Updates

See below for updates on our various projects.

Harvest Windows

Native Gatherers from California visit the botany and anthropology collections at the Cal Academy.

Cultural fire of sourberry in Mariposa, California. Cultural fire helps to promote straight stems for basketry and abundant fruit crops.

Shannon attended the Society for American Archaeology meeting in San Francisco and presented as part of an invited session on Contemporary Issues in California Archaeology (May 2026). The talk was entitled: "Illuminating Biocultural Legacies: A Braided Approach to Cultural Nice Construction in Contemporary California Archaeology"

Native Gatherers and Climate Change Convening (April 2026): In collaboration with the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone and the Exploratorium, Shannon, Shelly, Becky and Sarah hosted the 2nd Native Gatherers & Climate Change Convening at Cal Academy. Six gatherers attended and graciously shared their knowledge during a panel session and while on a tour of the Anthropology and Botany collections.

Society for California Archaeology Meeting (March 2026): Shannon, Shelly and Becky traveled to the SCA meeting in Palm Springs to present a talk on the harvest windows project titled: "Deep Roots, Changing Seasons: Indigenous Phenological Knowledge & Herbarium Insights in California Archaeology"

Shannon and Becky (February 2026) traveled to Mariposa to participate in a cultural burn hosted by Chairman Goode with assistance form Christina Oraftik.

California Native Plant Society Meeting (February 2026): Shannon, Shelly, Sarah and becky traveled to the CNPS meeting in Riverside to present a poster titled: "Phenology Windows: a Holistic Approach to Studying Phenological Change"

Tule Project

The historic 2019 tule boat will be on display on at the Cal Academy for two weeks starting May 15! Come visit to see the boat!

Tule boat event on Alcatraz was a success! (January 2026) The event included talks and discussions with tule boat builders, artists and researchers. On the same day:

The newly built 12-foot tule reed boat was transported to Alcatraz, where it is now on public display as part of the NPS's new exhibit, Welcome to Indian Land: Resistance, Resilience and Activism on Alcatraz.
Simultaneously, the historic 2019 tule boat, was successfully transported form Alcatraz to the California Academy of Sciences Anthropology Collections. This culturally significant boat will support future exhibition, research, and public programs, ensuring its teachings and history are respectfully preserved and shared.

A special thanks to ARO, NPS, and NaCRI for all of their work to make the event a memorable one.

2019 Tule boat on display on the public floor at the Cal Academy of Sciences.

Left to right: Aya Yamamoto (CAS), Gregg Castro (ARO & NaCRI), Shannon Tushingham (CAS), Becky Wilcox (CAS), Molly Michelson (CAS), and Shelly Davis-King (CAS), at the tule boat event.

Newly built boat on display on Alcatraz.

Archaeobotany

Lucy Katzman-Tranah received the Society for California Archaeology's Shannon Mahoney Memorial Scholarship (March 2026), congratulations Lucy!