2026 CAS Annual Conference and Member Meeting
This year titled "A Four Corners Heritage Confluence", the Hisatsinom Chapter of CAS (Cortez) hosts a four-day conference where research, tradition and community come together. The conference will be held in Cortez, Colorado, in the heart of Mesa Verde country.
Four organizations are partnering with CAS Hisatsinom Chapter together as a working alliance of the region's archaeology, astronomy, museum and conservation. Our partners include:
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center
Society for Cultural Astronomy in the American Southwest
Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance
The schedule of our four-day weekend conference is:
Friday, October 2 - Arrivals and first looks
A presentation and guided walking tour of the Canyons of the Ancients Visitor Center and Museum at 1 and 3 PM - Opening in the Lowery Room with Monument Archaeologist Vince MacMillian on current projects at the Monument, then through the museum exhibits and out on a half mile walk to Escalante Pueblo. The CAS board convenes for its quarterly meeting.
Saturday, October 3 - The Conference Day
The annual program CAS members know well: lecture series, poster session, silent auction for the Alice Hamilton Scholarship Fund, member meeting, and social hour - closing with the banquet and Joy Harjo's keynote speech and book signing. Alongside it, SCAAS opens the Cultural Astronomy program: a morning lecture, then afternoon fieldwork at the Cortez Cultural Center's Hawkins Preserve and Pueblo. Can't make the drive? The lecture series and keynote will be also offered as live streams.
Sunday, October 4 - Hands-on Day
Workshops run in parallel at field locations, Crow Canyon, the Montezuma Heritage Museum, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park - field survey, landscape research, experimental archaeology, educational methods, heritage policy, circle of Ute culture, Mitchell Springs settlement and Pueblo, and a service day at the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park - alongside a small group guided tour of a Mesa Verde cliff dwelling.
Monday, October 5 - Looking Forward
Inventing our Future: A Symposium - a morning meeting (8:30 AM - Noon, limited to 50 persons) to gather insights that sharpen our understanding of the challenges facing heritage stewardship communities and the line of inquiry needed to meet them successfully and create a more equitable future for our communities and society. One challenge, many voices - archaeological, tribal, land management, SHPO/THPO, historical and curation and data sovereignty - and the launch of a new regional alliance. A lunch and conversation at Crow Canyon follows, where attendees carry the discussion forward.
Membership Meeting Conference Location
The Annual Conference will take place at several locations in Cortez, Colorado, throughout the weekend with the Membership Meeting, banquet and Keynote Speech to be held at the Lamp Post Creative Learning Center, 32171 Hwy 160, Cortez, Colorado, 81321.
Conference Keynote Speaker is Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo, the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate and member of the Muscogee Nation, is the author of numerous books of poetry, several plays, children's books, two memoirs, and seven music albums. She delivers the Conference Keynote at the Saturday evening banquet, with a book signing planned to follow.
Alice Hamilton Scholarship Donation Information
One of the highlights of the Annual Conference is the Alice Hamilton Scholarship Silent Auction. Money helps assist students of Colorado institutions train to be future archaeologists. This year's Alice Hamilton Scholarship Silent Auction will take place on Saturday, October 3. We will be taking your auction donations from noon to 5 PM on Friday October 2, and on the 3rd beginning at 8:30 AM in the Quonset Building. Items will be available for viewing and bidding throughout the day on Oct. 3. Bidding will then close at 6:00 PM on Oct 3, followed by the CAS Member Meeting Banquet and Keynote Address. We will be accepting donations of crafts, jewelry, books, gift baskets and/or certificates, art, etc. Please contact John and Susan Swanborg for more information at jswanborg@juno.com.
Registration Opens Soon
Mark the dates: October 2 - 5, 2026
Registration details, schedules and costs are being finalized. Watch for announcements in this space and from the Hisatsinom Chapter and plan to be in Cortez this October.