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About Us
About Us
Mission
We are an Indigenous-managed archaeological research and training program promoting sovereignty over ancestral lands and sacred sites. We work to empower the next generation of Indigenous archaeologists as stewards over their cultural heritage.
Vision
By providing a space for Indigenous youth and young adults to connect with ancestral lands and technology, we can impact how archaeology is practiced, taught and shared. We believe that the past can best be studied by archaeological scientists collaborating with Indigenous groups leading to a more holistic understanding of ancestral technology and lifeways.
Why We Formed GRIIT
Indigenous people are not well-represented in the field of archaeology in our communities. The history of archaeological research in New Mexico has been entangled with colonial agendas and mistrust, where too often Indigenous people were treated as objects to be studied and quantified. As Indigenous archaeologists, we envision a more productive way to study archaeology through collaborative work with tribal entities where research is conducted on their own terms, benefiting their own communities.
Our Goals and Philosophy
Our Goals and Philosophy
We celebrate the resilience of ancestral ways of life acknowledging that these practices are still used by Indigenous people today. These practices inform our archaeological interpretations on the cultural landscape.
Partnerships with local descendant communities will incorporate traditional knowledge paired with scientific training creating pathways to employment with tribal, private and governmental entities.
This program will sponsor cultural revitalization efforts and facilitate an Indigenous presence in historically underrepresented fields.
Gallina Archaeology
One of our main research goals is to better understand the Gallina (AD 1100-1300) people, their lifeway, and relationships to their neighboring groups and descendant communities. Gallina are one of the least known cultural groups in the pre-Hispanic Southwest; As no modern tribal group claims descent from Gallina, collaboration with Native communities is essential to understanding Gallina’s place in New Mexico’s past. Partnerships with local Indigenous communities are vital toward understanding how different technological practices and belief systems might relate to Gallina ethnic identity.
For more information on the archaeology of Gallina people click here (Link under construction as we are in the process of obtaining permissions for museum images).
Gallina Canyon Ranch
Gallina Canyon Ranch
The owners of Gallina Canyon Ranch, in northern New Mexico, are donating their land and facilities as a bequest for our nonprofit. Gallina Canyon Ranch is a private inholding surrounded by the Santa Fe National Forest-Chama River Canyon Wilderness.
The Institute is strategically located in the Gallina Heartland with hundreds of undocumented archaeological sites in proximity. GRIIT currently holds a 5-year permit with the Santa Fe National Forest to conduct baseline survey identifying valuable yet undescribed cultural resources. This survey located in a remote area of the Gallina region, will further our knowledge concerning their settlement patterns and subsistence practices.
Images for GRIIT (c) 2020 by Mr. David Rice
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