Archeology E-gram March 2021

NPS Historian Gets Media Award

The Society for History in the Federal Government New Media Award committee has chosen the NPS History Program podcast created by NPS Oral Historian LuAnn Jones as the 2021 award recipient. Many federal history offices conduct oral history interviews. Those interviews often only have an audience internal to the agency in the period immediately after their creation. The recorded interviews are then accessioned into an archive where they might be used by researchers in the distant future. A Sense of Place: Stories of Stewardship from the National Park Service offers an innovative approach to utilizing oral histories to tell stories accessible to the public. Through a combination of narration and selected extracts from agency oral histories, the NPS History Office have created podcasts that are both informational and engaging. Listeners hear employees explain in their own words what is required to manage, protect, and interpret our national treasures.

To listen to the podcasts, go to https://go.nps.gov/sense-of-place-podcast

Archeologist Head of Saratoga National Historical Park

Leslie Morlock is the new superintendent of Saratoga NHP in Stillwater, New York. Morlock comes to Saratoga from Delaware Water Gap NRA, where she served for eight years as chief of strategic planning and project management. During this time, she oversaw a variety of programs, including safety, lands, leasing, project management and environmental compliance. Prior to joining the NPS, Morlock worked for county governments in Colorado, Pennsylvania and New York and as an archeologist in the private and public sectors. She started her career at Hawai’i Volcanoes NP. Morlock holds a BA in anthropology and environmental studies from Grinnell College and a professional graduate certificate in Leadership for Public Lands and Cultural Heritage.Morlock began her new role on March 28, 2021.

Archeological Overview and Assessment of Werowocomoco Complete

The Archeological Overview and Assessment of Werowocomoco, part of Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT and managed in collaboration with staff at Colonial NHP and seven Virginia tribal partners, was completed November 2020. Werowocomoco was the center of the Powhatan chiefdom, with a population of 15,000-20,000 individuals at the time Captain John Smith established Jamestown in 1607.The authors—David A. Brown and Thane H. Harpole, Fairfield Foundation; Martin Gallivan and Danielle Moretti-Langholtz, College of William and Mary; and E. Randolph Turner III, (retired) VA Department of Historic Resources—formed the Werowocomoco Research Group in 2002 and engaged tribal communities through the Virginia Indian Advisory Board.The report summarizes the current state of archeological research and offers direction for future preservation and management of the archeological resources found on this historical site, which was acquired by the NPS in 2016.

Native American Interns Assisting to Tell the Story of Werowocomoco

The NPS is collaborating with American Indian tribes to learn more about Werowocomoco, incorporate it into the National Park System, and accurately and respectfully interpret it for future visitors. At the forefront of this collaboration are two Native interns who provide Indigenous insight and perspective.

The Werowocomoco Ancestral Lands internship program results from a partnership between the NPS and Conservation Legacy, a nationwide nonprofit that operates locally-based conservation service programs throughout the U.S. Conservation Legacy has historically operated its Ancestral Lands program in the Southwest. The establishment of the Werowocomoco internship marks its expansion into the East.

“We want the experience of Werowocomoco to be Native-focused, Native-guided, and Native-directed for future visitors,” said Cindy Chance, an anthropologist of the Chesapeake Trail. Chance and colleague Christine Lucero, the trail’s senior interpretation specialist, reached out to Ron Hassel, Conservation Legacy’s partnerships director, to establish the program.

The interns work alongside NPS rangers and staff in Interpretation & Education, Law Enforcement, Facility Management, and Resource Management. Upon completion of the internship, participants are eligible for Direct Hiring Authority. In this way, the NPS ensures that decisions about management and development of the land are directly informed by Indigenous people—Werowocomoco’s original inhabitants.

“My family has been directly involved in Werowocomoco since its uncovering in the early 2000s,” explained Connor Tupponce, one of two Ancestral Lands Individual Placement interns at the site. Tupponce, a member of the Upper Mattaponi and Chickahominy tribes of Virginia, maintains his families’ legacy through his internship position. Both his father and grandfather have served on the Werowocomoco Indian Advisory Board, which consulted with researchers on the exploration of the site since its rediscovery, and still works closely with the NPS on its development today.

