Archeology E-Gram June 2023

2022 Appleman-Judd-Lewis Awards Include Archeological Project

The NPS Director’s Appleman-Judd-Lewis Awards recognize expertise and outstanding contributions to cultural resource stewardship and management by employees. Offered annually, the three awards—one for a park superintendent, one for a facility maintenance specialist, and one for a cultural resource specialist—were created to encourage creativity in cultural resource stewardship, management practices and projects, particularly those that may serve as examples or models for programs servicewide.

The 2022 winner in the category of Cultural Resource Specialist, Rebecca Cole-Will, Acadia NP, led the development and implementation of co-stewardship of cultural and natural resources at Acadia NP with the Wabanaki people, which include four federally recognized tribes (Maliseet, Micmac, Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy). Cole-Will led three projects in collaboration with Tribes: 1) restoration of access to resources for traditional sweetgrass gathering 2) An Indigenous-led study and reinterpretation of archeological sites and material culture, and 3) the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in the development of the park’s Resource Stewardship Strategy. These achievements are important steps in rehabilitating relationships between the NPS and the Wabanaki people and in restoring Indigenous relationships with landscapes in Acadia.

Congratulations, Rebecca!

Archeologist Margo Schwadron Leaving National Park Service

Margo Schwadron is departing the NPS after 32 years to become the USFWS Historic Preservation Officer and Regional Archeologist for Regions 1&8 (California, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa and Northern Mariana Islands). Schwadron received her BA in Anthropology from SUNY Purchase; her MA in Anthropology (specialization in Archaeology) from Florida State University, and her PhD in Archaeology and Ancient History from the University of Leicester.

Schwadron started her NPS career in 1991 as a temporary Archeological Technician at the Southeast Archeological Center in Tallahassee, Florida. She departs her position as senior Archeologist at the Center, responsible for oversight of NPS archeological issues in nine states and two territories.

Schwadron’s work emphasized protecting both cultural and natural resources. She served as Lead READ (Resource Advisor) during dozens of disasters; conducted ARPA (Archaeological Resources Protection Act) violation investigations and developed training and curriculum for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) to train agents and archeologists in conducting investigations. Schwadron partnered with other scientists to develop ecosystem restoration projects that built living shorelines to protect vulnerable natural and cultural sites on federal lands. As the NPS Southeast Regional Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Coordinator for the last 15 years, she helped repatriate hundreds of ancestors and thousands of funerary objects to federally-recognized Tribes.

Her many NPS friends and colleagues are distressed to see her go but wish her all the best in her new position!

National Park Service Archeologist Daniel Odess Retires

Dan Odess, archeologist in the NPS Cultural Resources, Partnerships, and Science Directorate, has retired after 17 years. He earned a PhD from Brown University in 1997. After a post-doctoral fellowship at the Smithsonian Institution, he accepted a position as curator and professor of archeology at the University of Alaska. He was awarded tenure and developed an active fieldwork program in Siberia before applying for a position in Washington, DC, with the NPS.

His retirement was effective May 31, 2023.

Submerged Hospital and Cemetery Discovered at Dry Tortugas National Park

The remains of a 19th century quarantine hospital and the Fort Jefferson Post Cemetery have been discovered on a submerged island near Dry Tortugas NP. Park cultural resources staff, staff from the NPS Submerged Resources Center and Southeast Archeological Center, and a University of Miami student conducted the survey that led to the findings. While the facilities were built on dry land, dynamic currents, storms, and rising sea levels have caused many of the islands to move or disappear and submerge the structures.

Major outbreaks of potentially fatal diseases, particularly yellow fever, at Fort Jefferson occurred throughout the 1860s and 1870s. The transfer of sick and dying patients to quarantine hospitals on nearby islands isolated them from populations at the fort and likely saved hundreds from a similar fate. Dozens of people may have been buried in the post cemetery.

One grave was individually identified during the survey. John Greer was employed as a laborer at the fort and died there in 1861. His grave was marked with a large slab of greywacke, the same material used to construct the first floor of Fort Jefferson. The slab was carved in the shape of a headstone. Efforts to learn more about Greer and other individuals interred on the now submerged island are ongoing.

New Forms and Templates Library in Archeology Program Sharepoint Site

The Archeology Program Sharepoint site now has a Forms and Templates library, located in the Technical Guidance section of the site. Over 25 forms are available for recording activities related to monitoring, survey, excavation, and photography. There are also examples of programmatic agreements.

The Archeology Sharepoint site is available to ALL NPS employees and contains guidance, announcements, and information for managing archeological and other cultural resources.

Contact: Karen Mudar e-mail us to contribute forms and templates.

Department of the Interior Protects Chaco National Historical Park

The Interior Department has taken action to protect cultural resources surrounding Chaco Culture NHP from new oil and gas leasing and mining claims. A public land order withdraws lands within a 10-mile radius of the park for 20 years. The withdrawal does not affect valid existing leases; during the 20-year withdrawal period, production from existing wells could continue, additional wells could be drilled on existing leases, and Navajo Nation allottees can continue to lease their minerals.

The BLM has not issued an oil and gas lease within the 10-mile buffer for approximately 10 years, and a moratorium on new mining claims has been in place since January 2022 while the BLM undertook the assessment of the proposed withdrawal. The agency published a notice of proposed withdrawal in the Federal Register in January 2022, opening a 120-day public comment period. More than 110,000 verbal and written comments were received.

Since 2018, the New Mexico congressional delegation has introduced legislation to permanently protect federal lands around Chaco Canyon with a 10-mile buffer. The state of New Mexico halted leasing of their minerals around Chaco Canyon through a state-level moratorium in 2019.

