Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is a THPO?
A: The Tribal Historic
Preservation Officer represents the cultural and historical
interests of the tribe on and off reservation
Q: I am a Tribal Member
(or Tribal Department), how do I submit a project for archaeological
review?
A: Please direct your web
browser to http://stofthpo (you will
need to be inside the tribes network)
Q: I am a student and
would like to do an internship at the THPO, is this possible?
A: Yes, the THPO has existing
internship agreements with academic departments at both FGCU and FAU
(please contact your department for more information)
Q: What is archaeology?
A:
Archaeology is the study of past cultures and ways of life based
upon what people left behind.
Archaeology combines both field excavation and laboratory analysis.
Q:
What is CRM?
A:Cultural
Resources Management, often synonymous with Heritage Management,
focuses on managing and preserving cultural resources—buildings,
sites, structures, objects, or districts that are evaluated as
having significance in prehistory or history.
Q: What is a TCP?
A: Traditional cultural properties
(TCP) are associated with the cultural practices or beliefs of a
living community that are both rooted in the community’s history and
important in maintaining the cultural identity of that community.
Q. What Federal Laws are most important for
historic preservation?
A: The
Antiquities Act of 1906
was officially the first legislation in the
The
National
Park Service Organic Act of 1916 established the National Park Service (NPS) to manage our nation’s parks
and to “conserve
the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life
therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner
and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of
future generations.”
The NPS is part of the Department of the
Interior and today sponsors most federal preservation programs.
The
Historic Sites Act of 1935
established a policy to preserve historic sites, buildings, and
objects for public use.
The Act helped to establish the
The
National
Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) of 1966
changed the face preservation in American society.
The NHPA established the National Register of Historic
Places, State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs), the Advisory
Council on Historic Preservation, and the Section 106 review
process.
The Act was amended in 1992 to set up Tribal Historic
Preservation Offices (THPOs), granting them the same roles and
responsibilities of SHPOs.
Q: What Federal legislation
protects the interest of preserving Native American heritage?
The
Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) of 1979
defines
archaeological resources as “any material remains of past human life
or activities that are of archaeological interest” and requires
permits before excavating and removing any of these resources on
public and tribal lands.
The
Native
American
Q: What is the National
Register of Historic Places?
A: The National Register of
Historic Places (NRHP), created under the NHPA of 1966, is the
official federal inventory of the nation’s recognized historic
districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects.
Q: What makes a property
eligible for the National Register?
A: In order for a
property to be eligible for the National Register, it must meet at
least one of the established set of criteria.
Criteria A properties are associated with significant
historical events.
Properties eligible under Criteria B are associated
with the significant historical people.
Properties eligible under Criteria C represent a
significant a design or construction technique, or showcase the work
of an important architect or designer.
Under Criteria D, a property is recognized for its
information yielding potential.
In addition to meeting one or more of the criteria,
the property must also possess integrity—the ability of a property
to convey its significance.
Q: How are properties listed
in the National Register?
A: Anyone may
prepare a National Register nomination, working with the appropriate
State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Federal Preservation
Officer (FPO), or Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO).
The required forms involve a series of questions about
the property, and require narrative descriptions of the property and
a narrative statement of significance, as well as maps, photographs,
and other forms of documentation.
The nomination packet is submitted to the SHPO, THPO,
or FPO.
The packet is then looked over by a review board,
which makes a determination as to whether or not they feel the
property is eligible for listing.
After review, the nomination packet is forwarded to
the National Park Service for an official determination.
If the NPS approves the nomination, then the property
is entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
Q: If a property is listed in the National
Register, is it protected?
A: No.
A
property listed in the National Register of Historic Places is not
protected under federal law.
A
National Register listing is merely a formal way to honor a property
that is significant at the local, State, or National level.
National Register properties are not exempt from demolition or
changes.
However, when federal agencies propose projects that could
potentially affect listed properties, the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation must be given the opportunity to comment on
the project.
Q: If a property is listed in
the National Register, is the owner required to maintain it?
A: No.
Property owners may do whatever they choose to their
own property as long as no Federal license, permit, or funding is
involved.
Q: What makes a property
eligible for National Historic Landmark status?
A: National
Historic Landmarks (NHLs) possess significance at the National level
and are designated by the Secretary of the Interior because they
“possess exceptional value or quality in illustrating or
interpreting the heritage of the
Q: What are the different types of architectural
preservation treatments?
A:
Preservation
refers to maintaining the existing form,
integrity, and materials of a property.
Restoration
means retaining the materials of a property
from its specific period of significance, and removing materials
from other periods.
Rehabilitation (adaptive use)
emphasizes retaining and repairing historic materials, but allows
for replacement of deteriorated materials. Rehabilitated buildings
are often adapted for a new purpose.
Reconstruction refers to
reproducing a building that is no longer standing.
A: Conservation is
preservation from loss, depletion, waste, or harm.
It is the professional use of a combination of
science, art, craft, and technology as a preservation tool.
Q: What is a chickee?