Crystal Loftis, & Dr. Rachel Olsthoorn
The Antelope Valley, settled between Northern Los Angeles County’s mountains and desert, has a long rich history of Indigenous occupation dating back as far as 12,000 years ago that include the Tataviam, Serrano, Kawaiisu, and Kitanemuk people. Within this area, the Antelope Valley Indian Museum and Western Hotel Museum, both operate historically significant buildings that are over 100 years old and the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center, built within the last 30 years acknowledge the land’s original inhabitants, preserves their culture and history, all while providing educational outreach to the public that emphasizes the awareness of the ancestral Indigenous people of Antelope Valley. California State Parks oversees the Antelope Valley Indian Museum, while both the Western Hotel Museum and the Elyze Clifford Interpretive Center are run my Lancaster Museum of Art and History. This study utilizes public archaeological methods to examine the education outreach programs at these locations in relation to the awareness of the general public within a 100-mile radius from Lancaster, CA. Through evaluation of anonymous surveys and informational interviews with the sites’ education and museum manager and director, the aim is to better understand the dynamics of current education outreach programs to evaluate their efficiency and suggest other regional specific strategies to increase the public’s knowledge of Antelope Valley’s Indigenous peoples. Preliminary results suggest that although many individuals reside within the parameters of the study area, numerous individuals are unaware of these historic and contemporary sites, suggesting that the individuals are unaware of the education outreach programs being used to create awareness of the Antelope Valley’s Indigenous peoples. Thus, signifying the need for additional implementation of outreach and education channels to increase the awareness of Antelope Valley’s Indigenous people’s cultural heritage to the general public. Bringing awareness creates the potential for positive cultural enrichment and understanding for all communities in this area.