Traditional Cultural Landscapes | Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

Introduction

In recognition that large scale historic properties of significance to Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs) across the United States are increasingly threatened by development, the ACHP launched a Native American traditional cultural landscapes initiative and adopted an action plan in November 2011. The plan calls for the ACHP and the Department of the Interior (DOI) to:

Promote the recognition and protection of Native American traditional cultural landscapes both within the federal government and the historic preservation community as well as at the state and local levels and
Address the challenges of the consideration of Native American traditional cultural landscapes in the Section 106 review process as well as in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews

Implementation of the action plan is a long-term commitment of the ACHP. This Web page will serve as a repository for ACHP documents, resources about Native American traditional cultural landscapes, and related news. We suggest that you check here periodically.

ACHP’s Native American Traditional Cultural Landscape Work

The ACHP has taken a number of steps to advance the recognition of these historic properties and to address some of the Section 106 challenges:

The ACHP has also offered presentations at numerous meetings and conferences to raise awareness about these landscapes in general and to let Section 106 practitioners know they should be considering them in the Section 106 review process.

The National Register is currently considering updates to Bulletin 38: Guidelines for Evaluating and Documenting Traditional Cultural Properties which is closely related to the ACHP’s work on traditional cultural landscapes. We are working together to share information and outreach opportunities. For more information on the National Register’s efforts, click here.

The National Register of Historic Places contains a wide range of historic property types, reflecting the diversity of the nation's history and culture. Buildings, structures, and sites; groups of buildings, structures or sites forming historic districts; landscapes; and individual objects are all included in the Register if they meet the criteria specified in the National Register's Criteria for Evaluation (36 CFR 60.4). Such properties reflect many kinds of significance in architecture, history, archeology, engineering, and culture.

Finally, the ACHP Office of Tribal and Indigenous Peoples staff are working to implement the Action Plan. The team includes Ira Matt, Wm. Dancing Feather, and Jamie Lee Marks. Questions or requests may be sent to landscapes@achp.gov or directed to any of the staff team members. Staff contact information.