In 1987, the national park was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 2022, there were more than 41,000 visitors to the park who helped boost the local economy.

To read the DOI press release, go to https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-protects-chaco-region-tribal-cultural-sites-development

Search Underway for Looters

The DeSoto County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin patrolling Arkabutla Lake after reports that looters disturbed a Native American burial site revealed when the lake was drained for dam repairs.

Officials report that “widespread looting” of Native American burial objects, disturbance and desecration of human remains and theft of artifacts happened in the overnight hours between June 12-15, 2023.

The archeological site was previously obscured underneath Arkabutla Lake until the lake was drained for recent dam repairs.

The Federal Archeologist’s Bookshelf: In Support of the Antiquities Act: A Continued Look at the Lasting Impact of National Monuments

The Coalition to Protect America’s National Parks has developed a short (12 pages) document about the value of national monuments that is packed with useful factoids and beautiful photographs of our favorite monuments. The report does not directly address the connection with archeology but emphasizes the Act’s potential to protect both cultural and natural resources. The report showcases five of the earliest national monuments – all good choices – but the inclusion of one or more recent monuments would have demonstrated the ongoing utility of the Act and need to maintain the President’s authority to independently protect resources on our federal lands.

To read the full report, go to CPANP_In_Support_Of_The_Antiquities_Act_The_Lasting_Impacts_of_National_Monument_FINAL_1 (protectnps.org)

New FOIA exemption in the National Defense Authorization Act

The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 Section 1027 supplements NHPA Section 304 by vesting in the Secretary concerned the authority to withhold from public disclosure information and data about the location or related artifacts of a sunken military craft under his or her jurisdiction if such disclosure would increase the risk of the unauthorized disturbance of one or more sunken military craft. The pertinent section can be cited as a FOIA 3(b) exemption.

Federal agencies that receive a relevant FOIA request, engage in a Section 106 consultation that may involve sunken military craft, are considering the application of Section 304 to relevant resources, maintain databases with relevant entries, or otherwise publicly disclose information or data regarding sunken military craft, need to be aware of this new authority for withholding data on craft location and related artifacts from public release except in limited circumstances.

For more information, contact the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the Naval History and Heritage Command

GRANTS AND TRAINING

New Round of ARPA Snapshots
ARPA Snapshots are designed for Law Enforcement and Cultural Resource Professionals who want to refresh their skills, look more closely at a particular topic, or explore new directions that the Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) may take them in their work. All members of the ARPA team need to know about the entire process to effectively participate in an investigation and its follow-up. Both Cultural Resource and Law Enforcement staff are encouraged to participate in ALL snapshot offerings.

Presenters: Randy Ream, AUSA (retired); James Nepstad, NPS Superintendent (retired); Beth Horton, Archeologist, NPS; Peter Maggio, Special Agent, BLM

Upcoming Sessions

• July 13 – Building a Better ARPA Case Presenter: Randy Ream
• July 27 – ARPA & Managerial Support Presenter: James Nepstad
• August 10 – Federal Sentencing Guidelines & Plea Agreements Presenter: Randy Ream
• August 24 – ARPA & Case Management Presenter: Beth Horton
• September 14 – Basic ARPA Law Presenter: Randy Ream
• September 28 – ARPA & Rock Art Cases Presenter: Peter Maggio

These webinars are offered using the MS Teams platform, 2:00 PM – 3:30 pm ET. You must register for each webinar individually that you wish to attend.

Contact: Cari Kreshak, e-mail us to register.

SLIGHTLY OFF TOPIC:

Whose Ancestral Homelands are You Hiking Through?
from report by Katherine Gallardo, Conde Nast Traveler

Trails were an integral part of Indigenous life, serving as routes for migration, trade, everyday travel, connection, and communication with neighboring communities. Today, many of these ancient footpaths are part of the National Trails System, whose tracks stretch more than 89,000 miles across ancestral lands in the US. Yet most cartography, including trail maps used by hikers, excludes Indigenous ancestral territories. A diverse group of people and organizations are working to change that.

Native Lands, National Trails (NLNT), an Indigenous mapping and research project launched by the Partnership for the National Trails System (PNTS), aims to provide a more inclusive perspective on how modern recreational hiking trails intersect with Indigenous heritage. NLNT, initiated by BLM National Scenic and Historic Trails Lead Carin L. Farley is a collaboration between the BLM; PNTS; Native Land Digital (NLD), an Indigenous-led nonprofit that specializes in mapping Indigenous territories; and Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps (ALCC).

The suite of resources in development, including an interactive map, are intended to promote meaningful dialogue and collaboration among those communities. Esri, the GIS mapping software that hosts the Native Lands, National Trails map, pulls its data live from the NLD database, which is updated once a week based on feedback received from the community and information learned by NLD researchers.

A few trails are already demonstrating what meaningful dialogue and collaboration can look like: In 2020, the Arizona Trail Association consulted 13 tribes on new signage projects along the Arizona National Scenic Trail to include their perspective, stories, and language for culturally significant places—an example in the resource guide that other trails are encouraged to follow.

For centuries, maps have been used as a tool for colonization and erasure, to the detriment of Native communities whose knowledge is essential for effective land stewardship and conservation. Putting cartography in their hands provides an opportunity for self-representation and the dismantling of colonial worldviews and narratives.

To read the full report, go to This New Map Highlights How US Hiking Trails Intersect With Ancestral Lands | Condé Nast Traveler (cntraveler.com)

To Explore the map, go to NLNT Map | Native Lands National Trails - IMRP official (arcgis.com)

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 E-Gram archive is available at https://www.nps.gov/orgs/1038/archeology-e-gram.htm.

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