An administrative history of the Chaco project

Maruca, Mary

The following pages recount the milestones which determined the managerial direction of the Chaco Canyon research project. The current studies at Chaco Culture National Historical Park represent a major National Park Service attempt at research-supported management decision-making. By the scheduled conclusion of the Chaco project, this effort will have produced numerous published documents of the complexities of Native American occupation from the Archaic through Navajo periods. These documents will synthesize approximately ten years of intensive park-related research and will serve as a foundation for future park management decisions at Chaco. Major accomplishments of the program include the development of a computerized data base for retention and recall of research and management information, expanded knowledge of Chacoan archeology, a greater understanding of Southwest prehistory, and recognition of the interdependence of research and management in the decision-making process. The following pages recount the milestones which determined the managerial direction of the Chaco Canyon research project. They examine the early years of the project, the individuals who shaped the project, and the problems which later emerged as the program grew and changed. This document also reviews the program’s achievements and potential contributions to future park cultural resource management. Finally, it is hoped that this account will help park and regional managers, cultural and natural resources professionals, and planners to gain insights into problems, solutions, successes, and failures of long-term, systematic, mission oriented research.

An administrative history of the Chaco project

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