Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and The Archaeological Conservancy are recipients of History Colorado’s 2022 Stephen H. Hart People’s Choice Award for Historic Preservation for the collaborative work to preserve the Haynie site! Since 1986, History Colorado’s State Historic Preservation Office has recognized exemplary projects in preservation and archaeology that demonstrate best practices and achievements in the impactful preservation of Colorado’s past.

The “People’s Choice” award spotlights the Haynie site, a Chaco village in the central Mesa Verde region that was occupied for centuries from the A.D. 500s until regional depopulation in the late A.D. 1200s. The project is designed to generate data necessary to address questions that are fundamental to understanding a series of broader anthropological research domains. Materials collected from the Haynie site will provide insights into changing human-environment relationships through time, social stratification and equality/inequality, the roles of public architecture and community centers, and identity formation. Engaging in research focused on these domains will enable Crow Canyon to fulfill its mission by advancing and sharing knowledge of the human past and contributing to cross-cultural discussions of human behavior around the world in the past, present, and future.

To learn more about the Haynie site, check out this video.

Crow Canyon and The Archaeological Conservancy were one of five award recipients this year.

We would like to thank History Colorado leadership, which includes the offices of Archaeology and Historic Preservation and the State Historical Fund, as well as our community of members and supporters who nominated and voted for the Haynie site. Our work would not be possible without the many contributions and collaborative efforts of the Crow Canyon community, near and far.

Congratulations to Board of Trustees member Deedee Decker and her late husband Peter who were awarded Colorado’s premier preservation award, the Dana Crawford award, by Colorado Preservation, Inc. Named after a prominent Colorado architectural preservationist, this award is the highest honor conferred by Colorado Preservation, Inc. (CPI) to individuals committed to preserving Colorado’s landscape for future generations. The Deckers were critical to the early founding of CPI; Deedee was one of CPI’s founding members in 1985. She helped create and develop the inaugural Dana Crawford and State Honor Awards.

For decades,Deedee and Peter Decker have worked hard on behalf of the citizens of Ouray County and the land itself. The Deckers moved to Ridgway from New York City in 1974. “In Ouray County, we felt quite quickly that we could help make a difference,” Deedee said.

In 1995, the Deckers were among the first to employ a conservation easement to protect their property from development in perpetuity. The Deckers also volunteered at numerous arts associations, the Ouray County Historical Society, and the Colorado Cattleman’s Agricultural Land Trust. The Deckers are also big supporters of 4H, which provides experiences where young people learn by doing in hands-on projects in areas including health, science, agriculture and citizenship.

Deedee Decker has worked on, and donated to, numerous local preservation initiatives, including the Institute of International Education, Denver Public Library Friends Foundation, the Colorado Supreme Court Nominating Commission, Ouray County Historical Society and Four Mile Historic Park, where she accepted the Dana Crawford Award earlier this month. She currently serves on the boards of the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center and Telluride Foundation.

Sadly, we lost Peter Decker in December 2020. Named Ridgway-Ouray Community Council’s Outstanding Citizen of the Year in 2008, Peter was an accomplished author passionate about chronicling and preserving the past. He held several influential positions in Ouray County. In the early 1980s, Peter chaired the Ouray County Planning Commission’s first Master Plan. Over the course of his lifetime, Peter was the Commissioner of Agriculture under Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, speechwriter for Sen. Robert Kennedy, and a professor of public policy at Duke University and professor of history at Fort Lewis College. Peter remained active on many boards, including the Denver Branch of Federal Reserve Bank, National Western Stock Show, and Colorado Commission on Higher Education under Colorado Gov. Richard Lamm.

For decades, the Deckers have worked together to conserve open spaces and further historic preservation. Although the Dana Crawford award has historically been used to honor preservation work, recognizing the Deckers’ conservation work is the first step of CPI’s plans to recognize as much on conservation as historic preservation in the future. Crow Canyon is proud to have been able to work alongside the Deckers for the past twenty years.

You can read more about the Deckers and the Crawford award at the Telluride Daily Planet.

Congratulations to frequent Crow Canyon volunteers and collaborators Bob and Diane McBride who in September were awarded the prestigious Ivol K. Hagar award by the Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society. Named after a well-known Colorado avocational archaeologist, this award is given by the Colorado Archaeological Society (CAS) to individuals who have made outstanding long-term contributions to the Society either at the state or chapter level.

Since 2008, Bob and Diane have led teams of volunteers to survey thousands of acres of land in and around Cortez and have helped countless landowners identify sites of importance on their property. Their contributions to the archaeological community have been tremendous, and the Ivol K. Hagar award is a testament to that, as the spouses now join the exclusive club of 12 Coloradans to receive the award since its inception in 1996.

Cortez Locals Bob and Diane McBride Awarded Prestigious Ivol K. Hagar Archaeological Award

More than a decade ago, the McBrides created and implemented the Hisatsinom Archaeological Survey Program, for the purpose of conducting pedestrian archaeological surveys for private landowners to identify cultural resources on their property, all at no cost. In the time since the program’s founding, Bob and Diane have led teams of volunteers on 26 different parcels of property, surveying a total of 5,625 acres and recording 339 sites of note. Throughout these expeditions, several surface artifacts have been recorded and sent to the Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation (OAHP) for entry into the statewide COMPASS database, where the data has become available to archaeological professionals.

“The McBride-led surveys provide landowners with an understanding of the sites on their property, why the preservation of these sites is so important, and the role private landowners need to play as stewards of the archaeological record,” said Dr. Mark Varien, Executive Vice President of the Research Institute at Crow Canyon. “We are incredibly proud of the important recognition their work received through the Colorado Archaeological Society and look forward to continuing the collaborative relationship between the McBrides and Crow Canyon.”

The McBrides work in tandem throughout their various projects. Bob serves as the primary point man when it comes to geographic, environment, site, and feature measurements and recording in the field, while Diane is the lead pottery expert during artifact recording. Together, the spouses have devoted hundreds of hours interpreting survey results, completing site forms, and preparing reports.

Their efforts have had an immense impact on those they work with and the community they serve. Their work has yielded immense data about sites on private land, which are often the most at risk of destruction. They have provided landowners with education opportunities about the importance of preserving cultural resources, while also providing Hisatsinom members with opportunities to engage in relevant archaeological activities and training, and the space for avocational archaeologists and professionals to collaborate and strengthen their relationships.

The efforts of Bob and Diane McBride have had an immense positive impact when it comes to archaeology in Montezuma County and throughout all of Colorado. Thanks to their efforts, countless sites have been recorded, and landowners and archaeologists alike have had the opportunity to learn about the sites of note throughout the region. Crow Canyon is proud to have been able to work alongside the McBrides for the past decade.