Description

The position and role of the tribal historic preservation officer (THPO) was created by the National Historic Preservation Act. THPOs are charged under the act with developing and carrying out historic preservation plans for their tribes. In practice, THPOs are the principal stewards, protectors, and advocates for the cultural heritage of their communities. They consult with state and local governments and developers, assessing the impact of projects on cultural heritage; they often oversee tribal archives and museums as well as sacred sites; and they fight to preserve threatened sites on and off reservation. Most are very poorly resourced and have little access to training and other resources. The National Association of TPHOs seeks to provide support to THPOs connecting them to resources and to one another. Grant support will underwrite core operations so that the organization can focus on supporting THPOs instead of grant writing.