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January 2012

Melanie O’Brien joins National NAGPRA as Notice Coordinator

On January 3, 2012, Melanie O’Brien joined the National NAGPRA Program as the Notice Coordinator. Melanie received an M.A. in Public History from Loyola University Chicago and a B.A. in History from Carleton College (Minnesota). In her career as a public historian, she has worked as an archivist, author, curator, oral historian, and docent at various museums and historical societies in Chicago, Minnesota, and her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. She has worked on a PBS environmental science series, taught university courses and co-authored a local history text. For the last eight years, she managed a high volume of documents and research as part of the tribal trust litigation, where she conducted extensive research on the history and land-use areas of Native American tribes. Senior managers in the Department of the Interior, who formed the interview/selection panel, were impressed with Melanie’s ability to communicate with various audiences and her experience handling a large volume of technical and sensitive documents.
The National NAGPRA Program appreciates the efforts of Alayna Rasile, who, as interim Notice Coordinator, kept the publication momentum going. Alayna will work with Melanie to ensure a smooth transition. Notice submissions are running three times as high as this time last year.

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Upcoming Webinar

 The National NAGPRA Program will offer a webinar: What Difference Does It Make?: NAGPRA Inventories, Summaries, and Federal Register Notices (Registration deadline is Friday, March 16) on March 22, 2012. For description of this webinar, instructions for registration, and updates on additional training events, please go the Training page on the National NAGPRA Program website.

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Upcoming Review Committee Meeting

The Spring meeting of the Review Committee will be on May 9-10, 2012 in Santa Fe, New Mexico. A block of rooms at a group rate of $83.00 are being held at the La Fonda on the Plaza hotel, 100 East San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM, 87501. The group rate will be honored 3 days pre- and post convention dates, based upon availability. For additional information, please visit the Review Committee page.

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Upcoming Training

The Spring meeting of the Review Committee will be preceded by NAGPRA training on May 8. The NAGPRA Baics training is offered at no charge. Space is limited so registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Please visit the Training page to download the form.

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