Zuni perspectives on historic preservation

An article by T. J. Ferguson (SoA Professor), “Zuni perspectives on historic preservation” was published in Human Organization. You can download the paper from this link: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00187259.2023.2286172#abstract.

Abstract: The federal historic preservation program of the United States guided by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and its ensuing regulations is built on a framework that privileges Western epistemologies of time and space and perceives historic properties as inanimate remains that are valuable for their scientific potential and their capacity for representing significant historic contexts (Dongoske, Pasqual, and King Citation2015). The concept of historic preservation is far more personal for the Zuni people, however. Zunis see their historical sites as “memory pieces” where culture and history are recalled and discussed, and where ancestral spirits live on and offer power and strength to today’s generations (Colwell-Chanthaphonh and Ferguson Citation2006). Zunis believe that any disturbance of these places has negative and lasting effects on the Zuni people and the world as a whole. Zunis thus define historic preservation as the maintenance and continuity of Zuni culture through the protection, commemoration, and continued respectful interaction with their historical sites and ancestors. In this article, we explore Zuni perspectives on historic preservation and provide recommendations on how adverse effects on historic properties can be mitigated to benefit the Zuni people.