Dominquez Archeological Research Group is conducting a comprehensive, long-range project to record, compile, and disseminate "preservation-quality" documentation of wickiups and other aboriginal wooden structures in Colorado. These important cultural resources include examples of the last surviving aboriginal architecture of Colorado's living indigenous people – the Utes.

Unfortunately, these ephemeral archaeological resources are critically at risk from processes of decay, disintegration, and destruction. Recent acceleration of energy development in western Colorado has significantly added to the threats impacting wickiup sites. The urgent need to protect these important resources was recognized by Colorado Preservation, Inc. with the inclusion of Native American wickiup structures and sites on Colorado's Most Endangered Places List in 2003.

Since its inception in 2003, the Colorado Wickiup Project has identified at least 275 recorded sites in the state including a total of 706 aboriginal wooden structures. Until the Colorado Wickiup Project began revisiting and fully recording these sites, nearly all lacked the level of documentation necessary to preserve even the most basic information about the aboriginal wooden structures they contain. To date the project has recorded 22 sites and 189 aboriginal wooden structures. This effort has added significantly to knowledge of Protohistoric and early historic Ute culture in Colorado. We have recorded several new types of aboriginal wooden features and identified newly recognized patterns within known structure types. More than 250 known sites, including more than 500 structures, remain inadequately documented.

DARG launched the Colorado Wickiup Project (CWP) in 2003 with an archaeological assessment of Rifle Wickiup Village (5GF308), partially funded by a State Historical Fund Archaeological Assessment Grant and the Bureau of Land Management. This effort resulted in the comprehensive documentation of 80 aboriginal wooden structures, GIS-based site mapping, and compilation and synthesis of data collected by previous investigations at the site.

Following the Rifle Wickiup Village Assessment, the CWP began work on compiling documentation of all known wickiup sites in the state; development of baseline archaeological and data assessment contexts; a long-range strategic plan for adequately documenting all of Colorado's aboriginal wooden structures; formation of a collaborative work group representing a range of disciplines, interests and cultures; and the beginning development of a research database and an online knowledgebase of information about Colorado wickiups and other aboriginal wooden structures. During this phase of work a pilot field study was also conducted in the Gunnison Gulch area of Mesa County and recording protocols were tested and refined. A total of nine sites including 27 aboriginal wooden structures were recorded. This work was partially funded by the State Historical Fund and the Bureau of Land Management.

In 2005 and 2006, Phase III of the Colorado Wickiup Project recorded and compiled data from twelve sites in Eagle, Garfield, Mesa, and Rio Blanco Counties. The scope of these sites ranged from single wickiups and tree platforms to a village containing 43 wooden features. A total of 81 wooden structures and other wooden features were recorded. Several new types of wooden features were identified among these sites, as were some newly recognized patterns within known structure types, including: low tree platforms, axe-split/shaped "boards", a storage "shelf", and a number of wickiups with integrated "utility" poles. In response to these findings, recording protocols were refined during the course of field work and the Aboriginal Wooden Feature Component Form was adapted to facilitate recording of these new data types. Partial funding for this project was provided by the Colorado Historical Society State Historical Fund and the Bureau of Land Management. A report of these activities and other results are available for download.