“Cows run away from the storm while the buffalo charges toward it – and gets through it quicker. Whenever I’m confronted with a tough challenge, I do not prolong the torment. I become the buffalo.” ~ Chief Wilma Mankiller, Cherokee
Do you know what these two photos have in common? There are flowers rising from winter-weary soil along the fence-line; the fence that still exists in the top, and the fence that used to exist in the bottom. Such simple signs can help uncover the past. Anybody from the country can probably think of at least one empty field where wild daffodils grow. More than likely those daffodils mark a long gone foundation. I can think of two such places in Morgan County where every spring what looks like an open field suddenly blossoms into gold. It’s this kind of thing that drew me to Historic Preservation; learning about the past and learning how to best preserve it. Historic Preservation – the National Register, National Parks Service, and so on – all fall under the U.S. Department of the Interior. There are a host of Federal Acts that provide guidance for Historic Preservation, and the oversight of those laws land at the feet of the Secretary of the Interior. That’s particularly significant today because, today, for the first time in our nation’s history, a Native American – a woman to boot – is Secretary of the Interior. Deb Haaland is a 35th generation New Mexican, a member of the Laguna Pueblo, and a child of two military parents, a decorated Marine Dad and a Navy mom. She was one of the first Native Americans elected to serve in Congress. I couldn’t be more pleased with her appointment. I think our cultural heritage will have a chance of being cared for and preserved for many generations to come under her care. Be sure to wear your shoes. There’s broken glass ceilings all over the place.
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