Dr. Wendy Teeter Receives Honor One Award from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums

The Honored One Award recognizes individuals whose contributions have significantly benefited the preservation and advancement of indigenous cultural heritage. Dr. Wendy G. Teeter exemplifies the embodiment of that spirit. As Curator of Archaeology for the Fowler Museum, and NAGPRA Coordinator at the University of California, Los Angeles, Dr. Teeter has advocated on behalf of tribes throughout her professional career. Dr. Teeter also teaches in the University's American Indian Studies Department. She is a highly respected collaborator both nationally and internationally with indigenous communities on issues of repatriation and cultural heritage protection. Through her work at UCLA, she oversaw the repatriation of over 2,000 indigenous remains in consultation with 12 tribes. During the process, she ensured that tribal concerns regarding the treatment of their ancestors and cultural items under her stewardship were addressed. This work has earned her the respect of many. As one nomination read, "in her nearly two decades of work in the caretaking of our beloved ancestors, Dr. Teeter has exemplified her deep respect for the sacred items in her facility, and also respect and regard for the many diverse communities with which she engages. She goes far beyond the minimum requirements of legalities and procedures, and strives for the upmost respect for the sensitvities of the associated communities involved." Since 2007, Teeter has been co-director of the Pimu Catalina Island Archaeology Project, which seeks to understand the indigenous history of the island and Tongva homelands through multi-disciplinary and collaborative methodologies. The Project provides a field school that has educated over 150 students on the importance of community-based indigenous archaeology. Her interests, lectures, and publications focus on the protection and knowledge of material and non-material culture, indigenous archaeology, and the relatiionships between humans and the environment in North and Central America. She is also Co-PI for Mapping Indigenous Los Angeles, a community-based website devoted to storytelling through cultural geogrpahy and map making as well as providing educational resources and curriculum. Teeter helped to develop the Tribal Learning Community & Educational Exchange Program in the Native Nations Law & Policy Center, UCLA School of Law. In June 2011, she co-curated, Launching a Dream: Reviving Tongva Maritime Traditions, at the Fowler Museum at UCLA with Cindi Alvitre (Director, Ti'at Society). She serves on several boards and committees indlucing as Chair of the Society for California Archaeology Curation Committee and Editorial Board Member, Heritage & Society Journal. By bestowing Honored One status to Dr. Teeter, we join with her many friends and colleagues in expressing our heartfelt gratitude for "always striving to help right the many wrongs that have taken place and truly making a difference."

Posted October 17, 2018, 10:10 AM PST