the marina. The marina staff was able to 1. "The Good Earth: Folk Art and get it started once they returned, so the Artifacts from the Chinese Countryside" second group, including yours truly, will be on exhibit at the Lied Discovery headed out. While looking at the site, we Children's Museum, 833 Las Vegas Blvd. noticed big, black clouds moving in, and North, from May 11-August 18, 2001. The we hurried back to the boats. The one boat colorful exhibit includes 25 peasant wouldn’t start again, and so we headed out paintings and 15 artifacts, such as being towed by the other patio boat. The children's toys and clothing, created previously calm water got choppier and between 1985 to 1991 in Huxian, a county choppier, and the previously calm 35 miles north of the Xi'an, the capital of passengers got very nervous. One Shaanxi province and cradle of Chinese particularly large swell swamped the boats, civilization. The paintings depict fishing, and we almost capsized. Everyone was harvesting, sports, and festivals as well as thoroughly wet and cold by this time. Our other aspects of rural life. Don't miss this brave and experienced Captain, Joe delightful exhibit! Watson, continued on as rain and hail 2. May is Asian Pacific American Heritage pelted us. Marina staff was called in to Month and the Library District is assist, and they made it out to us quickly as celebrating with several activities: May 1- we were fairly close in. They were able to June 10 at the West Charleston Library is start the second boat, the towrope was cut, the art exhibit "Asian Americans: At and each vessel proceeded independently. Home" curated by Lia Chang; March 28- We made it back to the Marina without June 3 at the Sunrise Library is the art going swimming, so we were happy. What exhibit "Nisei Soldier: Japanese American an adventure!! Soldiers during World War II. There is a Culture Fair on May 12 at the Sahara West Library, 10 a.m.-4p.m., a fashion show and June Board Meeting, Tonopah, Nevada dance program at the Summerlin Library on May 6, 1 p.m., and other activities. The next board meeting is scheduled Pick up a brochure from any library for for Tonopah. There will be a presentation details. by David Valentine on his research in 3. In October 2000, workers uncovered American Canyon, Friday, June 22nd, at bones from the Carson City Chinese 7:00 p.m. at the Central Nevada Museum. Cemetery while constructing a medical The following morning, Saturday June office building complex. The owner, 23rd, there will be a field trip, possibly to James Foley, was aware of the fact that nearby rock art sites. Meet at 8:00 a.m. in this had been a Chinese cemetery. Thomas the parking lot of the Museum. The actual Chin, one of the founders of the Chinese board meeting will take place at 3:00 p.m. Historical Society of America in San at the Bureau of Land Management office, Francisco, visited the site in the late 1930s located on the main highway in the Pass. and observed the lack of care given to the As usual, all NAA members are invited to cemetery which once had one of the few attend the field trip and board meeting. crematoriums for Chinese in the American 2 west. Members of the Yee clan were supervisor. Island Mountain was a prominent in late 19th through early 20th predominately Chinese American century Carson City as restaurant owners community between 1873-1916 and and silk merchants and their deaths were dominated by Hong Lem (Ng Hung Lem), recorded in the local newspapers. They the friendly merchant in this relatively probably were buried in this site across isolated mining town. from Lone Mountain Cemetery. Unlike California and some other states, Nevada Call for Papers has no laws protecting cemeteries, so some 2002 Nevada Archeologist Chinese cemeteries in Nevada are now the sites of private homes, a public park, and a The 2002 Nevada Archaeologist will high school. A law needs to be passed to be a non-thematic issue. If interested in protect the final resting-place of Chinese submitting a paper, send your name and American pioneers in Nevada. topic to the editor, Steve Daron, by the end 4. "On Gold Mountain," the story of F. of October 2001. Full papers will be See On and his family against the needed by the end of February 2002 with backdrop of general Chinese American an anticipated publication date of July immigration to Los Angeles is on display 2002. You may make your submissions on at the Smithsonian Museum, Washington, paper (mail to: Steve Daron, Lake Mead D.C. F. See On became noted as a famous National Recreation Area, 601 Nevada importer of Asian artifacts and his Highway, Boulder City, NV 89005), or by customer list included many Hollywood e-mail to [email protected]. stars. Granddaughter Lisa See wrote a book, which served as the basis of the New Publication exhibit, created by the Gene Autry Museum in Los Angeles. She also wrote an NAA has decided to start a new, peer opera on the same premise and reviewed publication series, NAA negotiations are underway to bring the Occasional Papers. The decision to start opera to Piper's Opera House in Virginia the new series was made in part to increase City in 2002. A film is being produced on participation from academic the same subject. archaeologists, who get more credit for 5. The Railroad Museum in Carson City work published in a peer-reviewed format. will feature an exhibit on Chinese railroad We fervently hope that peer review will workers in Nevada in 2002. Do stop by if not discourage participation by other you are in Carson City next year! archaeologists or interested researchers. If 6. Visiting Nevada's Great Basin National you are willing to review papers, or have a Park? Don't miss the exhibit of Chinese paper, manuscript, or gray literature report miners in Nevada at the Visitor's Center! begging for wider distribution, please 7. Volunteers are still need for the contact David Valentine by phone at (702) "Island Mountain," an U.S. Forest Service 293-8443 (w) or (702) 645-9579, e-mail at Passport in Time program in Elko County's [email protected] or Humboldt-Toiyabe Division. The dates of [email protected], or via snail mail at the project are July 23-August 3. 5713 Cliff Point Court, Las Vegas, NV University of Nevada Reno's graduate 89149. student Patricia Hunt-Jones (Department of Anthropology) is serving as on-site 3 A Difficult Task? 106 Training Oyvind Frock, NAA Treasurer The Advisory Council for Historic We have all heard how hard it is to Preservation in conjunction with the find a needle in a haystack and how hard it University of Nevada Reno is offering an was for the miser to ride his horse updated introductory course, Introduction backward looking for the silver dollar he of Section 106 Review, in Las Vegas, dropped in the horse’s hay.