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Date: | Mon, 13 Mar 2017 13:46:50 -0400 |
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It is truly sad to hear of Doug's passing. I have known him for over 40
years and remember his enthusiasm over projects he was involved in. It was
always a pleasure to reconnect with him at SHA and fur trade conferences. I
will miss him. Karlis
On Mon, Mar 13, 2017 at 12:57 PM, Mann, Robbie <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Hello HISTARCH,
>
> It is with great sadness that I write to let you know that Douglas A. Birk
> passed away last Wednesday at the age of 73. This is a great loss to
> Minnesota archaeology and to those of us pursuing the archaeology of the
> fur trade and colonial encounters. I counted Doug as a mentor and friend.
> I am glad that I had the opportunity to reconnect with Doug over the last
> four years here in Minnesota. He will be sorely missed. From his obituary:
>
> "Much of Doug's work centered on the European Colonial period in Minnesota
> and western Wisconsin. He was an expert on fur trade history and early
> European exploration. He was heavily involved with the history and
> archaeology of Grand Portage and is believed to be the first archaeologist
> in the state to do an underwater excavation using a grid system. It was his
> research that showed that the Minnesota Historical Society's (MHS)
> historic, North West Company Fur Post, was built and run by John Sayers. He
> discovered, excavated, and helped establish The Little Elk Heritage
> Preserve in Little Falls, MN. He was an active member and supporter of the
> Pine River Heritage Group North, and a fundamental force in saving the Pine
> River Depot. Doug was a prolific researcher and writer. His research and
> fieldwork have provided significant and valuable insight on the history of
> Minnesota. Doug served as Chair of the Institute for Minnesota Archaeology
> (IMA) and vice president of the state's professional forum, the Council for
> Minnesota Archaeology. He is the author of numerous articles and studies on
> Minnesota's past and in 1986 was selected by the Humanities Commission as
> Minnesota's Independent Scholar of the Year."
>
> Regards,
> Rob
>
> *******************************************
> Rob Mann, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor of Anthropology
> Department of Anthropology
> St. Cloud State University
> 252 Stewart Hall
> 720 4th Avenue South
> St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301
> phone: 320-308-4181
>
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