2022 November Preservation ePost

The 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, also known as COP27, takes place November 6-18, in the city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Arab Republic of Egypt.

The California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) along with fellow members of the Climate Heritage Network (CHN) and their climate partners, is leading the Arts, Culture, Antiquities, and Heritage Theme (one of nine subject themes) of the Resilience Hub at COP27. The Hub is the official home of the Race to Resilience, the UN-backed campaign taking action to build resilience to climate hazards for 4 billion people worldwide by 2030. Five sessions on the power of arts, culture, and heritage to make transformational changes in climate action will be presented November 14-17. Local voices, vulnerable communities, and diverse global partners will share their stories. State Historic Preservation Officer Julianne Polanco will moderate the session “Losing the Irreplaceable: Loss & Damage, Culture & Heritage” on November 17. Registration for the Resilience Hub virtual and interactive platform and programs is free and now open.

Additionally, CHN members and partners have been working for almost a year on strategies to amplify arts, culture, and heritage voices around the world and online, in anticipation of COP27. The result is: Culture at COP27. With more than twenty events planned to date, this COP promises to see culture as a key partner in climate action. The power of arts, culture, and heritage to accelerate climate action is critical to imagining and realizing a climate resilient future for all. Further, faster, together!

Grants Still Available as 2022 Winds Down

As we enter the final months of 2022, there are still opportunities to apply for funding to support preservation projects and programs.

African American Civil Rights Program grants support the documentation, interpretation, and preservation of sites and stories associated with the struggle for African American civil rights in America. (National Park Service)

Application deadline: November 8.

California Humanities grants support projects and efforts to educate about and preserve California's diverse cultural heritage.

(California Humanities)

Application deadlines range from November 2022 through

March 2023.

Save America's Treasures Grant Program provides grants to support the preservation of historic properties and collections.

(National Park Service/National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities/Institute for Museum and Library Services)

Application deadline: December 20.

Hometown Grants help small communities (50,000 or less population) build, restore, or revitalize community spaces and buildings that help residents connect as a community. Grants are awarded quarterly.

(T-Mobile/Main Street America/Smart Growth America)

Application deadline for this quarter: December 31.

The next grant cycle will open in January 2023.

(Photos courtesy of NPS, Main Street America, Cal Humanities)

Recognizing The Olmsted Legacy

The Cultural Landscape Foundation (TCLF) announces the release of their thematic report, Landslide 2022: The Olmsted Design Legacy. TCLF's annual reports shine attention on landscapes and properties that are threatened or at-risk. In recognition of the 200 year anniversary of Frederick Law Olmsted's birth, Landslide 2022 focuses on the work of Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Included among the highlighted properties discussed in the report is the California State Park System, whose beginnings benefitted from the vision and planning of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. The report looks at the increasing challenges and risks state park units face from wildfires, sea level rise, climate change impacts, and other natural disasters.

(Photo courtesy of California State Parks, Brian Baer)

Public Input Sought on NAGPRA Revisions

The National Park Service (NPS), in consultation with tribal councils nationwide, is proposing revisions to the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and is inviting public comment and input. NAGPRA regulations provide a systematic process for returning human remains, funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony to Native American and Alaska Native Tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations. The proposed changes would streamline processes and improve compliance with NAGPRA.

Public comments accepted now through January 17, 2023.

Designating California!

Bryte VFW Memorial Hall in West Sacramento is a building modest in appearance but significant for its place in local and California Indian history. The building was constructed in 1946 as a community center and movie theater by Jordan “Pappy” Ramos, a well-known member of the local Portuguese community. In December 1946, the building was sold to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 9498, and renamed the Bryte VFW Memorial Hall. Movies were still shown at the building until at least 1948.

In 1950, VFW Post 9054, the first all-Indian VFW post in California, began operating out of the building as well. The founding members of Post 9054 were primarily from the Miwok and Maidu tribes of northern California. The post was also associated with the Federated Indians of California, an organization formed in 1946 in Sacramento to press Indian land claim cases on behalf of California native peoples. Lacking formal offices or meeting space, the Bryte VFW Memorial Hall served as a regional gathering location for California Indian organizations and events. Social dances held at the VFW Hall evolved into tribal dance events that helped to connect current generations to the history and customs of their ancestors. Traditional dances were performed using Miwok regalia, some of which was provided by California State Parks’ Indian collections. From their small starting point at Bryte VFW Memorial Hall, multiple organizations, including the California Indian Dance and Cultural Group and the Mewauk Dancers, precursors to the Miwok and Maidu dance groups that exist today, became regional institutions preserving traditions and culture.

VFW Post 9054 disbanded in 1957, but in its seven short years of operation, it established an enduring legacy. Today, Bryte VFW Memorial Hall is designated as California Historical Landmark 1057.

Photo courtesy of Iliana Maestas.

State Historical Resources Commission

The SHRC meets quarterly each year. Commission meetings are open to the public and live-streamed through the Cal-Span network. Meeting dates, times, and agendas are posted to the SHRC Meeting Schedule and Notices page of the OHP website.

For upcoming nominations, visit the Pending Nominations page. Nominations already heard by the Commission are listed on the Actions Taken page, and video recordings of SHRC meetings are posted to the Meeting Recordings & Summaries page.

Learn more about the responsibilities and role of the SHRC.

News, Education, & More

Seismic Safety Webinars - Two Sessions Remaining

The last two sessions of Home, Safe Home: Seismic Safety and Rehabilitating Historic Homes, take place on November 8 and December 15. This free, online webinar series is offered by the Office of Historic Preservation through a grant from FEMA and in partnership with our preservation partners. Many thanks to the California Preservation Foundation for hosting the sessions. Please join us for this timely and informative series!

You can catch earlier sessions in this series via our OHP Webinar Archives page.

HistoriCorps in California in November

HistoriCorps has one more on-site volunteer training opportunity in California this year. Participants learn hands-on preservation skills while helping to preserve historic resources:

November 6-11 & 13-18: Silver Bell Ore Bins, Joshua Tree National Park

Visit the HistoriCorps website to learn more about the organization and other training opportunities.

New Website for Technical Preservation Services

The National Park Service Technical Preservation Services (TPS) has a new website. TPS is a go-to source for Preservation Briefs on a variety of information and technical skills to aid in preserving and maintaining historic resources. The website also provides information on the Secretary of the Interior Standards, Historic Preservation Tax Incentives, and more. Take a look, and consider adding this site to your preservation toolbox!

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