African American Diaspora Archaeology and the National Park Service: Reflections on the Past and Goals for the Future

Summary

For 50 years archeologists from the National Park Service’s Southeast Archeological Center have actively worked to uncover, preserve, and interpret African American archeological heritage in our National Parks. SEAC’s work has spanned from the Stafford slave village at Cumberland Island National Seashore to the William Johnson House in Natchez, Mississippi, from the lands owned by a free woman creole of color in Natchitoches, Louisiana to the waters off the cays and harbors in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. In commemoration of SEAC’s 50th anniversary, and of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service’s efforts to "preserve unimpaired the …cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations," this paper will highlight our efforts to discover, interpret, and preserve these significant sites and stories of African American heritage.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• New Considerations in African Diaspora Material Culture and Heritage   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2016

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 485