Voices of the Ancient Faculty

Dr. Jeanne Moe, Co-director/Facilitator, has worked in heritage education for more than 30 years, mostly while employed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). She helped launch the national Project Archaeology program in Utah in the early 1990s and coordinated efforts to bring the program to other states. Jeanne served as the national director of the program from 2001 until her retirement from BLM in 2018. She led the development of all Project Archaeology materials and their distribution since 2001. Still active in heritage education, she is a founding member of the Institute for Heritage Education and currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors. She is the editor for the Journal of Archaeology and Education, an online publication highlighting archaeology education programs and research.

Samantha Kirkley, Co-director/Facilitator, is the Utah coordinator for Project Archaeology. She provides professional development workshops throughout the state, and has most recently helped to write and publish Project Archaeology: Investigating a Fremont Pithouse. She has also been a professional archaeologist for 14 years and adjunct teaches at Southern Utah University. Throughout her career she has developed a network of descendant community members, professional colleagues, state and federal contacts, teachers, community partners, and university students that will contribute to the success of the NEH workshops. She will coordinate and organize the workshops, set up and maintain the website, assist with the GIS instruction, and model the curriculum lessons.

Alexis Nicolas, K-12 Educator/Facilitator, has been teaching at a Montessori school for six years. She has attended many professional development workshops including two hosted by Project Archaeology. She will assist teachers by modeling the lessons found in the curriculum and guiding the reflection sessions.

Courtney Agenten, Curriculum Development/Facilitator, is the Minnesota Coordinator for Project Archaeology. Prior to joining Project Archaeology, Courtney taught secondary social studies, math, and drama at Petra Academy in Bozeman, MT. She incorporated archaeology, primary source documents, and hands-on projects to tangibly connect students to the past. She received her BA in History Education from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT and continues to learn about history by reading, attending lectures, taking classes, and writing curricula materials for teachers. Her interest in archaeology has led to four field school experiences: Iron Age sites in both Israel and Jordan, a Montana battlefield, and Italian Roman Villa. Her archaeological and teaching experience has inspired her to make archaeology and history relevant for the public, especially schoolchildren.

Barbara Frank, Director of the SUU Archaeology Repository and Archives, has worked as a professional archaeologist in Utah for 40 years, and has served as curator of the federally recognized archaeology repository on the SUU campus since 1995. She directed and worked at the SUU archaeological field schools for 20+ years. She is an expert in the archaeology of southwestern Utah and is well versed in all aspects of her profession. She will help teachers to connect to the objects of material culture that ancient people left behind in a meaningful way.

Richard Talbot, Director of the Office of Public Archaeology at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. Rich has worked on many of the Fremont excavations in Utah and is considered an expert on the subject. He will speak to teachers about the excavations in Clear Creek Canyon and how the Fremont adapted to diverse landscapes and climate.

Dr. Tim Riley, Curator at the Eastern Prehistoric Museum at Utah State University Eastern in Price, UT. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of Chicago and his doctorate at Texas A&M University. He has participated in fieldwork across the Midwest and Southwestern United States. Within the field of archaeology, his specialty is paleoethnobotany, or the study of past human use of plants for subsistence and other aspects of material culture. His research has ranged from assessing diet with coprolites in Texas to examining changes in vegetation associated with agricultural intensification along the Mississippi river. There is a strong ecological approach to his research, focusing on past cultures as an integral part of their environment. He currently serves on the Society for American Archaeology’s Committee on Museums, Collections and Curation and as the Utah Public Education Coordinator. He will give an overview of his work, explain differences in Fremont culture in Nine Mile Canyon, and engage in reflective discussions with participants.

Charmaine Thompson, Archaeologist, works for the Manti-La Sal National Forest and has many years of experience studying and documenting the Fremont culture in Utah. She will contribute to the workshops in an auxiliary/partnering capacity by providing interpretation at sites where needed, discussing stewardship, and participating in the panel discussion on the inclusion of indigenous people in the American narrative.

Eleanor Tom, Cultural Educator, publishes traditional Paiute stories for elementary-age children and teaches Paiute language to the community. She is one of about 30 people who can still speak the Paiute language. She will instruct teachers about Paiute culture, language, and history at the SUU Special Collections library.

Virgil Johnson, Cultural Educator, has served as Chairman of the Confederated Tribe of the Goshute and as the Chairman for the Tribes of Utah where he met with Federal Government officials regarding Native American policies. He is also a retired teacher, principal, and coach. As an educator, he attended many seminars around the country: 1. Dartmouth College for Lewis and Clark expedition and Native American policy with the federal government. 2. James Madison home, study of historical documents of James Madison. 3. Study of the Civil Rights movement in Atlanta, Georgia. 4. Jackson Hole, Wyoming, study of early historical documents of Founding Fathers. 5. Austin, Texas for academics of AVID for school academic program. 6. Study of Oregon, California, Mormon Trail in Wyoming. 7. Moscow, Idaho for Social Studies curriculum writing. 8. Albuquerque, New Mexico for political process. 9. Wayne County in Utah for study of Anthropology on hands experiences. 10. Many State social studies seminars. His experience and background are rare and invaluable to educators. He will facilitate lessons, lead hands-on experiences, and participate in the panel discussion.

Rick and Rena Pikyavit, Cultural Educators, are co-authors of Investigating a Fremont Pithouse curriculum for 3-5 grades. Their ancestry represents five of the tribes currently residing in Utah. Rena is a cultural interpreter at Fremont Indian State Park and they both teach at workshops and community events. Teachers will get to have engaging discussions with them while visiting the park.

David Maxwell, GIS Lab Director, is a professor at Southern Utah University in Geospatial Sciences. He will be instrumental in helping teachers see the Fremont world using spatial technology.

Paula Mitchell, Special Collections Librarian/Archivist, at Southern Utah University's Gerald R. Sherratt Library. She has worked as the university's archivist for 19 years during which time she has taught courses, documented numerous oral histories, helped patrons access historic records, and spearheaded many other noteworthy school and community projects. She will help teachers search the archives for oral history interviews, documents, photos, and artifacts related to the history of the Paiute people.