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Ethical Standards and Legal Context
Both archeological
research and public interpretation are accomplished
disciplines that have developed specific ethical
standards. Furthermore, public education is an explicit
component of archeological activities conducted under
federal law. Therefore, it is important to understand
the ethical standards and legal context.
The National Park
Service was established in 1916, but a number of
national parks and monuments had been designated
earlier.
Yellowstone
National Park was established in 1872 “as a public park
or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of
the people.” In 1906, Congress passed the Antiquities
Act, authorizing presidents to set aside “historic and
prehistoric structures, and other objects of historic or
scientific interest” in federal custody as national
monuments.
 When
Congress created the National Park Service within the
Department of the Interior 10 years later, it directed
the Park Service
to conserve the scenery
and the natural and historic objects and the wild life
therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in
such manner and by such means as will leave them
unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.
(National Park Service Organic Act of 1916, 16 U.S.C.I.)
A policy letter approved
in 1918 elaborated on the bureau’s dual mission of
conserving park resources and providing for their
enjoyment. While reemphasizing the primacy of
preservation, it reflected the conviction that more
visitors must be attracted and accommodated if the parks
were to flourish.
With the exception of
Acadia, Maine, all of the early national parks were
located in the American West. In addition to the grand
natural scenery, a number of these parks contained
ancient Native American ruins. Historic sites
representing the early years of the American colonies
and the United States were not yet included in the
National Park Service, although the War Department had
obtained lands to preserve some important Revolutionary
and Civil War battlefields. In 1933, the National Park
Service was given control of these and other historic
sites in addition to national capital parks in
Washington, DC, such as the Lincoln Memorial and the
White House. The National Park Service then had become
truly national and deeply involved in cultural resource
as well as natural resource preservation.
Archeological research
and public interpretation of cultural resources must be
in compliance with federal laws and the professional and
ethical standards of each relevant discipline while
adhering to the Park Service mission. While meeting
these standards sounds like a daunting and complex task,
these three areas of legal and professional concern
actually work well together.
Federal Laws
As a federal agency, the
National Park Service must comply with the full suite of
relevant federal environmental and historic preservation
legislation in addition to its specific role as a
natural and cultural resource preservation service.
Complying with these laws and regulations generally does
not conflict with the primary Park Service mission, but
in specific instances, creative approaches are sometimes
necessary to balance the various legal requirements.
Since the passage of the
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (as amended),
most archeological activity in the United States is
conducted prior to development projects that have some
type of federal involvement (funding, permits, etc.). In
National Parks, construction of a new visitor center,
road improvements, or similar work normally requires
archeological review.
In many cases,
archeological investigations may not figure into the
comprehensive research and interpretation agenda
established for a specific park, yet the excavations
result in new archeological discoveries that require
some type of public educational effort. It is therefore
important that archeologists and interpreters maintain a
dialogue to ensure that appropriate educational programs
and exhibits are developed.
Ethical
Standards
Archeology and
interpretation have developed as separate disciplines
with their own professional standards and ethical
guidelines. It is important for archeologists and
interpreters to become familiar with and follow the
standards developed for their respective disciplines.
For the purposes of effective interpretation of
archeological resources, it also is important for
archeologists to become familiar with the standards of
the interpretation field and for interpreters to
familiarize themselves with the standards of the
archeological profession
The National Park
Service (or more accurately, the Secretary of the
Interior) has developed its own standards for archeology
and historic preservation. Other useful places to learn
about these standards are the professional associations
related to each discipline. Websites for these and
other organizations can be found in the “Resources on
the Web” section at the end of this manual.
Stewardship
While the mission of the
National Park Service and federal environmental and
historic preservation laws work together to protect our
national and cultural resources, the nation is dependent
upon its citizens, particularly the many visitors to our
national parks, to embrace stewardship if those
resources are to be fully protected. Therefore, it is
important to consider the stewardship messages that can
be promoted during any archeological or interpretive
effort.
A visit to some National
Parks may lead some to believe that our natural and
cultural resources are so extensive that limited damage
by individuals would not injure those resources.
Furthermore, some visitors may believe that simple
designation of an area as a national park affords those
resources adequate protection, without comprehending the
long-standing and on-going efforts that are required to
preserve those resources. In addition, many people do
not comprehend the fragility of our natural and cultural
resources. These commonly held, but inaccurate, notions
increase the importance of incorporating a stewardship
message in public interpretation efforts.
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