Chey Sherwin, a descendent of the Mikisew Cree First Nation tribe in Alberta Canada, is also an intern at Werowocomoco. Although Sherwin is not a member of the local tribes of the area, her input as an Indigenous person is still invaluable to the development of Werowocomoco.To learn more about Conservation Legacy, visit conservationlegacy.org. The next round of Werowocomoco internships begins in May.

From report by Rose Clements, Conservation Legacy

U.S. Forest Service Halts Land Swap with Resolution Copper Mining Company

The USFS has withdrawn the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for a copper mine near Superior, AZ, temporarily halting a land swap to give the mine owners title to a parcel of land in Tonto NF deemed sacred by many Apaches and other Southwestern tribes.

The federal government received significant input from many parties after the release of the FEIS on January 15, 2021. As a result, the USFS rescinded the decision it made based on the review document. Tonto NF officials said a recent memorandum issued by President Biden regarding tribal consultation and strengthening nation-to-nation relationships was a factor in the decision.

The January decision started a 60-day clock on a process to swap 5,376 acres of private land for 2,200 acres of forest land to Resolution Copper for the mining operation. The forest land includes Oak Flat, an area several tribes have fought to protect. Rescinding the FEIS has stopped the 60-day clock.

Although copper has been mined under Oak Flat for more than 100 years, Resolution Copper, owned by British-Australian mining firms Rio Tinto and BHP, plans to use another method - block cave mining - to extract the remaining ore, much of which lies in veins as deep as 7,000 feet below ground level. This method involves selectively excavating underneath an ore body, which will collapse under its own weight in a controlled manner.

Resolution has stated that the block cave mining method is safe, environmentally sound, and cost-effective. But Resolution and USFS have also said that Oak Flat would eventually sink, creating a crater nearly 2 miles in diameter and about 800 to 1,000 feet deep, according to a NEPA study.

Opponents have expressed concern over the amount of water the mine would use over its expected 40-year lifespan, despite Resolution’s statement that it has banked water ahead of time and will recycle water whenever possible. They also are worried that aquifers and other groundwater that many East Valley residents depend on would be disrupted by the operation.

from report by Debra Krol, AZCentral

Interior Department Recommits to Scientific Integrity

DOI has recommitted to scientific integrity and empowered the use of the best available science for decision-making. Signed on the Interior Department’s 172nd birthday and the 142nd birthday of the U.S. Geological Survey, Secretarial Order 3397 revokes Secretarial Order 3369 that imposed restrictions on the science and data that could be considered in the Department’s policymaking.S.O. 3397 provides direction to the Department to comply with President Biden’s memorandum to advance scientific integrity. Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking was issued on January 27, 2021.

S.O. 3369 hindered DOI’s ability to enter into contracts for cutting-edge research, and precluded the Department from utilizing sensitive information – e.g., regarding sacred sites or rare and threatened species – to inform complex policy decisions.

S.O. 3397 initiates a review of agency activities taken pursuant to S.O. 3369.

DOI leadership has begun a review of the scientific integrity programs within the department and is re-invigorating the Science Advisors’ Council. Acting Secretary de la Vega’s order directs that scientific merit will guide agency decision-making; prevents the suppression or distortion of scientific or technological findings, data, information, conclusions, or technical results; and supports scientists and researchers of all genders, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

To read the memorandum, go to Memorandum on Restoring Trust in Government Through Scientific Integrity and Evidence-Based Policymaking | The White House.

American Rescue Plan will help Federal Archeologists

The American Rescue Plan will assist Federal archeologists who are struggling with the effects of the pandemic. Federal employees are eligible for up to 600 hours (15 weeks) of COVID-related emergency paid leave if they are required to quarantine, are ill with COVID-19, or caring for a family member incapable of self-care whose care provider is unavailable due to COVID-19.

The leave can be used to care for a child whose day care is closed or whose regular child care provider is unavailable due to COVID-19 precautions. It can also be used for school closures or if a school requires or makes optional a virtual learning or hybrid in-person/virtual instruction model. Employees can use this leave to obtain immunization from COVID-19 or for time off due to illness as a result of the immunization.

While this benefit is capped at $1,400 per week, it ensures that no employee will go without income while dealing with pandemic-related issues. It expires on September 30, 2021.

