Tribal Historic Preservation Officer
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| Tribal Historic Preservation Officer | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tribal Historic Preservation Officer |
| Abbreviation | THPO |
| Established | 1990 (National Historic Preservation Act amendments) |
| Jurisdiction | Tribal lands in the United States |
| Appointing authority | Tribal leadership (e.g., tribal councils, chiefs) |
| Related legislation | National Historic Preservation Act, Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, Archaeological Resources Protection Act |
Tribal Historic Preservation Officer A Tribal Historic Preservation Officer serves as the designated official of a federally recognized tribal nation responsible for leading Native American cultural resource stewardship, coordinating with National Park Service, and administering preservation programs on tribal lands. THPOs operate at the nexus of tribal sovereignty, federal preservation policy, and community heritage, working with institutions such as the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Smithsonian Institution, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Trust for Historic Preservation, and regional preservation offices. Their role involves balancing protection of archaeology and sacred sites with development, consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act, and compliance with laws including the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.
Role and Responsibilities
THPOs direct identification, evaluation, and stewardship of historic properties on tribal lands, collaborating with entities such as National Park Service, State Historic Preservation Office, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and tribal departments. Responsibilities include preparing tribal preservation plans, nominating properties to the National Register of Historic Places, overseeing archaeological inventories with input from Smithsonian Institution curators, and managing repatriation under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. THPOs coordinate consultation for federal undertakings under Section 106 with stakeholders like Department of Defense, Department of Transportation, Corps of Engineers, and Federal Highway Administration to protect landscapes, cultural landscapes, and heritage sites. They advise tribal governments including Navajo Nation, Cherokee Nation, Hopi Tribe, and Yakama Nation on preservation policy, land use, and cultural resource management.
Legal Authority and Regulatory Framework
THPO authority derives from amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act and formal agreements with the National Park Service, creating a framework parallel to State Historic Preservation Office responsibilities. THPOs implement compliance mechanisms under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, coordinate with Advisory Council on Historic Preservation guidance, and apply statutes such as the Archaeological Resources Protection Act and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Jurisdictional delineation often involves treaties such as the Treaty of Fort Laramie (1851) or the Treaty of Medicine Lodge when historic borders and rights affect resource protection. THPOs negotiate memoranda of agreement with agencies including Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, and Federal Highway Administration to assert tribal standards in environmental review and cultural resource mitigation.
Relationship with Tribal Nations and Federal Agencies
THPOs serve tribal leadership—tribal councils, chiefs, and cultural committees—and liaise with federal agencies like the National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Department of the Interior, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. They work alongside museums such as the National Museum of the American Indian and universities including University of Arizona, University of New Mexico, and University of Washington for research, curation, and training. Collaboration extends to non-governmental organizations like the National Trust for Historic Preservation and regional groups such as the State Historical Society of Wisconsin or the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division. THPOs mediate between tribal priorities and federal compliance in projects involving the Corps of Engineers, Department of Energy, or Federal Highway Administration, ensuring tribal consultation rights are honored.
Program Development and Management
THPOs develop tribal preservation programs encompassing inventories, nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, conservation plans, and public outreach. They manage grants from the National Park Service and partner with foundations including the Ford Foundation or Gates Foundation for capacity-building. Program administration often involves cultural resource management firms, collaboration with academic research centers such as the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and coordination with state agencies like the California Office of Historic Preservation or Texas Historical Commission. THPOs establish tribal ordinances, stewardship policies, and training programs aligned with standards from the Secretary of the Interior and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
Cultural Resource Identification and Protection
THPOs oversee surveys, archaeological excavations, ethnographic documentation, and protection of sacred sites, working with archaeologists from institutions such as Field Museum, Peabody Museum, and university departments. Activities include inventorying sites for the National Register of Historic Places, managing archaeological collections in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institution and tribal museums, and repatriation actions under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. THPOs coordinate protections for landscapes tied to events like the Trail of Tears or places associated with leaders such as Chief Joseph and Sitting Bull, and safeguard ceremonial sites, burial grounds, rock art, and petroglyphs.
Challenges and Contemporary Issues
THPOs face issues including limited funding from agencies such as the National Park Service, jurisdictional conflicts involving Bureau of Land Management or Corps of Engineers, looting addressed under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and climate change impacts documented by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports. Tensions can arise over energy infrastructure projects by corporations like TransCanada or federal projects by the Department of Energy, and over cultural tourism managed with partners such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation or local tribes. Contemporary debates include protection of intangible heritage recognized by UNESCO and responses to historical injustices revealed by inquiries into policies like the Indian Removal Act.
Training, Funding, and Capacity Building
THPOs obtain training through programs at National Park Service centers, university certificate programs at institutions like University of Arizona and Arizona State University, and workshops offered by the Society for American Archaeology and American Anthropological Association. Funding streams include grants from the National Park Service, support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and partnerships with foundations such as the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Capacity-building efforts involve internships with museums like the American Museum of Natural History, apprenticeships in traditional crafts with cultural centers such as the Autry Museum of the American West, and exchanges with tribal historic programs like those of the Mashantucket Pequot Museum.