Finding Common Ground: Navigating Stewardship Responsibilities at Channel Islands National Park

Sunset at Inspiration Point, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands NP

NPS Photo/John Richter

Laura Kirn, Cultural Resources Division Lead, Channel Islands NP

NPS Photo

Laura Kirn, Cultural Resources Division Lead at Channel Islands National Park, has been awarded a 2022 regional Cultural Resource Award for navigating complex management challenges. The park is made up of five islands, including six nautical miles around each island, which are a National Marine Sanctuary. They are home to 2,000 species of animals and plants, 145 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Just a short boat ride from heavily populated southern California, the islands offer a chance for visitors to get away and reconnect with nature. The islands also have a deep human history. The Chumash people trace their ancestry here for over 13,000 years, the equivalent of 650 generations. Their ties remain strong to the islands today.

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The entirety of each island is an archeological district, listed in the National Register of Historic Places. There are at least 3,000 archeological sites within the park’s boundaries. Many of these sites are in wilderness areas and are sacred to Chumash peoples, including the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and others. At times, the laws intended to protect wilderness in national parks seem like they are in conflict with the laws that preserve historic sites. Kirn explained that caring for archeological sites, for instance, in wilderness areas requires us to think differently than National Park Service (NPS) managers are traditionally trained. And she should know, she wrote the reference manual on it.

Specialized abalone and bone fishhooks indicates the Chumash and Gabrielino visited the islands to fish.

NPS Photo

Kirn has spent the last decade studying, writing, and teaching about various land management laws the NPS employs to care for the resources in its parks. Where others see conflict between safeguarding pristine wilderness and preserving the traces of human history residing within it, Kirn sees a common road toward stewardship. Along with the National Wilderness Leadership Council, Kirn developed these guidelines into Reference Manual 41: Wilderness Stewardship. The manual is helping NPS managers see the forest through the trees, returning to our shared mission to preserve the natural and cultural resources unimpaired for future generation.

Kirn explains that, in fact, all the layers of human history embedded in a landscape have created the sense of wilderness there. “Our goal is to have the strongest cultural resource protections possible while still safeguarding and enhancing the undeveloped, natural, untrammeled, and recreational values of wilderness.” Each park’s solution is different because they must weigh the significance of their historic sites against the quality of the wilderness within their boundaries. It’s hard work, but that’s the job.

• Kirn talks about breaking down NPS boundaries between disciplines

  
  

  Kirn's work on cultural resources in wilderness has helped other NPS managers find common ground in preserving park resources.

  Date created:

  05/13/2023

  Audio Transcript

  [We need to] ...to really break down barriers between wilderness managers and cultural resource specialists because there really is a knowledge gap. But it’s more like, hey, I can sit down and talk to the wilderness manager without getting in a shouting match over that historic building. It [RM-41 has] brought common ground to how we manage these resources.

Members of Chumash paddling tomol

NOAA Photo/Robert Schwemmer

• Kirn on Tribal consultation

  
  

  Kirn talks about the importance of involving Tribal partners in cultural resource stewardship.

  Date created:

  05/13/2023

  Audio Transcript

  First, it’s our job… We are required to consult with Tribes, so that’s first and foremost. It’s the law. We don’t have the knowledge, the expertise, the cultural perspective to begin. We have archeology and cultural anthropology, and we have Tribal liaison roles, but we don’t have that specialized knowledge.

Back at Channel Islands, there is urgency for park managers to find a solution for their own resources. In some instances, incredibly vulnerable sacred sites are exposed and threatened by climate change and disturbances from visitor activity.

There is another key element when trying to understand the significance of park resources. Managers must work with Tribal partners who have deep cultural connections to park lands to fully understand the significance of a site. Kirn has been working closely with the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians and the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians to understand. “Their experience with Federal land management and the Channel Islands in particular is painful,” she explained. “They have been asking us hard questions,” that are necessary to get to the heart of why – and for whom – the park is protected.

Kirn has worked hard to build trust with Tribal partners. It is still an ongoing process, and she is the first to admit that she has been corrected by Tribal partners and has had to learn to listen. Together, they are working to honor the Tribes’ cultural and spiritual connections to the land, increasing transparency in data sharing and project oversight, and focusing on Tribal priorities. Their efforts have the potential to serve as a model of co-stewardship for other parks throughout the agency.

• Kirn on NPS stewardship

  
  

  Kirn shares her philosophy on stewardship in the National Park Service

  Date created:

  05/13/2023

  Audio Transcript

  You know, that’s what stewardship is about…. We are the National Park Service. We preserve and protect while also providing for appropriate public use, and I believe that wholeheartedly. The tricky part is how do we get there.

Visit responsibly and Plan Like Park Ranger before your next visit to Channel Islands NP

NPS Photo

When you visit a sacred place like Channel Islands National Park, you can play a part in being a good steward of its land and resources. Remember you are a visitor, a guest, and take time to learn about the history of the park. It will deepen your appreciation of your visit, making it a more meaningful experience. The park is helping by translating its welcome signs into Chumash and using traditional place names for some park locations.

Practice Leave No Trace principals whenever visiting a national park. To get ready for a visit, #PlanLikeAParkRanger and check out the park’s Plan Your Visit page.

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The Regional Awards for Cultural Resources have been announced each spring for 50 years, celebrating NPS employees in the Pacific West Region for their dedication to preserving cultural resources. All regional winners go on to compete at the national level for the NPS Director’s Awards for Natural and Cultural Resources. More information about this and past years’ winners can be found on the National Park Service Website.