The 2023 Washington State University (WSU) archaeological field school is a collaborative project developed with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians. The field school will take place in scenic Pend Oreille County, northeastern Washington state, near the town of Newport, Washington. This summer, we are honored to be hosted by the Kalispel Tribe on their property at the Indian Creek Community Forest.  As detailed in a recent feature by Sustainable Northwest, the Forest is a very special place that is a center of education and recreation, as well as a center point for the Tribe’s environmental management and ecological restoration efforts.

The 2023 field school is designed to prepare students for the evolving professional, academic, and compliance landscapes of archaeology. It provides a unique opportunity for students to participate in a research project investigating indigenous food systems while learning first-hand skills from a team of leaders in academic, Tribal, and cultural resource management (CRM) archaeology.

With a curriculum developed and taught in partnership with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians and Far Western Anthropological Research Group, the knowledge and skills students will gain will help them prepare for a variety of futures, including graduate school, work with Tribes and collaborative programs, and careers in the ever-expanding field of CRM (e.g., see Altschul and Klein 2022, “Forecast for the US CRM Industry and Job Market, 2022-2031“).

In addition to teaching students fundamental field and lab skills essential to diverse careers in archaeology, the field school will be a lot of fun! We will work hard in the field and lab, but also visit cultural sites, engage in lively discussions, participate in public outreach programs, and learn from Tribal experts about the Kalispel Tribe and their history.

Collaborative Research at Indian Creek

The field school is located in rural Pend Oreille County-part of the homelands of the Salish-speaking Kalispel. This is an environmentally, culturally, and historically rich region, with much to explore and learn. In addition to learning about Tribal history and culture, students will help to document Kalispel land use and foodways at the Indian Creek site through the excavation of numerous earth oven features. Initial radiocarbon dating of cores at these features suggests the site was used over a span of 5000 years.

Artifacts collected in the field will be analyzed in the project lab near our campsite, and a major focus will be on recovering clues about culinary traditions and diet through ethnobotany, flotation, and other analyses, which will help students to better understand cultural sequences, analyze material culture in detail, and learn about artifact curation and preservation. Field trips along with visits from experts in the field of archaeology and other guests will help to enhance student appreciation and understanding of the region’s expansive natural and cultural history.

The Indian Creek project provides an exciting and rare opportunity to conduct cutting-edge scientific research and apply modern analytical techniques in a collaborative research context. Our emphasis is to develop a collaborative research model, that incorporates Tribal values and needs, while also training students (to work for and with Tribes, to better understand the context of their work). 

The field school is bound by three prevailing themes: 1) emphasizing “decolonized” approaches to archaeological method and theory that promote ethical collaboration with descendant communities; 2) exploring questions about historical ecology, “first foods”, diet, health, food sovereignty, and family decision making and cooperation through an archaeological understanding of earth oven technologies and traditions, landscape use and Traditional Ecological Knowledge; and 3) training students in CRM policies and practice, which is not only necessary for a career in archaeology in countries like the US, but is directly applicable to other heritage and resource management professions, both nationally and internationally.

Applications

If you are interested in joining the field school, please fill out an application (available here as a fillable PDF) and submit it to Cassady Fairlane at cassady.fairlane@wsu.edu. The priority deadline is March 1st, 2023, but applications will continue to be accepted until the field school is filled.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I need to bring?

You are responsible for bringing your own personal field gear, camping gear, and supplies (a detailed list will be sent in the spring), spending money, special foods, and any medication that you need.

What are the living and meal accommodations like?

The Kalispel Tribe is hosting us at their Indian Creek Community Forest-a unique and beautiful place that will also be our laboratory and classroom headquarters. Participants will be camping for the duration of the field school. We will ensure access to basic amenities (e.g., portlets and/or access to bathrooms, solar shower stalls, a kitchen facility, an electronics charging station, etc.). Meals will be prepared and shared by the group.

Additionally, the Tribe has arranged for us to have access to their AMAZING camas center during the field school: https://camascenter.org/  The fee will be covered by the field school (no change in cost or registration costs). Every evening students will be able to shower there (they even supply towels), and if you have energy, (and there aren’t other evening activities or labs planned) you can go for a swim, use their climbing wall, take a sauna/ steambath, play pickleball, etc!   

In addition to cooking responsibilities, tasks related to the basic maintenance of the field camp will be shared by students and staff. We will accommodate dietary allergies and try to accommodate other dietary needs to the best of our ability, but due to field school conditions, it may be difficult to meet the specialized needs of some diets.

Field school participants will have the opportunity to run personal errands in Newport (e.g., stock up on supplies, use a laundromat, access a bank ATM)-typically on Sundays.

What is the weather like?

Daytime temperatures in late May to early June average in the mid-70s to high 80s, with nighttime lows in the low 40s to mid-50s. While relatively uncommon, it is possible for temperatures to reach as high as the low 100s on some days. Summers are relatively dry, but rain may occur. Prepare for warm, dry days and cool nights, with the potential for scattered showers. In other words: come prepared, and be ready to layer!

How will I get there?

With prior notice, project vehicles can transport field school participants from the WSU Pullman campus to the field school and back again. Students should plan to arrive at the camp and set up the day before field school begins (May 21) at the latest. If you are not local, please discuss with staff before making any flight arrangements, but the closest airports are the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport (PUW) and Spokane International Airport (GEG). It is possible for students to bring their own cars if space allows.

What is the work schedule like?

This is an intensive field and laboratory course. Students should expect to work hard and learn a great deal over four (very packed) weeks of instruction. In general, the plan is that we will work Mondays through Saturdays, with Sundays off. However, students should expect to be flexible as our work schedule will depend on many circumstances (e.g., weather, field conditions, field trip opportunities, and changes in field locations). Generally, expect to depart for the project area after breakfast at around 8 am on most days (earlier or later depending on weather and other conditions), and expect to take part in evening activities, lectures, and labs.