Resources and Links
Institutions of Higher Education
University of Arizona Center for Preservation Studies
The purpose of the Preservation Studies program is to educate students in the preservation of the built environment as part of a comprehensive conservation ethic. The curricular program, which leads to a Certificate in Preservation Studies, is interdisciplinary, inter-institutional, and international in scope.
University of Arizona Office of Ethnohistorical Research
In addition to the approximate 8,000 secondary works on history, anthropology, and ecology of the region, the OER is host to the Documentary Relations of the Southwest Master Index, a computerized index to over 17,000 document clusters dating from the 1540s through the 1820s. The DRSW Master Index includes a precis for each document cluster. It is searchable by a variety of fields: Persons, Places, Ethnic Groups, and Military Groups, and is considered to be a premiere on-line source for Spanish Colonial history. OER is home to the Southwest Missions Research Center which produces the journal SMRC Revista several times a year.
University of Texas Center for Inter-American and Border Studies
The Center for Inter-American and Border Studies uniquely contributes to the fulfillment of UTEPs mission by conducting and promoting research, academic programs, and public outreach on themes related to Inter-American and Border Studies. These distinctive themes include culture and language, the arts, economics, trade, society, history, ecosystems and environment, health, and education in the Americas and the border region. The Center is especially dedicated to the accomplishment of these distinctive goals through partnerships within and across national boundaries.
Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia
The Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH, National Institute of Anthropology and History) is a Mexican federal government bureau established in 1939 to guarantee the research, preservation, protection, and promotion of the prehistoric, archaeological, anthropological, historical, and paleontological heritage of Mexico. Its creation has played a key role in preserving the Mexican cultural heritage.
Currently, the INAH carries out its work through a Technical Secretariat which supervises the performance of its main duties and whose tasks are distributed among its seven National Coordination Offices and 31 Regional Centers throughout the states of the Mexican republic.
State and Local
Arizona Office of Tourism
The Arizona Office Tourism enhances the state economy and the quality of life for all Arizonans by expanding travel activity and increasing related revenues through tourism promotion and development.
Arizona State Museum
The Arizona State Museum is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest, established in 1893.
- is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution.
- is the states official archaeological repository and the largest non-federal archaeological repository in the country.
- administers Arizonas Antiquities Act and assists state & federal agencies in enforcing related legislation and repatriation; issues permits for archaeological and paleontological projects across the state.
- is the University of Arizonas anthropology museum and is one of the oldest research units on the campus.
- houses the only museum conservation laboratory in the state.
- hosts researchers from around the world who use the collections to expand the frontiers of knowledge in archaeology, ethnology, and history.
Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records
The agency serves the Arizona Legislature and Arizonans, providing public access to public information, fostering historical/cultural collaborative research, information projects and ensuring that Arizona's history is documented and preserved.
Arizona State Parks State Historic Preservation Office
The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), a division of Arizona State Parks, is responsible for the identification, evaluation, and protection of Arizona's prehistoric and historic cultural resources. The SHPO staff represents various areas of expertise, including history, prehistoric and historic archaeology, historical architecture, and grants management. The programs and services provided by this staff are diverse and meet a range of needs within the public and private sectors of Arizona.
City of Tucson Historic Preservation Office
The Tucson Historic Preservation Office works closely with City departments to assess, document, and appropriately treat significant archaeological sites and historic buildings affected by City projects. It also works with the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission to review demolition requests and proposed exterior alterations to historic buildings, assists with National Register nominations for neighborhoods and property owners that meet certain criteria, and jointly administers Pima County Historic Preservation Bond projects within the City. The Historic Preservation Office also provides training and information on historic preservation laws, compliance procedures, rehabilitation standards, and financial incentives, and it conducts educational outreach to strengthen community appreciation of Tucsons rich heritage and historic resources.
Pima County Historic Preservation Office
The Pima County Cultural Resources & Historic Preservation Office honors the rich history, cultural diversity, living traditions, and regional character, all of which define a collective cultural heritage and community identity, where Native American, Spanish Colonial, Mexican, and American traditions intersect with the natural environment to create a unique, multi-storied cultural landscape heritage by working to preserve cultural and historical properties, including ancestral sites, traditional cultural places, historic buildings, districts, objects, living traditions, and working landscapes.
National Park Service
National Park Service
Charged with the trust of preserving the natural resources of America.
Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystems Study Unit
The Desert Southwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (DSCESU) is a cooperative network of federal, university, and nongovernmental agencies studying and managing natural and cultural resources across the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. The DSCESU was formed in 2000, and encompasses the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan deserts. The DSCESU is hosted by the School of Natural Resources.
National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
NCPTT advances the application of science and technology to historic preservation. Working in the fields of archeology, architecture, landscape architecture and materials conservation, the Center accomplishes its mission through training, education, research, technology transfer and partnerships.
