Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Samantha Jetzer | 230418-N-ML137-1012 KEKAHA, Hawai‘i (April 18, 2023) Tara del Fierro, cultural...... read more read more
“I was just always interested in culture and how those stories continue to be told,” said Tara del Fierro, cultural resources manager for Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), Barking Sands. “Everyone here is part of history. ”
Del Fierro grew up on the Hawaiian Islands of Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. While in high school, she was part of an Aloha ʻĀina (love of the land) club where she was able to go to Kahoʻolawe island near Maui. This island is protected by the Kahoʻolawe Island Reserve Commission which is focussed on restoring the island’s natural and cultural resources following the use of the island as a bombing test site for the U.S. Navy in the 1960s. She described how she was able to assist with the island’s restoration on her trip there by learning about the cultural sites, planting native species and helping with other projects to preserve the area’s natural landscape.
“There were a number of archaeological sites that we talked about, but I wasn't paying much attention to them,” reflects del Fierro. “I later began to understand how it's important in an academic setting. We look at history and see who the victors are, the ones who write history. We don't have the marginalized people or minorities taking part in that picture and narration of history.”
She went on to study anthropology (the scientific study of humanity through time and space) at Leeward Community College on Oʻahu where she began to immerse herself in archaeology (the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material remains). After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in anthropology at the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, she entered the private archaeology field as an archaeological field technician. After a few years in Hawaiʻi, she applied to graduate school at the New Mexico State University to obtain a master's degree in anthropology focusing in southwestern archaeology. Having the unique experience of working in Hawaiʻi, New Mexico, Arizona, and Native American Tribal Nations, she is always conscious of indigenous people's culture and histories. While she was working there, a federal position opened up at PMRF on Kauaʻi. She applied as she wanted a chance to be able to work in the Hawaiian Islands and be closer to her family.
“It was kind of a way home because I didn't know how long I was going to be there,” said del Fierro. “I have grandparents from here. I grew up on Oʻahu and Kauaʻi. It all just fell into place because otherwise I would not have been able to come back here.”
Del Fierro has genealogy tracing to ancestors and family members from all the Hawaiian islands. She now has the opportunity to be able to have a say in the types of projects that are conducted on the west side of Kauaʻi.
“Native peoples should continue to empower themselves and be part of their history,” explains del Fierro. “Some people like to think that archaeologists only deal with dead and gone cultures. But in Hawaiʻi, there's still people. It's a living culture.”
Overall, there are many things that fall under the scope of cultural resources at PMRF. These can include sites ranging from ancient Hawaiian or Polynesian history, plantation era, WWII, Cold War to present day. Some of her duties include; ensuring new prospective projects do not impact existing cultural resources; ensuring mitigation efforts are done with respect to the site; collecting as much data from an excavation site as possible when disturbing the grounds, as well as consultations with Native Hawaiian Organizations and Regulatory Agencies for compliance to 36 CFR Part 800. Compliance with federal regulations regarding protections of cultural and natural resources is important in order to preserve these various pieces of history for future generations to come and experience them as we are able to today.
“Everything that we do, how we interact with everyone, is an expression of culture,” said del Fierro. “I'm part of this history in the special aspect that I come from the local community.”
PMRF began to write its history at the start of the Cold War era due to the introduction of the Regulus Missile testing program in the early 1960s. Items that fall under the scope of cultural resources can range from artifacts, traditional cultural property, historic buildings, man-made features on the landscape, events associated with important events or people in history, etc. Preservation of these resources can range from avoidance (to not disturb an area) to mitigation (disturbing the area to protect it from something, such as removing an invasive species or conducting renovations on it).
“We don't want to impact anything because we want to keep things as they are to the best of our abilities,” said del Fierro. “We also don't want to neglect something and then it keeps falling away. It’s about finding the balance. Archaeology is an inherently destructive science, but the purpose of why we do what we do is because we're interested in preserving history.”
Del Fierro said that the excavation aspect of the job can make archeology unpopular to some people as archeologists are known to remove items from a site instead of leaving it alone. Sometimes though this is necessary for preservation as the removal can protect these resources from damage or being lost to history.
“Archeology has to consider the resource and research questions beforehand,” explains del Fierro. “We have to think about resource preservation, the consultation, or technologies and limitations.”
When times for excavation are required, it’s incredibly important to gather as much information as possible while disturbing the ground since the item will never be in the same “context” ever again. The placement of this item in the ground can explain the relationship it had with anything else from the time it was buried. It can explain what era it was from, why it was used, who used it, any events going on during that time, in addition to so much other information.
“You want to make sure that you do the best job you can because this is our one shot to do it right,” said del Fierro. “You need to make sure to get all the information from the excavation as you can with the least amount of damage to the landscape.”
Del Fierro expressed how she will always be in learning mode. Listening to stories from the local community about the history and cultural practices of the area will continue to help her do her job better and with the most respect. She explains that when it comes to history, there is always something to learn, and these lessons from history can be applied to our everyday lives.
“It always comes full circle because we can't live without each other,” said del Fierro. “We’re all connected. We're always changing. We’re always moving forward. If we think about ourselves and the people we interact with, we're never alone. Culture is community so people should take pride in their history. Come ask me questions. I could learn from them.”
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2023 20:57 |
| Story ID: | 445146 |
| Location: | KEKAHA, HAWAII, US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Living Culture with Past Traditions, We All Are Part of History, by PO1 Samantha Jetzer, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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