Cabrillo College Archaeological Technology Program: News & Events

[ Back to News Menu ]

Cabrillo Archaeology Program Advisor Receives Society for California Archaeology Award
by Rob Edwards

Patrick Orozco

Aptos, CA-- Cabrillo College Archaeology Technology Program Advisor Patrick Orozco received the California Indian Heritage Award from the Society for California Archaeology (SCA) at a recent meeting held in Sacramento.

Each year the SCA presents the California Indian Heritage Preservation award for an individual’s exceptional life-time commitment to keeping alive, teaching about and conserving California Native heritage.

Cabrillo College Archaeology Instructor Rob Edwards presented the award, attending the conference along with 19 of his current students and dozens of former students. It was a special experience this year with Patrick receiving the award. He is a wonderful voice of the First Peoples of this region, an ardent supporter of Indian youth, and a good friend to Cabrillo, said Edwards.

Living in Watsonville, Orozco, a native Californian descendent, has concentrated his efforts on preserving sacred sites, including grave sites and ceremonial locations along the Pajaro River and in the Central Coast region. Recently he was instrumental in preserving the largest intact native living site and shell mound, in San Bruno, California.

Orozco, the Headman of the Pajaro Valley Indian Council, and his preservation efforts have been featured by National Geographic and KQED Television in San Francisco. Currently, he and his extended family perform songs and dances at various gatherings of Native people and for schools and other events for the public.

Dozens of people attended the SCA Awards Ceremony for Patrick Orozco including family and friends Mary Orozco, Terry, Ben and Summer Reynaga, Marcus Rodriquez, all of Watsonville; and Lois Robin of Capitola. Cabrillo College Archaeological Technology program students who attended included Ben Casey, Tracy De La Pena, Stella D’Oro, John Ellison, Roger Finley, Alena Giguette, Ray Iddings, Natalia Jensen, Beth La Breche, Kelly Larson, Laura MacDonald, Andrea Merkel, Aaron Newton, Pat Paramoure, Christina Rogers, Carol Stoneburner, and Diana Vallera-Rickerson.

Local archaeologists in attendance included Gary Breschini of Salinas , Judi Cole of Santa Cruz, Jerry Dudley of Watsonville. Rob Edwards of Soquel, Dave Frederickson of Boulder Creek, Jennifer Farquhar of Aptos, Diane Gifford-Gonzalez of UCSC, Trudy Haversat of Salinas, Mark Hylkema of Santa Cruz State Parks, Tom Jackson of Santa Cruz, Lyn O’Neil of Boulder Creek, Brenda Reed from Los Padres National Forest, Kristina Roper, Rae Schwaderer of Monterey State Parks, Charr Simpson-Smith of Corralitos and Eric Zaborsky of San Juan Bautista.

Orozco has served on Cabrillo College’s Archeology Technology Advisory Committee since 1992 and several of his children and grandchildren have been Cabrillo College students.

For more information, Patrick Orozco can be contacted at 831-728-8471 or patrickorozco (at) earthlink (dot) net.

[ Back to News Menu ]