COMMISSION

Native American consultation for the Prairie City SVRA General Plan began in the
summer of 2013 with local Miwok and Maidu Native American communities, including
tribal representatives from the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the United Auburn
Indian Community of the Auburn Rancheria, and the Wilton Rancheria. Native American
consultation included tours of the known prehistoric cultural resources within Prairie City
SVRA. The general planning team collaborated with the Native American community to
develop cultural resource guides and guidelines for the General Plan.
Recent Outreach Initiatives of the Cultural Resources Program at
Ocotillo Wells SVRA
Among the most pleasurable activities for an archaeologist working for State Parks are the
opportunities staff have to engage with the general public and park visitors. These contacts
enhance the park experience in many ways. During the past year, the Ocotillo Wells SVRA
cultural resources program has undertaken a number of public outreach initiatives to enhance
the park experience. Among these have been increased interactions with interpretive programs,
lectures presented at avocational archaeological
gatherings, training of site steward volunteers,
research results presented at professional
archaeological meetings, and increased
cooperation with local universities.
A new enhancement to the cultural resources
program is a cooperative initiative established
with the Department of Anthropology at CSU San
Diego. This resulted in a recent visit to Ocotillo
Wells SVRA by a CSU San Diego professor
and students to explore future teaching and
research opportunities. Among the future projects
discussed were weekend field visits to instruct students in archaeological field methods that
will include training in orienteering, field survey, and site evaluation methods. A direct result of
these discussions is a proposed thesis by a graduate student to investigate recently recorded
ancient fish traps that align with the recessional shoreline of Lake Cahuilla.
Formalization of these cooperative discussions resulted in the drafting of a MOU between CSU
San Diego and Ocotillo Wells SVRA to define future cooperative relationships. Ocotillo Wells
SVRA staff hope this joint initiative will prove beneficial to both the University and State Parks
for years to come.
Recent field visit and inspection of a prehistoric
Lake Cahuilla fish trap
2017 Program Report 81