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Cherokee . Chickasaw . Choctaw . Muscogee/Creek . Seminole Organized 3 February 1950
NAGPRA Policy Statement Resolution 98-28, July 1998 This Policy Statement has been agreed upon by the following tribes of the Inter-Tribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes (ITCFCT): The Cherokee Nation, the Chickasaw Nation, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. We represent over 300,000 Native People nationwide, thus the largest Federally recognized body of blood descendants of the original inhabitants of the Southeast Region of the United States. THE INTER-TRIBAL COUNCIL OF THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES looks toward the future and the possibility that this process will begin to generate a greater level of understanding and respect for the traditions and cultural heritage of Native Americans at the National and International level. This understanding can only come by incorporating contemporary Native perspectives into the interpretation and presentation of Native people's past and present cultural realities. Cooperative endeavors to address Native rights and concerns established during the repatriation process hold the promise of strengthening the native voice of the Indigenous people's of the Southeast Culture.
In recognizing and affirming the sovereignty of each member nation we shall implement the following: WE RECOGNIZE that in some cases: federal, state, private land owners and other individuals who occupy the lands we once inhabited treat our ancestral/relatives graves and sacred resources as spoils thus, defiling, desecrating, demoralizing and dehumanizing the Native American Peoples.
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http://www.tva.gov/environment/reports/envreports/aer2003/partnerships.htm
Tennessee Valley Authority 2002-2003 Environmental Report "TVA balances progress and stewardship of lakes for recreation, power generation, navigation, and flood control with archaeological investigations and with the concerns of Native Americans. We are pleased with what TVA is doing to protect and preserve irreplaceable historic Native American sites." - Russell Townsend, Deputy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians A partnership between TVA Cultural Resources and Native Americans focuses on archaeological sites located along TVA reservoirs. According to archaeologists, the history of human life in the Tennessee Valley extends back some 11,000 years. While these early settlements are long gone, irreplaceable links to the Valley's past exist in the form of archaeological remains. To balance the preservation and protection of prehistoric and historic Native American sites with the stewardship of reservoirs and rivers, TVA partnered with all 18 federally recognized Native American tribes having historical ties to the Valley to host the first-ever Native American Consultation Workshop in 2002. During the day-and-a-half workshop, tribal representatives were able to meet face-to-face with TVA Cultural Resources staff to ask questions, voice concerns, and provide input on geographical regions of particular interest to the tribes. In return, TVA was able to raise awareness among tribal members of the actions TVA is taking to stabilize and protect archaeological sites. In 2002, TVA stabilized 19 critically eroding archaeological sites along approximately 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) of shoreline. Fourteen additional sites were stabilized in these areas during 2003. Protecting the sites from looters is a more daunting task for TVA. When this occurs, both irreplaceable artifacts and their context -- the relationship of artifacts and other cultural remains to each other and to the surroundings in which they are found -- are lost forever. To help prevent looting and protect sites, TVA's Cultural Resources staff has partnered with the public in a stewardship project called 'A Thousand Eyes'. The project, which works in concert with TVA Lake Watch (a cooperative effort to reduce crime and accidents on TVA-managed reservoirs and shorelines), trains local volunteers in how to recognize and report suspicious activities, such as someone digging along the reservoir shoreline. TVA's Cultural Resources staff also makes presentations to Lake Watch groups, students, and community organizations and offers field trips to increase awareness of both prehistoric and historic archaeological sites. For more information on the preservation of archaeological sites on TVA-managed lands or to schedule a presentation, go to Cultural Resources.
http://www.tva.gov/abouttva/pdf/q3_02_report.pdf
TVA 3rd Quarter April-June 2002 TVA has initiated a dialogue with representatives of 18 federally recognized Native American tribes with cultural interests in the TVA power service area, in keeping with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). TVA is working with individual tribes to develop Memorandums of Understanding for a consultation process and to provide NAGPRA inventories on compact discs.
Cultural Resources Consultation |