Spotlight: Stakes Honored with Stewardship Award from Archaeology Group
Mary Stakes, Vinson Institute civic education specialist, has been named the recipient of the 2004 George S. Lewis Archaeological Stewardship Award by the Society for Georgia Archaeology (SGA).
The statewide award honors an individual who has made significant contributions to helping preserve or promote Georgia's archaeological heritage and who is not a professional archaeologist. The work by George S. Lewis to stop looting of archaeological sites on land owned by paper companies in the state was instrumental in bringing about major changes in resource stewardship policies of large forest product land holders.
Stakes is being recognized for fostering archaeological outreach through such initiatives as inviting archaeologists to make presentations at numerous Georgia Studies workshops that she has conducted for educators, including archaeological themes in Vinson Institute educational materials that she has developed, and encouraging discussion of archaeological issues during various public hearings and meetings associated with the 2002 Governor's Commission on Georgia History and Historical Tourism. She also helped arrange for the reprinting of the popular publication, Frontiers in the Soil: The Archaeology of Georgia, by the Vinson Institute in 2003.
Stakes will be presented with the George S. Lewis Award in April in Savannah during a joint meeting of various state preservation organizations.
