Adams State University Assistant Professor of Anthropology Caroline Gabe, Ph.D., helped research and author the study, “Early dispersal of domestic horses into the Great Plains and northern Rockies,” published in Science, vol. 279, issue 6639, March 2023. Dr. Gabe is also the program coordinator of the cultural resources master’s program.
The cross-cultural research was selected as recipients of the 2024 Newcomb Cleveland Prize, given at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It is the oldest and most prestigious award given by the organization.
According to AAAS, the paper, which combined archaeozoological study of ancient horses from archaeological sites and museum collections across the continent with cutting-edge genomics, and traditional Indigenous scientific knowledge, helped rewrite the story of people and horses in North America – showing that horses had deeper antiquity in Native societies across the region than could be gleaned from European or American historical records. Most importantly, the research demonstrated the enhanced research experience and scientific power that comes from thoughtful cross-cultural partnerships based on equal footing.
The funds from the award will be donated to create a new endowment at the University of Colorado, named in memoriam for late study co-author and elder, Knowledge Keeper and cultural educator for the Sicangu Lakota People, Sam High Crane. The endowment will help support research and training for Indigenous perspectives and young professionals in archaeology, archaeogenetics, and the museum world. This donation is the first step in a larger partnership between leaders from the Global Institute for Traditional Sciences (GIFTS), the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the Paul Sabatier University of Toulouse, and the University of Colorado.
Visit “Early dispersal of domestic horses into the Great Plains and northern Rockies.”
