TUCSON –Congressman Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) released the following statement today congratulating Archaeology Southwest on receiving a $175,000 grant award from the National Endowment for the Humanities to help fund the The Lower Gila River Ethnographic and Archaeological Project, a collaborative research project headed by Perservation Archeologist, Aaron Wright. The three-year study will look into the histories of four culturally associated tribes in the lower Gila River in southwest Arizona including the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, the Cocopah Indian Tribe, the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe, and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

“I would like to extend my congratulations to Archaeology Southwest and their team of researchers for securing the Collaborative Research Grant,” said Rep. Grijalva. “With this grant, Archaeology Southwest will help safeguard the histories, experiences, stories, and perspectives of the lower Gila River. These places are cultural heritage sites that speak to the region’s unique history, and now they will be available for a broader audience to connect with and conserve.”