[OR_Archaeology] Heritage Commission to Assess Health of OR Heritage in 2010

[Wendy Ann Wright]

This seems like a chance to come together with other cultural resource
allies to bring progressive models of engagement and management to
further improve our methods for archaeology and other cultural
resources in Oregon.  I appreciate the Oregon Heritage Commission's
work on this.

Cheers,
Wendy Ann

On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 9:21 AM, Susan White <susan.white at state.or.us> wrote:
> The Oregon Heritage Commission has launched an assessment of the status
> of heritage and heritage organizations in the state, including the
> threats they face. The assessment is the first step toward developing a
> long range strategy for preserving Oregon’s endangered heritage
> resources.
>
> “Many cultural heritage organizations and sectors are under stress,"
> said Commission Chair George Kramer of Ashland. “In order to develop
> successful strategies that address their needs, we need to first
> discover the many challenges they face. We expect that some of the
> challenges are nationwide in scope, while others are unique to
> Oregon.”
>
> In addition to compiling existing data from diverse locations, the
> assessment will include online and written surveys that will be
> distributed next month. Among those surveyed will be archaeologists,
> archivists, museums, heritage organizations, historic cemeteries,
> tribes, and preservationists.
>
> “We will look at organizational and financial stability, community
> engagement,  collaboration, programming, and outreach efforts,” said
> Kramer.
>
> Major and minor heritage organizations, among them the Oregon
> Historical Society, the Southern Oregon Historical Society, and the End
> of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City, reported
> financial and operational challenges during 2009. For example, the
> Oregon Historical Society lost nearly 70 percent of its public funding,
> one of the largest percentage losses among state historical societies
> surveyed recently by the American Association for State and Local
> History.
>
> The Oregon Heritage Commission coordinates, advocates, educates and
> promotes support for Oregon’s heritage community, organizations, and
> cultural resources. It is comprised of nine gubernatorial appointments
> and eight ex-officio members representing the geographic and cultural
> diversity of the state.
>
> For more information
> contact Kyle Jansson at 503-986-0673 or heritage.info at state.or.us
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-- 
Wendy Ann Wright
Portland State University
Anthropology Department
503-853-0595
www.web.pdx.edu/~waw
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a
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than giving our all to a difficult task."
BARACK OBAMA, Inauguration Speech, Jan 20, 2009