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Everglades Restoration projects. This is unlike public comment
because Tribes are defined under the law as political sovereigns.
The fourth section is Archaeometry. Led by Nick Butler, this
area was pioneered by former THPOs, Willard Steele, Dr. Paul
Backhouse and current Assistant Director, Juan Cancel. It all
started with, “I need a map.” The level of data collection in the GIS
environment amazes me every single day. The data collected in the
field by the archaeologists to stories told by tribal members and
repatriation inventories are kept in a GIS database in a way that
allows the team to make the past come alive! Nick’s never ending
thirst for training has led to a deeper use of GIS technology than
just a one dimensional map.
I recently visited the American Museum of Natural History
(AMNH) in NYC with Domonique and the Repatriation team.
Marcella Billie, a tribal member, is currently training with Domo
and Samantha Wade, Senior bio-archaeologist, to repatriate our
ancestors and the items looted over the centuries and placed in
institutions like AMNH. We stood in a room lined with shelves
holding what others call human remains with crania and postcrania
stored separately. It wasn’t lost on us that this is where our ancestors
are being kept. If we don’t work to bring them home, who will?
Everyday this group of managers and their teams protect and
Photos 2, 3, 4
advance tribal sovereignty on a level that amazes and challenges me!
Photos from our December 2023 trip to the American Museum of Natural History, NYC.
We work for our ancestors. Who can really say that?

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