Shannon Cowell

Shannon Cowell collaborates with Tribes to protect heritage places from looting and vandalism. In her role as the BIA Collaboration Director & Preservation Archaeologist, Shannon leads the nationwide implementation of the Bureau of Indian Affair’s (BIA) cooperative agreement with Archaeology Southwest to provide support to Tribes in responding to violations of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).

Shannon began her career as a field archaeologist in 2008 and has worked on cultural resource management projects in 20 states throughout the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Midwest, Plains, Subarctic, and Great Basin. She earned her master’s degree at New Mexico State University in 2018 and joined Archaeology Southwest in 2019. A commitment to working directly with Tribes to create culturally appropriate and sustainable solutions to looting and vandalism guides her work.

April 30, 2024

S3E13: Why Protecting Cultural Sites is Important

Looting archaeological sites isn't harmless collecting: it destroys irreplaceable information and damages places that remain culturally important to Indigenous communities. Chris Clarke talks with Shannon Cowell and Dustin Whiting of Archaeology Southwest about looting and vandalism across the Southwest, the laws governing cultural artifacts, and the larger question of heritage justice. They explain how visitors can recognize threats, behave responsibly around cultural sites, and help protect places whose significance extends far beyond the objects someone might carry away.

Guests: Shannon Cowell , Dusty Whiting

Listen to the Episode