Federal Government Re-Commits to Tribal Consultations

On January 26, 2021, President Biden signed a Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships, reaffirming the policies announced in Executive Order 13175 and directing federal agencies to better consult with federally recognized Tribes. Executive Order 13175 was signed by President Bill Clinton on November 6, 2000. It “charges all executive departments and agencies with engaging in regular, meaningful, and robust consultation with Tribal officials in the development of Federal policies that have Tribal implications.”

The Presidential Memorandum directs federal agencies to complete the following actions: 1) consult with tribal nations to develop and submit detailed tribal consultation action plans to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within 90 days; 2) designate an agency official to coordinate implementation of the plan and prepare progress reports; 3) submit to the Director of OMB annual progress reports on the status of each action plan; and 4) for the Director of OMB to submit to the President a report on the implementation of Executive Order 13175.

To read the Memo, go to Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships | The White House

New Tools for Teaching with Historic Places

(H)our History lesson plans engage students with thought-provoking questions about the past. These short lessons are intended for use in a structured learning setting (whether at school or in a home classroom). They are directed at middle school students but can easily be adapted for use by learners of all ages. Each lesson features objectives, an inquiry question, a reading, discussion questions, and 1-3 activities. Most link to longer available lesson plans to give educators additional background.

Two new series are now available to guide students through conversations:

• Claiming Civil Rights: how people claimed civil rights for themselves and for others.

• Civil Rights and Public Education: significance of desegregation in the public school system.

These two new series join three others:

• Conversations about Legacies of Slavery: history and injustice of slavery.

• Women’s History to Teach Year-Round: diverse women’s experiences across the country.

• Teaching Engaged Citizenship: easily fit civics into social studies.

NPS offers tools for Teaching with Historic Places because historic places generate excitement and curiosity about the people who lived there and the events that occurred there. Students act as scholars to explore places to make connections across time and gain an empathetic understanding of what happened and why.To explore Teaching with Historic (and archeological!) Places, go to https://www.nps.gov/subjects/teachingwithhistoricplaces/index.htm

The Federal Archeologist’s Bookshelf: will be back soon.

GRANTS AND TRAINING None reported this month.

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC: Webinar, Webinar, Webinars!

Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of webinars and podcasts has just exploded, or maybe I’ve just noticed them more since I’ve been sequestered at home. Here’s a short list that I’ve put together to educate, challenge, and entertain us during these trying times.

World Heritage Webinars https://usicomos.org/past-webinars/
This series, initiated in July 2020, often features NPS archeological sites and NPS staff.

Society of Black Archaeologists https://www.societyofblackarchaeologists.com/events
Initiated in June 2020, webinars from the Society of Black Archaeologists challenge us to think about the ways that our profession supports structural elements of American society that hinder archeologists of color from fully participating.

University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archeology
Every Friday during the academic year students and faculty gather to learn about ongoing archeological research across the globe. To join them, send a request to be added to the mailing list to [e-mail]

Archaeology Southwest
has compiled a stellar list of webinar sites about Southwestern archeology. Thank you, Archaeology Southwest!

• Amerind Foundation's YouTube channel >>
• Archaeology Southwest’s YouTube channel >>
• Arizona Archaeological and Historical Society’s YouTube channel >>
• Arizona State Museum's YouTube channel >>
• Crow Canyon Archaeological Center’s YouTube channel >>
• Grand Canyon NPS’s YouTube channel >>
• Museum of Northern Arizona's YouTube channel >>

AND one free Film festival!

Smithsonian’s Mother Tongue Film Festival
celebrates cultural and linguistic diversity by showcasing films and filmmakers from around the world, highlighting the crucial role languages play in our daily lives. This year, the festival will be hosted entirely online. The sixth annual festival will take place via a monthly online screening series from February 21 to May 2021.To watch films, go to https://mothertongue.si.edu/And hurry! Some of the films will go away throughout the festival.

Archeology E-Gram, distributed via e-mail on a regular basis, includes announcements about news, new publications, training opportunities, national and regional meetings, and other important goings-on related to public archeology in the NPS and other public agencies. Recipients are encouraged to forward Archeology E-Grams to colleagues and relevant mailing lists. The Archeology E-Gram is available on the News and Links page at www.nps.gov/archeology/public/news.htm on the NPS Archeology Program website.

Contact: Karen Mudar at e-mail us to contribute news items and to subscribe.