2026 Sponsorship Information:
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2026 Host
The Suquamish Tribe

2026 Sustaining Sponsor

2026 Keynote/Reception
Sponsor

2026 Platinum Sponsor

2026 Gold Sponsor

2026 Silver Sponsor

Association for WA Archaeology

2026 Bronze Sponsor

2026 General Sponsor

Event Producer

2026 Cultural Resource Protection Summit

Cultivating a Stewardship Mindset

The 2026 Cultural Resource Protection Summit marks our 19th gathering! It will also be our 5th “hybrid” Summit with both in-person and virtual options to facilitate participation across our community. The Summit family remains hard at work fulfilling the mission we have had since the Summit’s inception:

The primary goal in organizing the annual Summit has been to facilitate amongst all affected parties an open, frank discussion about the intersection between cultural resources and land use.  The Summit is designed to promote collaborative cultural resource planning as an effective means of finding resolution to issues before they escalate into emotionally-charged, divisive, and expensive stalemates or law suits.

This year, the Summit agenda includes an engaging array of cutting-edge topics that will encourage attendees to cultivate a stewardship mindset as we continue seeking innovative solutions for today’s most pressing challenges to effective cultural resource protection, thereby raising the bar on our practice. Panel discussions, Lightning talks, Cohort activities, and new “short sessions” will highlight useful examples of the links between CRM and responsible land use. We will also reserve time for great food and general socializing as we reflect on and advance our work.

Please join us in-person at Suquamish, virtually on Zoom, or hybridly (a little of both) for two days of inspiring conversation and reflection that will help you improve your technical skills while deepening your connection to why we do this work. Then, with renewed commitment and drawing on a stewardship ethic, move forward with helpful tools for protecting cultural resources and sharing the important stories they tell in partnership with descendant communities.

SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS

Keynote, panels, and lightning talks exploring critical CRM topics, including:

• Cultural Resources/Natural Resources: Bridging the Artificial Divide
• Federal and State policy/regulatory updates
• Short sessions and Lightning Talks on captivating topics from clams to fish to plants and more

Experiential opportunities for learning and socializing:

• Summit Cohort discussions, advocacy activity, and experiential options
• 6th Annual Summit Book Club (Young Adult fiction anticipated!)
• The return of Summit Jenga…test your CRM knowledge & your nerve

2026 SUMMIT REGISTRATION
General registration will open February 18. Registration rates will be as follows, with retained adjustments for Tribal speakers and employees:
In-Person Two Days: $295
In-Person One Day: $160
Virtual Two Days: $120
Virtual One Day: $80
Hybrid: $240
Students: email Mary Rossi for our special student rates!
Tribal employees: register for 50% OFF the regular rates listed!
Tribal speakers: your registration fee will be WAIVED!

*Registration Forms (Registration opens February 18)

• Attendee Registration Form (Pay with Credit Card)
• Attendee Registration Form (Pay by Check)
• Links to registration forms can also be found on the registration page.
  

*Deadlines
In-person & hybrid registration/refunds will close once we reach our cap or on Tuesday, May 5, whichever comes first.
Virtual registration/refunds will close on Wednesday, May 13.

WIN A FREE REGISTRATION!
Each year, our event producer, the nonprofit Eppard Vision, donates one FREE Summit Registration in each of the following categories: Tribes, agencies, consultants, and students. Submissions are due April 3.
The Agenda Planning Committee will review the submissions, and recipients (one in each category) will be notified on April 7. Good Luck!

DRAFT AGENDA - Cultivating a Stewardship Mindset
Thank you for your patience…we are (still) hard at work on the first draft agenda which we will post to the Summit agenda page as soon as possible. In the meantime, we have posted a Preliminary Draft Agenda listing confirmed and anticipated content. Please stay tuned for scheduling information for each session.

BOOKING YOUR ROOM
While our in-person Summit sessions will take place at the incomparable House of Awakened Culture, we have reserved a block of hotel rooms at the gorgeous Clearwater Casino Resort just a short drive away.

Reservations can be made now, either by booking online with the new link and entering our Group ID #25657 (Cultural Resource Summit 2026) or by calling 866.609.8700 and referencing the same Group ID.
The cutoff date for reservations in our group block is Monday, April 20.

Note: Our room block dates are May 19-22, but if you want to extend your stay, please call the hotel, and they will give you our group rate for those dates, as well. The hotel has a generous 24-hour cancellation policy.

TECH HELP
Our goal is to bring you “live” to Summit events. If tech prevents us from doing so, we will provide registrants with access to session recordings shortly after the event wraps and the necessary post-production is complete. Thank you for your understanding of the challenges involved with a live virtual event!

Tech Help Resources are posted on both Summit websites. You may also contact the I.T. team directly as follows (please note this contact info is only for May 20-21):

*Morning of May 20 only:
TBD

*Starting mid-morning and through the conclusion of the Summit:
Lizzy Wessells - 541.729.6599 (text only, please) or egwess@uw.edu
Mary Rossi - 360.920.8908 (text only, please)

This year's Tech Prep Zoom will be on Tuesday, May 5.