Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) Native Youth Program
The ACHP’s Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) launched a Native Youth Initiative in 2015 that has two goals:
- to introduce Native youth to historic preservation as a potential career choice, and
- to provide Native youth an opportunity to voice concerns regarding the protection of sacred sites.
Introducing historic preservation as a career choice responds directly to concerns expressed by Tribal Historic Preservation Officers about attracting
tribal youth to work for or succeed them. It is a significant component of building the capacity of both Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations
to participate in the national preservation program both now and in the future.
The program is part of the ACHP’s Youth and Historic Preservation Initiative, which strives to educate young people on the benefits preservation offers
to local communities and the nation and encourages them to enjoy history in their own backyards and beyond. The ACHP maintains a program specific to
Native youth in order to appropriately and respectfully address cultural sensitivities and to respect tribal sovereignty. Therefore, in November 2015,
the ACHP adopted a strategic plan for its Native youth program. The plan can be found at http://www.achp.gov/docs/achp-native-youth-program-strategic-plan.pdf.
The program includes a variety of specific initiatives such as in-person events in which Native youth can interact with preservation professionals and
participate in preservation activities; providing information through the ACHP’s Native youth Facebook page:
Preservation Indigenous – Native Youth;
and, historic preservation distance learning.