National Preservation Services - National Park Service
National Park Service archeologists, architects, curators, historians, and other cultural resource professionals work in America's nearly 400 national parks to preserve, protect, and share the history of this land and its people. Beyond the parks, the National Park Service is part of a national preservation partnership working with American Indian Tribes, states, local governments, nonprofit organizations, historic property owners, and others who believe in the importance of our shared heritage and its preservation.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation's historic places worthy of preservation. The National Register is administered by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Office of International Affairs
The Office of International Affairs serves the National Park Service by engaging more fully the talents and available resources of the Park Service for the implementation of its domestic and global missions. It evaluates opportunities and coordinates responses involving the National Park Service in international programs, projects, and activities. It also provides leadership in the fulfillment of U.S. foreign policy objectives through implementation of treaty obligations and other agreements.
Olmsted enter for Landscape Preservation
The Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation strengthens the capacity of parks and historic properties to manage cultural landscapes as part of the national heritage. Working in partnership with national parks, universities, government agencies, and non-profit organizations, the Olmsted Center provides a full range of technical assistance in cultural landscape research, planning, stewardship, and education. Founded at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site, the Olmsted Center perpetuates the traditions of the Olmsted Offices and Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr.'s lifelong commitment to people, parks, and public spaces.
Spanish Colonial Research Center
The Spanish Colonial Research Center (SPCO) is a Partnership between the National Park Service and the University of New Mexico that specializes in Spanish/English translation services. Translations include park brochures, exhibit plans and labels, management plans, operation plans, foreign correspondence, bi-national agreements, and technical brochures. The SPCO maintains an extensive database of Spanish Colonial Mission information.
Vanishing Treasures Program
The Vanishing Treasures Program provides National Parks in the west with the support they need to protect and conserve irreplaceable resources. Congress responded in 1998 to the need for time, money, and the continuation of traditional skills needed to stabilize and preserve the cultural heritage in the parks.
National Historical Parks
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves an ancient Hohokam farming community and "Great House." Created as the nations first archeological reserve in 1892, the site was declared a National Monument in 1918 in order that better provision may be made for the protection, preservation and care of the ruins and the ancient buildings and other objects of prehistoric interest thereon.
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos preserves 12,000 years of history including the ancient pueblo of Pecos, Colonial Missions, Santa Fe Trail sites, 20th century ranch history of Forked Lightning Ranch, and the site of the Civil War Battle of Glorieta Pass.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
San Antonio Missions preserves the legacy and history of San Antonio and the region including the five 1718 - 1731 Franciscan and Spanish missions located along the San Antonio River. The missions acculturated and Christianized the native population and made them Spanish citizens.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
Tumacácori NHP protects three Spanish colonial mission ruins in southern Arizona: Tumacácori, Guevavi, and Calabazas. The adobe structures are on three sites, with a visitor center at Tumacácori. These missions are among more than twenty established in the Pimería Alta by Father Kino and other Jesuits, and later expanded upon by Franciscan missionaries. The Park hosts Mission 2000, a searchable database of Mission records.
Pascua Yaqui Tribe
The Pascua Yaqui Tribe is a tribe of Native Americans, given recognition by the United States government on September 18, 1978. Most U.S. members of the tribe live in southern Arizona.The Yaquis were well accustomed to the many parts of North America, descended from the ancient Uto-Azteca people of Mexico, the ancestors of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe first settled in the United States near Nogales and south Tucson. In the late 1800s the Tribe began to expand into settlements north of Tucson in an area they named Pascua Village, and in Guadalupe, near Tempe.
Tohono Oodham Nation
The Tohono Oodham Nation has four non-contiguous segments that total more than 2.8 million acres. The lands of the Nation are located within the Sonoran Desert in south central Arizona. The largest community, Sells, functions as the Nation's capital. Of the four lands bases, the largest contains more than 2.7 million acres. Boundaries begin south of Casa Grande and encompass parts of Pinal and Pima Counties before continuing south into Mexico.
Professional Organizations, Programs, and Advisory Councils
Advisory Council on Historic Preservation
The mission of the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation is to promote the preservation, enhancement, and productive use of the Nation's historic resources, and advise the President and Congress on national historic preservation policy.
Arizona Archaeological Advisory Commission
The statutory Commission is composed of 11 members with expertise in prehistoric or historic archaeology, anthropology and/or ethnography, as well as tourism, public education, economic development, business, and Native American affairs. The purpose of the Commission is to advise the State Historic Preservation Officer on a variety of archaeological issues important to Arizona.
Arizona Archaeological Council
The Arizona Archaeological Council is a non-profit voluntary association existing to promote the goals of professional archaeology in Arizona. Dedicated to preserving cultural resources through education and advocacy, the Council embraces a diverse membership drawing from avocationalists, academics, private business, local communities and federal, state and tribal agencies.
