Project Archaeology Videos

Voices of the Ancients Oral History Project

Project Archaeology materials include the views and voices of descendant community members, thereby increasing understanding of ethnically diverse peoples and underserved communities including Native Americans and African Americans. The program promotes respect for archaeological sites and artifacts, cultural understanding of descendant communities, personal responsibility for the protection of archaeological sites, and civic agency in a collective effort to protect our shared cultural heritage. Interactions with indigenous community members are the highlight of the Project Archaeology professional development experience.

Over the years, several teachers have requested videos of elders to share with their students and supplement what they learn in the curriculum. In response, SUU applied for and received a grant from the Utah State History Office and Utah Humanities to produce short videos of native voices around Utah. The questions were gathered from students around the United States whose teachers had participated in the Voices of the Ancients National Endowment for the Humanities workshops in 2021. These are made available on the Utah Project Archaeology website for teachers to easily access for educational use only.

Thanks to Utah Humanities, Utah State History, SUU Center for Teaching Innovation, teachers, students, volunteers, and the native voices who made this possible.