National Park Service Archeology Outreach and Education at the Centennial

DOCUMENT Citation Only Jeffrey Collins. Patrice L Jeppson. Jed Levin.

Public outreach has been part of the archeological research conducted by Independence National Historical Park since the inception of such studies more fifty years ago. These early efforts, by pioneers like Paul Schumacher, John Cotter, and Barbara Liggett at sites like Independence Square and Franklin Court, serve as the foundation for the park's current program of public archeology. Today, the practice of archeology in the park both serves and is shaped by diverse and distinct communities of...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Megan E. Springate.

The National Park Service (NPS) Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Heritage Initiative was established to address the under-representation of LGBTQ sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and as National Historic Landmarks (NHL), as well as to encourage interpretation of LGBTQ history at sites managed by the NPS. An archaeological context was included to facilitate the consideration of properties’ archaeological significance. In practice, the...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Ken Wild.

The Virgin Islands National Park encompasses over half of the island of St. John hundreds of acres of submerged lands, and most of Hassel Island located in the harbor of St. Thomas. Within the park's boundaries are prehistoric sites along every beach, and hundreds of historic structures that make up a complex landscape of archaeological sites that date from the 840 BCE through the 19th century. Sites include over a hundred plantations, fortifications, epidemic hospitals, battlefields, and...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Margo Schwadron.

The National Park Service plays a vital role in educating the public about stewardship and preservation of archeological resources, and vice versa. In 2008, a group of volunteers engaged the NPS to re-evaluate an historic site located in Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Working with volunteers, we determined that the site is actually Elliot Plantation—a previously undocumented, but the largest and southernmost 18th century British Period sugar plantation...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Jay Sturdevant. William Clayton. Steven De Vore. Michael Schumacher. Sean Rapier. Blair Scheider. Susan Kilgore.

The North West Company at Grand Portage defines the colonial narrative on the north shore of Lake Superior. A more inclusive historical narrative recognizes the lasting presence of the Grand Portage Ojibwe. After the 1854 Treaty of LaPointe, the Grand Portage Ojibwe entered the Reservation Era. Over the next century, the Grand Portage Ojibwe utilized traditional lifeways mixed with wage labor jobs while enduring U.S. Government policies of assimilation. Today, the Grand Portage Ojibwe co-manage...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Leslie Crippen.

LGBTQ history can be traced throughout the vast landscape and diverse material culture of our country, from the tribes of North America, to some of the first-established European forts, to the civil rights struggles that have helped shape our modern world. As part of the National Park Service’s LGBTQ Heritage Initiative, researchers and community members have collaborated to create the Map of Places with LGBTQ Heritage, a visual representation of archaeological and above ground sites that...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Magda E Mankel.

Given the rising number of Hispanics living in the United States, it is important that the National Park Service (NPS) explore the ways Hispanic individuals understand and use national parks, historic places and historic trails. Exploring Latino perspectives is key if NPS is to collaborate with Latino communities, preserve the meanings and stories attached to historic places, and ensure that historic places remain relevant and accessible to present and future generations. Drawing from literature...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Barbara Bane.

Many of the nineteenth century roads that enabled Yosemite National Park to become a national treasure – Wawona Road, Glacier Point Road, Great Sierra Wagon Road, and the Washburn Road to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias ‒ were built by Chinese workers. Chinese cooks, servants, hotel employees, and farm/ranch hands contributed to the park’s tourist services into the early 20th century. Today, few traces of this Chinese presence remain: stone walls, roadbeds, bridges, and a handful of...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Barnet Pavao-Zuckerman. Trica Oshant Hawkins. Stanley Bond.

The National Park Service-sponsored "Linking Hispanic Heritage Through Archaeology" (LHHTA) program was created in response to the NPS’s call to action to "fully represent our nation’s ethnically and culturally diverse communities".  The program, a collaboration between NPS, University of Arizona, and Environmental Education Exchange, connects Hispanic youth to their cultural history using regional archaeology as a bridge.  The LHHTA goals are to 1. increase awareness of National Parks within...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Nicole Grinnan. Charles Lawson.

In August 2015, the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) and Biscayne National Park collaborated to provide a Submerged Sites Education and Archaeological Stewardship (SSEAS) program in Biscayne National Park for local recreational divers. The SSEAS program is intended to train recreational divers in the methods of non-disturbance archaeological recording in order to provide them with the skills to independently and responsibly perform tasks associated with monitoring and protecting...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Roger Dorr.

Public archeology and prehistoric technology demonstrations are powerful.  These tools serve to connect visitors to archeological sites and artifacts and create the next generation of stewards.  In this presentation, I’ll explore how these methods have been used to create meaningful connections between visitors and cultural parks.

DOCUMENT Citation Only Sarah Miller. James Davidson. Emily Palmer.

The Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN) was established in 2005 and within a year hosted its first Project Archaeology workshop. As a proud sponsor of Project Archaeology in Florida, FPAN staff partnered with the National Park Service and University of Florida to publish the first Investigating Shelter investigation in the southeast. It was also the first in the Investigating Shelter series to feature a National Park site. Investigating a Tabby Slave Cabin teacher guide and student...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Beverly A. Chiarulli. Nancy Smith. marion smeltzer.

Five National Park Service units located in Western Pennsylvania present the history of the region from the days of George Washington through the 18th century industrial period to even more recent events.  From 1999 through 2009, a partnership between the NPS and Indiana University of Pennsylvania provided opportunities for students to gain field and lab experience working on NPS projects and conducting research for MA Thesis projects.  These opportunities provided the students with needed...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Thadra P. Stanton.

Located in south Wakulla County, FL, Byrd Hammock is a multi-component village and burial mound site. The site has been ravaged over the last century by looters but has never been developed. Recent potential development threats provided the impetus to seek partners to assist in procuring the site and add it to the St. Mark’s Wildlife Refuge. Efforts to conduct additional research for possible NHL nomination on the site were launched last year and a call for volunteers was issued to the greater...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Alicia Paresi.

Since the inception of the Northeast Museum Services Center’s archeology program in 2003, we have consistently strived to bring NPS archeology collections into the public eye.  Our commitment to public outreach encompasses a variety of efforts through which we hope to reach a variety of people. We maintain a facebook page and a blog though which we offer articles on specific artifacts, site histories, and archeological preservation.  Our social media program continues to attract new readers,...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Douglas C. Wilson. Meagan Huff.

National Park Service (NPS) archaeologists and museum professionals must engage the public through media to augment traditional outreach events and programs. Transforming the digital experience is at the heart of the NPS 2016 centennial. The cultural resources program at Fort Vancouver NHS in Vancouver, Washington, engages the public in a variety of archaeology outreach events and works with students in diverse educational contexts. A crucial component of this program is routinely informing the...

DOCUMENT Citation Only Mary Furlong Minkoff. Kate Birmingham.

Four years ago the Urban Archaeology Corps was created through a partnership between the National Park Service Archaeology Program, National Capital Parks-East, and Groundwork Anacostia/DC. This summer youth employment program broke from NPS tradition, by employing youth to conduct archaeological excavations, historical research, and other cultural resources work, while emphasizing and valuing "youth voice" in the development of the program’s structure and the products the participants create....