The Historic Preservation Office is committed to encouraging Osage youth to learn, participate, and promote Osage cultural preservation. The Advisory Council for Historic Preservation has published several documents to educate Native youth on Historic Preservation and how to get involved. For more information on how Osage youth can get involved with our office, please contact the Historic Preservation Office at 918.287.5328 or @email

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation logo

Historic Preservation:
Information For Native Youth

What is historic preservation?

Historic preservation includes identification, evaluation, recordation, documentation, curation, acquisition, protection, management, rehabilitation, restoration, stabilization maintenance, research,
interpretation and conservation of historic sites, buildings, structures objects, and records. It is sometimes called cultural resources management (CRM) and can also include the preservation of languages and cultural practices.

What does the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) do?

The ACHP is the U.S. government agency that oversees the historic preservation process (also called the “Section 106 process”) requiring federal agencies to consider the impacts their projects (such as highway construction or oil pipelines) may have on historic properties and to consult with Indian tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations (NHOs). Section 106 also allows the ACHP to review and comment on these projects.

Image shows a youth member plastering a wall during a workshop in New Mexico

What is the ACHP Native Youth Program?
In 2015, the ACHP launched a Native Youth Program in response to President Obama’s announcement of the Generation Indigenous (Gen-I) initiative and to concerns of tribal representatives that not enough Native youth knew about historic preservation. The program’s primary goal is to generate interest in historic preservation in general, and help the next generation of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, tribal and NHO representatives, and Native citizens support the preservation of their resources and important places.

What does the ACHP Office of Native American Affairs (ONAA) do?

ONAA, established in 1998, oversees the ACHP’s Native American initiatives, such as the Native Youth Program. ONAA staff also addresses critical issues brought to the ACHP by Indian tribes, NHOs and intertribal organizations, and ensures consultation with Indian tribes and NHOs takes place effectively.

How can I get involved in historic preservation?

Native youth can get involved in historic preservation in a number of ways:

  • Talk with elders and others in your Indian tribe or NHO
  • Track preservation activities and events on social media
  • Participate in local preservation activities
  • Look for internships with an Indian tribe, NHO, museum, federal agency, or CRM firm
  • Take college courses or pursue a degree in history, archaeology, anthropology, museum studies, or historic preservation and related fields.

Why should I get involved in historic preservation?

Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws and participating in these legal processes is one way Indian tribes and NHOs can protect places important to them. These programs can also benefit from youth engagement in historic preservation in a number of ways:

  • Transferring tribal or Native Hawaiian knowledge between generations takes place when working to preserve places and the practices associated with them.
  • Tribal or Native Hawaiian lifeways are perpetuated into the future, while at the same time increasing knowledge about the past.
  • Knowledge of and involvement with environmental/cultural preservation and management of scarce resources is increased.
  • Connections to ancestral places and landscapes are established and maintained.

History is written in and on the landscape for many Indian tribes and NHOs, and preservation of these places is important for maintaining and protecting Native knowledge. Without preservation, this knowledge cannot be handed to the next generation. Historic preservation is cultural preservation for many tribes and NHOs.

Where can I go to get information or to ask questions?

Staff in the ACHP’s Office of Native American Affairs is always available to answer your questions and help you navigate the world of historic preservation. The best way to reach us is to send an email to @email.

If you are interested in more information about federal historic preservation, check out the ACHP’s webpage at www.achp.gov. You can find Native-specific information and guidance on ONAA’s webpage at www.achp.gov/nap. And, you can “like” us at https://www.facebook.com/Preservation-Indigenous-Native-Youth-618814861585123/.