Arizona Historical Advisory Commission
The Arizona Historical Advisory Commission (AHAC) was established in 1976, and consists of experts in the field of historic preservation in the disciplines of history , arts and culture, architecture and archaeology, professional librarians and archivists or persons otherwise associated with the interpretation, research, writing, preservation or teaching of this states heritage, including the Indian Nations history and heritage and the Director of the Historical Society, the Director of the State Museum, the Director of the State Parks Board, and the State Historic Preservation Officer. The Commission works to assure there is a collaborative approach to planning the Centennial.
Arizona Historical Records Advisory Board
The Arizona Historical Records Advisory Board serves as the central advisory body for historical records planning and for National Historical Publications and Records Commission funded projects developed and carried out in this state, and as a coordinating body to facilitate cooperation among historical records repositories and other information agencies in this state and as a state-level review body for grant proposals as defined in the National Historical Publications and Records Commission guidelines.
National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers
The National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers is the professional association of the State government officials who carry out the national historic preservation program as delegates of the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended.
National Council for Preservation Education
The National Council for Preservation Education (NCPE) was established as a non-profit educational corporation chartered in the District of Columbia and committed to these objectives:
- Encouraging and assisting in the development and improvement of historic preservation education programs and endeavors in the United States and elsewhere;
- Coordinating efforts related to preservation education with public and private organizations and interested individuals;
- Facilitating the collection, exchange and dissemination of information and ideas concerning preservation education;
- Creating public awareness of endeavors in preservation education.
Society for American Archaeology
The mission of the Society for American Archaeology is to expand understanding and appreciation of humanity's past as achieved through systematic investigation of the archaeological record. The society leads the archaeological community by promoting research, stewardship of archaeological resources, public and professional education, and the dissemination of knowledge. To serve the public interest, SAA seeks the widest possible engagement with all segments of society, including governments, educators, and indigenous peoples, in advancing knowledge and enhancing awareness of the past.
Society for Historical Archaeology
Formed in 1967, the Society for Historical Archaeology (SHA) is the largest scholarly group concerned with the archaeology of the modern world. The focus of the society is the era since the beginning of European exploration. SHA promotes scholarly research and the dissemination of knowledge concerning historical archaeology. The society is specifically concerned with the identification, excavation, interpretation, and conservation of sites and materials on land and underwater. Geographically the society emphasizes the New World, but also includes European exploration and settlement in Africa, Asia, and Oceania
Non-profit and Private Organizations
The Archaeological Conservancy, established in 1980, is the only national non-profit organization dedicated to acquiring and preserving the best of our nation's remaining archaeological sites. Based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the Conservancy also operates regional offices in Mississippi, Maryland, Ohio, and California.
Arizona Heritage Alliance, Inc.
The Arizona Heritage Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created in 1992 to protect Arizona's Heritage Fund and its objectives. It is guided by a Board of Directors drawn from a broad base of outdoor sports, environmental conservation, and historic preservation groups that helped pass the 1990 statewide initiative creating the Heritage Fund.
Arizona Historical Society
The Arizona Historical Society is Arizonas oldest cultural organization. Founded by the territorial legislature on November 7, 1864, it is charged with preserving Arizona history for the present and future.
Arizona Preservation Foundation
The Arizona Preservation Foundation is Arizona's only non-profit statewide historic preservation organization. Founded in 1979, the Foundation is dedicated to preserving Arizona's historical, archaeological, architectural, and cultural resources.
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
The mission of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.
California Missions Study Association
The CMSA exists for the study and preservation of the California Missions, Presidios, Pueblos, and Ranchos and their Native American, Hispanic, and Early American past
Cornerstones Community Partnerships
Established in 1986, Cornerstones Community Partnerships assists communities in the preservation of historic structures, promotes the use of centuries old building practices, and supports the continuum of cultural values and heritage unique to this region. The work is carried out in partnership with Hispanic and Native American communities throughout New Mexico, neighboring southwestern states, and northern Mexico. Cornerstones' community-based approach fosters the involvement of youth, supports strong, unified communities, and helps insure that cultural traditions and heritage are passed on to future generations.
National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to saving historic places and revitalizing America's communities by providing leadership, education, advocacy, and resources to save America's diverse historic places and revitalize communities.
Mexico-North Research Network
Mexico-North is a non-profit consortium of US and Mexican universities, museums, research institutes, and cultural centers that exists to promote and facilitate innovative programs in research, education and outreach focused on Mexico and the United States.
Preservation Action is a 501c4 nonprofit organization created in 1974 to serve as the national grassroots lobby for historic preservation. Preservation Action seeks to make historic preservation a national priority by advocating to all branches of the federal government for sound preservation policy and programs through a grassroots constituency empowered with information and training and through direct contact with elected representatives.
The Sonoran Institute is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization that promotes community decisions that respect the land and people of the West.