Archaeology in America’s Paradise: Renewing Local and National Interests in Our Nations Parks

Summary

The national parks on the island of St. Croix (Christiansted National Historic Site, Salt River Bay Historic Park and Ecological Preserve, and Buck Island Reef National Monument) engage thousands of visitors every year and stand out as some of the most historically and ecologically important sites in the Caribbean region. Cultural resource management projects within these parks have a new focus on community outreach and local youth engagement initiatives. Developing more inclusive programming, aids in the preservation and interpretation of these places that are paramount to the history and identity of the largely African descendant Crucian population. NPS Archaeology is used to engage the community on multiple levels through daily sidewalk talks with park archaeologists, community participation in excavations, providing resource management training, and giving monthly public lectures. Youth engagement initiatives include internship programs, Youth Conservation Corps summer program, Youth Partnerships in Parks, and Earthangle’s Humane Inclusion Camp. This shift towards increased inclusion of the local Crucian community has sparked a new level of collaboration between the park service staff and local entities in St. Croix but has also cemented the future of NPS archaeology as a valuable tool for preserving cultural heritage in the Virgin Islands.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Archeology in the National Park Service 1916-2016

Keywords

Spatial Coverage