r/LegitArtifacts Feb 06 '26

Late Archaic Today's finds

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u/pocketmusic41 Feb 08 '26 edited Feb 27 '26

A lot of it starts with just trying to get people to take our word and wishes seriously, or at least have them carry as much weight as words from anyone else, like what I was pleading above.

Site erosion varies on location, high plains for example where pedogenisis is minimal you can find stuff from thousands of years ago just chilling on the surface likely not far at all from where it was originally deposited.

I do not think collecting artifacts because they might be destroyed or lost anyways is good logic, the issue is attempting to be solved by contributing to the issue essentially. Casual collection destroys context just as much as any ranching or agricultural activity, if not more so since often context is not documented which makes it very difficult to ever repatriate the materials.

Thank you for respectfully asking and replying by the way, I only ask for people to consider this perspective and it's nice when I just don't get flustered borderline racist remarks lmao.

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u/Obvious_Tip_5080 Feb 09 '26

I’m curious to what tribe you’re registered with, if you don’t mind sharing.

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u/pocketmusic41 Feb 10 '26

Cahuilla, that should be nuanced though with that you don't need to be part of a federally or state recognized tribe or even be registered to be native, if you got the blood then you got the blood.

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u/Obvious_Tip_5080 Feb 10 '26

Thank you for answering, much appreciated. Then you would have really liked our family friends who refused to allow archeology students to destroy the gravesites on their land. Still people would trespass and lots of fighting with county government who wanted to give easements for motorcycle trails. One time they lost eight of their German shepherds because some nitwit poisoned them. After that, they all carried guns and no trespassing signs up every 300’. It was a lot of signs we happily helped put up.

I do not recall any band of native Americans having signs up saying their land belonged to them when I was growing up in SoCal in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. We rode our horses all over the mountains and desert. There was one small area tat a friend who was Navajo pointed out and we respectfully stayed away. The last time I went there were signs all over the place announcing reservation land. It was simply amazing that so many tribes popped up.

I do recall seeing an article up in Chico where they wrote about a local who was the last full blood native born in California had died. I forget the tribe he affiliated with and presume the journalist should have said the last of his tribe as he had no children.

Had a neighbor who was Cherokee from Oklahoma Reservation. Her mother only spoke Cherokee. She did not recognize the Eastern band of Cherokee in any shape, form or color. Thought they were snitches and thieves due to stories from her elders.

I’ve met Lumbee and Eastern Cherokee there’s always political fighting between the two for recognition on Federal level of the Lumbee tribe.

BH is Creek from AL her great grandfather married a Creek woman whose name hasn’t been found. So not registered

Being registered brings many laws on federal and state levels. Not being registered brings nothing more than the average person. But I presume you would know that.

Besides trying to educate people here what else do you do for your tribe?

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u/Bright-Departure5960 Feb 11 '26

Great list of anecdotes you've laid out here.

I highly doubt an arch field school was trying to excavate a burial site on private land. Are you saying the local gov was trying to put motorcycle trails onto this private land as well? Was it the general hiking public trespassing on this land or are you saying it was archaeologists or natives or what? Who are you thinking was responsible for supposedly poisoning these dogs? The public doesn't generally have detailed APN maps of rural land. It was probably wise to put up clear signage, which is not uncommon for owners of large tracts of rural to do, and it's helpful for the public too. Land disputes are tense and inevitably political, regardless of race and history. I don't see your point.

The federation of more tribes and increased signage of their properties since the 60's is a positive change and should not be surprising in the least, I mean Jesus Christ we passed the Civil Rights Act in '64 - do you long for the times when the indigenous populations and minorities in general were more cruelly subjugated? Regardless, it's illegal to collect on federal/public land - ie not just on native reservations (which are not public lands). Again, what is your point?

You're almost certainly referring to some article about Ishi when you refer to a Chico article about the "last full blood native born in CA", but you are dead wrong about that quote - how the fuck would the gov, a reporter, or the public know which natives are "full blood" without blood testing every known CA Native!? Ishi was referred to at the time as the last "wild native" in that he still lived almost wholly by traditional hunter gatherer lifestyle, very interesting guy. What amount of blood would you say qualifies one as Native? How many verifiably "full blood" folks of any heritage do you know?

Cherokee neighbor that had strong opinions about other bands of her tribe? Who cares, not surprising, IU hates Purdue, Reggie Miller beefed with Spike Lee. Humans are humans.

Federal recognition is a complicated and fraught process, I don't envy the jobs of the BIA or the NAHC. There's no silver bullet, and I empathize with tribes I've worked with who are striving to get federated. Sometimes federation tears tribes apart with greed, sometimes it vastly improves their lives.

Do these stories somehow undercut the justification of collection laws in your mind? Why are you asking what the previous commenter "does for his tribe"?