*I have not seen mention of this development to date, so I am posting this
message with apologies for any cross-posting:**

Congratulations are in order for our colleague Barbara Little who was
recently honored at the Why Does the Past Matter? conference held at the
Society for Heritage and Society at UMass Amherst (May 4-7). *

The conference organizers recognized the achievements of of three heritage
professionals for their contributions to a more inclusive, more sustainable
public awareness of the significance of cultural heritage in contemporary
society.

*Barbara Little* was honored "for her tireless professional activities and
influential publications emphasizing the public value and importance of
heritage in general and public archaeology in particular". She was
recognized alongside *Henry Cleere *("for his worldwide activities in
support of, and furtherance of, the UNESCO World Heritage Convention and his
mentoring of countless heritage professionals throughout the world"),
and *David
Lowenthal* ("for his path-breaking theoretical and philosophical work which
has transformed the contemporary understanding of heritage and its enormous
impact on contemporary society").

In specific, Barbara was honored for "her prolific and fundamental work in
public archaeology, her engagement with issues of public outreach and
involvement, her evaluation and official designations of archaeological
places, and her work on the public relevance of archaeology".

*Why Does the Past Matter? Changing Visions, Media, and Rationales in the
21st Century* was an international gathering of academics, public officials,
heritage professionals and community leaders. The conference's purpose was
to examine the practical value of the past, assess the contemporary social
impacts of the study of the past, and discuss communication about heritage
(For more go to: http://www.whydoesthepastmatter.org/  ).  Special Honoree
Barbara Little presented a thematic plenary address and was honored at a
special evening event.

It is great to see the efforts of a public archaeology practioner
recognized, especially in such company!

Congratulations Barbara!

*Patrice Jeppson*