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HERITAGE SITES |
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LEECH LAKE DIVISION OF RESOURCE MANAGEMENT HERITAGE SITES While we conduct all cultural resource surveys for internal LLBO projects, the majority of our funding is acquired through contracts with external clients. We have a Participating Agreement with the Chippewa National Forest to conduct the majority of Phase I archaeological reconnaissance surveys within their boundaries. Over the past three years, we have surveyed nearly 25,000 acres and documented and preserved over 70 archaeological sites on the Chippewa National Forest alone. In addition to our extensive work within the Reservation and the Chippewa National Forest, we have performed archaeological research services for numerous other clients, which include the Indian Health Service (IHS), the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Walker Area Community Center (WACC), Beltrami County, Cass County, Itasca County, Potlatch, pipeline and utility companies, and various engineering and construction firms. Our Program Director and Field Director both possess Master of Science degrees in Archaeology/Anthropology, and have over 40 years of combined experience working in 14 states and abroad. Our experience has focused upon Cultural Resource Management, Archaeology, Faunal Analysis, Biological Archaeology, and Ethnohistory. We are on the list of approved archaeological contractors within the State of Minnesota, and we exceed the federal Secretary of the Interior Standards and Guidelines for Archaeology and Historic Preservation (http://www.nps.gov/history/local-law/arch_stnds_9.htm), which are required for conducting professional archaeological research. In addition to field research, our program has conducted experimental archaeology workshops related to traditional technologies, such as flint knapping, ceramics, copper working, and wood and bone tool making. The majority of our field and laboratory staff is composed of Leech Lake Band Members and Ojibwe tribal affiliates who have many years of survey and excavation experience in the Headwaters region. At this time, our office employs four year-round staff, consisting of the Program Director, Field Director, Office Manager, and Records Manager, and eleven seasonal field staff, consisting of a Lab Supervisor, three Crew Supervisors, and seven Archaeological Technicians. We also assist the LLBO Education Division in providing direct training and experience to some of their program participants each year, and we are in the process of providing internship opportunities for Leech Lake Tribal College students. We possess advanced technological equipment and skills, which allow us to analyze and interpret a considerable variety of data and present it in a professional format. Members of our staff are adept in the use of specialized field equipment such as magnetometers, Trimble® GPS units, mapping and surveying instruments, and standard and digital photographic devices, as well as computer programs such as ArcGIS®, AutoCAD®, Surfer®, Access®, Excel®, Adobe Illustrator®, and PastPerfect Museum Software®. Our Records Manager, in collaboration with the Field Director, has designed and built a GIS and Access® database of all surveys and archaeological resources within the Leech Lake Reservation. This Leech Lake Archaeological Records System, otherwise known as LLARS, allows us to track and analyze known resources, previous research, and landscape and environmental features in a centralized format. This has greatly streamlined our operations and has provided a versatile tool for spatial analysis of cultural resources. We work closely with the Tribal Historic Preservation Office (THPO) (link) and the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) (http://www.mnhs.org/shpo/) to identify, protect, and preserve cultural resources. In addition to archaeological research, we also conduct historical research and work to identify and preserve Traditional Cultural Properties (TCPs) (link to THPO). Through close interaction with the THPO, the SHPO, the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, and other governmental entities, we work to protect areas of cultural significance for the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and other cultural groups. Like any natural resource, cultural resources are vital to the identity and traditions of all Americans, and must be preserved and protected. In addition to Native American occupations of the area, European American history of the area is also important to our understanding of the cultural landscape. While the pre-Contact history of the area is vast and intriguing, historical components such as the Fur Trade, Minnesota Lumbering, Railroads, Resorts and Tourism, and Homesteading and Agriculture are also vital elements for our understanding of the region. PERSONNEL CONTACTS (HERITAGE SITES) Thor Olmanson, MS, Program Director - 218-335-8095 Colleen Wells, MS, Field Director - 218-335-8095 Sheila Gotchie, Office Manager - 218-335-8095 Tonya Struecker, Records Manager - 218-335-8319
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| Copyright: Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Division of Resources Management 15756 State 371 NW Cass Lake, MN 56633 (218) 335-7400 |