Chance Ford, NAGPRA Collection Specialist at History Colorado and enrolled citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, joins host Jessica Uquinto for a long-awaited one-on-one episode. He traces his path from a tribal college in Albuquerque through CRM fieldwork in the Four Corners, a Museum Studies MA at CU Boulder, and into his current role at History Colorado — where he describes 'indigenizing from within.' Key themes include the spiritual and practical barriers that keep Indigenous people out of archaeology and museum work, the importance of consulting the right authorized tribal representatives, the cultural significance of animal remains in collections, groundbreaking research suggesting horses were cared for by Indigenous peoples before the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, and his in-progress youth workbook designed to introduce Native students to heritage professions they may not know exist.
