Educating Politicians: Outreach and Advocacy Behind the Front Lines

Summary

This is an abstract from the ""Is There Gold in that Field?" CRM and Public Outreach on the Front Lines" session, at the 86th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

PaleoWest demonstrates leadership in outreach through political advocacy at local, state, and federal levels of lawmaking. Taking action on multiple levels and working behind the scenes, we shape public policy to meet industry needs. This paper will discuss examples of our efforts and provide a blueprint for other CRM professionals to make similar contributions. Successes at the local ordinance level in Florida have been realized through engagement with commissioners and the mayor. PaleoWest lobbied Congress to provide adequate funding to the nation’s largest federally funded archaeological project, resulting in the New Mexico Navajo Water Settlement Technical Corrections Act. Nationwide advocacy aims to improve legislation and procedures impacting archaeological consulting. In contrast to outreach “on the front lines,” which often aims to reach interested members of the public, retirees, and the next generation, political advocacy represents outreach focused on decision makers who shape public policy. Policy-oriented outreach occurs through strategic placement of ideas via formal and informal work with politicians, ground-level movers and shakers, and other professionals in archaeology. Through concerted efforts, such as the examples provided in this paper, measurable strides have been made to mold local codes, state laws, and nationwide regulation in favor of our profession’s goals.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 86th Annual Meeting, Online (2021)   •
• "Is There Gold in that Field?" CRM and Public Outreach on the Front Lines

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 33178