I just thought I'd put in a personal note here to tell you about my amazing summer experience.
I belong to a search and rescue organization that is tasked by local and regional law enforcement to locate missing or lost people. We also handle evidence searches for the police. This past summer a skull was found in a forested area just to the west of our city. Our group was tasked to come in and look for the rest of the skeleton. Over four days we scoured the area and were able to identify and retrieve a number of skeletal parts. The best reward was when the person was identified and she could be laid to rest as her family had closure.
So why am I telling you this?
One. I would like to invite anthropologists and archaeologists to join their local search and rescue group. While not every search is a remains search, there is potential to hone your skills at identifying remains, etc.
Two. It is a good way to use your skills you developed through school. Not just the archaeological aspect, but also the cultural, social and forensic. We have to profile our subjects to get an idea of their movements. We develop stories of situations through search techniques, tracking techniques, etc. based on what the evidence tells us. (Although I have to admit that it is not as glamourous as on tv. We don't get to jet all over the country (okay, well, the military SAR do... but the civilians don't.)) For the summer remains search I spent 4 days on my hands and knees, shoulder to shoulder with fellow searchers and the police forensic unit. I could never describe how rewarding it was, nor how tired we all became. But as a team, we accomplished the goal of taking the bones, giving them back their humanity and let this woman be buried properly.
Three. It is a great way to give back to the community.
If you can't make the time commitment, at least see if you can help donate. As a friend of mine wrote describing what we do:
We are tasked out by the RCMP and local police to conduct lost/missing person and evidence searches/rescues whenever required 24/7 365 days a year. Our main area is Central Alberta however members have helped out as far away... as New Orleans and Haiti. We are 100% non-profit and each member is responsible for providing their own gear and travel costs, we also do not get paid for our services or time however we are provided with on going training. The majority of the costs for this training and group equipment maintenance costs are offset through fundraising and charitable donations.
As one Anthropologist to another (or those who love them), I invite you to check out your local chapter of Search and Rescue. There are different type of search organizations, like search dog associations, search aircraft associations, diving groups, caving groups, etc. so if your interests lie in these areas go ahead and get in touch with your local group and give back.
To see what we do you can watch the TV show Call Out. http://www.calloutsar.tv/en.
I really think you will like it.
LINKS (Canada):
Alberta Cave Rescue Organization
Calgary Search and Rescue Association
Canadian Search Dog Association (CSDA)
Cochrane Search and Rescue
Foothills Search and Rescue Society
Fort McMurray Search and Rescue
Grande Cache Search and Rescue
Grande Prairie Technical Search and Rescue
Hinton Search and Rescue
Lethbridge Area Search and Rescue Association
Northern Alberta Aquatic Rescue Society
Olds Search and Rescue
Parkland Search and Rescue
Peace Regional Search and Rescue
Pincher Creek Search and Rescue Society
Red Deer Search and Rescue
Rocky Search and Rescue
SAR Alberta
Search and Rescue Dog Association of Alberta
South Eastern Alberta Search and Rescue
Vulcan County Search & Rescue
Arrowsmith Search and Rescue
British Columbia Cave Rescue
British Columbia Search & Rescue Association
British Columbia Search Dog Association
Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue
Castlegar Search and Rescue
Central Caribou Search and Rescue
Central Fraser Valley Search and Rescue
Central Okanagan Search and Rescue
Chilliwack Search and Rescue
Coquitlam Search and Rescue
Kamloops Search and Rescue
Kent-Harrison Search and Rescue
Kimberley Search and Rescue Society
Lions Bay Search and Rescue
Mission Search and Rescue
Nanaimo Search and Rescue Society
Nelson Search and Rescue
North Shore Search and Rescue
Oliver-Osoyoos Search and Rescue
Penticton Search and Rescue
Powell River Search and Rescue
Prince George Search and Rescue
Prince Rupert Search and Rescue
Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue
Salt Spring Island Search and Rescue
SARBC
Squamish Search and Rescue
Sunshine Coast Search and Rescue Society
Surrey Search and Rescue
Vancouver Urban Search and Rescue Team
Vernon Search and Rescue
Whistler Search and Rescue
100 Mile & District Search and Rescue
Manitoba Emergency Measures Organization
Office of the Fire Commissioner
Bay of Islands Search and Rescue
Central Avalon Ground Search and Rescue
Labrador West Ground Search and Rescue
Newfoundland & Labrador SAR Association
St. John's Rovers Search and Rescue
New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization
New Brunswick Ground Search and Rescue Association
Tri-County Search and Rescue Group
York Sunbury Search and Rescue
Colchester Ground Search and Rescue Association
East Hants Ground Search and Rescue
Halifax Regional Search and Rescue
Lunenburg County Ground Search and Rescue
North Queens Ground Search and Rescue
Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization
Nova Scotia Ground Search and Rescue Association
Valley Search and Rescue
Bancroft Search and Rescue
CASARA Ontario
Emergency Management Ontario
Georgian Bay Volunteer Search and Rescue
Lakehead Search and Rescue
London Search and Rescue
Ontario Search and Rescue Volunteer Association
Ontario Volunteer Emergency Response Team
Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association
Sault Search and Rescue
Search and Rescue - SAR Global 1
Search and Rescue Niagara
Toronto Heavy Urban Search and Rescue
Quebec Secours
Sauvetage Canin des Laurentides
Recherche et Sauvetage Quebec-Metro
Sauvetage Canada Rescue: The Volunteer Group
CASARA Saskatchewan
Moose Jaw Search and Rescue
Saskatoon Search and Rescue
Search & Rescue Saskatchewan Association of Volunteers (SARSAV)
Search and Rescue Regina
Community Emergency Response Team (NWT)
Yellowknife Search and Rescue (NWT)
Thanks.
Selina.
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