State Archeologist Recognized For Native American Scholarship Program

Media Contact: TPWD News Business Hours, 512-389-8030

News Image Share on Facebook Share Release URL

Note: This item is more than 13 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.

AUSTIN – Texas Parks and Wildlife archeologist Margaret Howard has received the 2010 Francis Stickney Field School Award from the Texas Archeological Society for her work in creating the Native American Scholarship program for the annual TAS field school.

June 2011 will mark the ninth year the TAS has offered scholarships to encourage Native Americans to participate in field schools. Scholarships are sponsored by donations of TAS and other local archeological societies, the Council of Texas Archeologists, archeological contracting firms, foundations, and others.

Howard started the scholarship program, which allows TAS members to meet, talk with, and learn from the native people whose traditions and lifestyles are tied to Texas archeological sites.

Every year many native peoples participate in the program because of Howard’s continued efforts as chair of the Native American Scholarship subcommittee of the TAS Multicultural Committee.

TAS gave a record 12 scholarships in 2006 so members of six different Native American groups could attend field school.

“I do not believe there is any other state in the nation where a nonprofit archeology field school makes such an effort to involve Native Americans,” said Doug Boyd, a TAS archeologist. “In the United States and Texas, now more than ever before, archeologists and native peoples must be allies in the quest to preserve the past and our shared heritage.”

For more information on the program, visit http://www.txarch.org/scholarships/native.html.