TRANS-RIO BRAVO/RIO GRANDE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COLLABORATION SYMPOSIUM and PANEL DISCUSSION

2015 Texas Archeological Society 86th Annual Meeting                 Omni Westside Hotel, Houston Texas, October 24, 2015         Organized and sponsored by the Journal of Texas Archeology and History.org

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Greetings! The Journal of Texas Archeology and History.org is pleased to organize and sponsor the “Trans-Rio Bravo/Rio Grande International Research Collaboration Symposium and Panel Discussion”. The symposium is designed to explore the dearth of archeological research collaboration between two seemingly isolated groups of researchers who are geographically separated only by a thin channel of water that happens to be an international border. There is precious little direct involvement between researchers in Mexico and Texas. This is astounding considering we share a border that is 1,254 miles long!

We hope this event will promote goodwill between the two isolated groups of researchers: Texans and Mexicans. Four guest researchers have been invited to travel from their homes and work in Mexico to participate in this symposium and to engage with us during the TAS Annual Meeting.

Arguably, there is a critical lack of cooperation and collaboration between researchers in Texas and Mexico who are studying archeology and history of the region. Our objectives are threefold: to create a starting point for discussion of the subject; to act as a spring-board toward greater and more meaningful research collaboration in the future; and to open new channels of communication between the two groups.

Through this symposium and panel discussion, we propose to: Facilitate a dialogue regarding issues challenging current and future archeological research collaboration with perspectives presented by participants from both sides of the international border; and to throw a spotlight on recent archeological research along the international boundary region shared by Texas and Mexico where there has either been benefit from successful collaboration or where a project could be enhanced by “trans-Rio Bravo collaboration”. Our goals are to: promote an open dialogue between to two isolated groups of researchers; to hold a discussion of the limiting factors in open forum; to explore ways to address or overcome the hurdles faced by modern researchers of archeology in the region; and to promote future collaborative efforts.

The Panel Discussion will follow the final paper and will cover topics relevant to collaboration between researchers across the international boundary line between Texas and Mexico. These topics

may include, but are not limited to: language barrier, logistics, safety, publication, funding, access, travel, information sharing, communications, politics, etc.

Discussion will be co-directed by Dr. Todd Ahlman, Director of CAS and Sr. Gustavo Ramirez Castilla, Tamaulipas State Archeologist for INAH. Discussants will include: Tom Hester, Moises Valadez, Victoria L. Munoz, Breen Murray, Mary Jo Galindo and Martin Salinas. Dr. Jean Clottes will be included if he is available for the discussion. A generous grant from the Summerlee Foundation has made this symposium possible.

SCHEDULE:

SATURDAY, October 24, 2015

1:30 PM – 3:55 PM   PAPER PRESENTATIONS

1:30 PM – 1:50 PM THOMAS R. HESTER – “50 Years Along the Rio Grande: Reflections on a Variety of Archaeological Research Projects on the Border.”

1:55 PM – 2:15 PM    EMILIANO GALLAGA MURRIETA – “Escuela de Antropología e Historia del Norte de México (EAHNM): a Powerful Ally”

2:20 PM – 2:40 PM    VICTORIA L. MUNOZ – “¿Dónde está la frontera?” 

2:45 PM – 3:05 PM    WILLIAM BREEN MURRAY – “Connections: Rock Art Across the River of Two Names”

3:10 PM – 3:30 PM    MARY JO GALINDO – “Con un pie en cada lado: Nuevo Santander Ranching Communities”

3:35 PM – 3:55 PM   MARTIN SALINAS RIVERA – “Archival Resources for Ethnohistorical Studies of northeastern Mexico and Texas”

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM   PANEL DISCUSSION

            An outstanding panel of researchers working along both sides of the Rio Bravo/Rio Grande will assemble to explore the challenges and prospects of archeological research along our 1,254 mile international border.

CO-MODERATORS:     Dr. Todd M. Ahlman and Sr. Gustavo Ramirez Castilla

PANELISTS:           Dr. Thomas R. Hester

Dr. Moises Valadez Moreno

Victoria L. Munoz

Dr. William Breen Murray

Dr. Mary Jo Galindo

Dr. Martin Salinas Rivera

SPECIAL PANELIST:     Dr. Jean Clottes

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM   PRESIDENT’S RECEPTION

After the panel discussion, the panelists will join the “President’s Reception” in the hotel lobby where our guest discussants and co-moderator from Mexico will be honored. They will be available to take your questions and continue the discussion.