Consultation with the Native American Tribal Nations is a requirement for nearly all Cultural Resource Projects that will impact an identified Native American site.  The need for consultation can be triggered as part of federal permitting review under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as well as review by state agencies under Section 14.09 of the New York State Historic Preservation Act, and in some instances as part of local review under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.  Although Cultural Resources Consultants understand the importance of consulting with Native American Nations for these projects, the boundaries of Agency oversight and responsibilities/appropriate protocols for initiating and undertaking this consultation are not always clearly defined for Cultural Resource Consultants, agency personnel, and/or Tribal Historic Preservation Officers.  As a result, there can be miscommunication and delays during project review.

The goals of this program are to clarify Agency expectations for Cultural Resource Consultants, the role of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, and their consultants in the review process. This meeting is a precursor to a greater convocation with tribal representatives, possibly this fall, to discuss issues and concerns of stakeholders, as well as improve understanding about the roles and responsibilities of engaged parties including tribal representatives and their agents, agencies, CRM practitioners, and developers.

A panel of CRM and Agency representatives will present summary statements at the meeting. There will be an opportunity for NYAC members to relate experiences and discuss the outcomes. If you are interested in addressing the panel, please consider signing up head by sending an email to pipesml@aol.com. There will also be a sign-up sheet at the meeting.