Increasing Sacred Site Accessibility for Indigenous Elders through Virtualization:  Demonstrating Community Engagements at the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project

1. Abstract

The community-based not-for-profit Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project (MPPP) has expressly sought to engage with local and indigenous residents, especially Tewa whose ancestors produced the images largely believed to date to the Rio Grande Classic Period (ca. AD 1350 to 1600). Two challenges surrounding contemporary engagement involve reaching both youth and elders. Presently, MPPP is piloting ways the technologies we deploy in our research and documentation can be used to address these challenges. We share how we both engage youth in the region’s cultural history, and enable limited-mobility elders' engagement through 3D multimedia experiences, all using new smart technologies. Both endeavors integrating contemporary technologies with our indigenous outreach help democratize archaeological practice by empowering members of Native America communities to take possession of, and to adapt and retell, their ancestors’ stories. Alongside this poster we present demonstrations of these technologies, offering conference attendees firsthand experience with our new digital outreach efforts.