The Rio Grande National Forest (RGNF), which encompasses 1.82 million acres of the San Luis Valley and surrounding mountains in southern Colorado, has a long and unique history with evidence of human occupation dating as far back as 11,000 BCE. As a heritage intern for the Rio Grande National Forest, I have the opportunity to study the remarkable variety of prehistoric and historic archaeological sites associated with the various cultures in the Valley.

One common type of archaeological feature found in the area are culturally modified trees (CMT). The CMTs in the Rio Grande National Forest tend to come in two forms: peeled trees and arborglyphs. Peeled trees, mainly Ponderosa Pine, have portions of their exterior bark removed to access the cambium along with other substances like pitch and sap for food, medicine, and adhesive. Peeling also provides access to softer wood to make useful items, such as cradle boards and saddles. These trees are mainly associated with the Ute and Jicarilla Apache, although they are not exclusive to these groups. Arborglyphs are carvings, usually on aspen trees, that produce a visible image on the surface of the tree. Arborglyphs in the Rio Grande National Forest are associated with the Hispano and Basque sheepherders who have occupied the area since the mid-1800s.

Recently there has been an increasing interest in the "Bent Tree" phenomenon. This phenomenon refers to trees whose trunks are bent over. Interested observers refer to these trees as "Ute Prayer Trees," "Spirit Trees," "Burial Trees," or "Vortex Trees," and offer theories on why they are shaped the way they are and who might have done it. Many observers have pushed for the trees to be recognized as "living artifacts," even though there is no specific evidence that these trees were culturally modified or that they are associated with a particular culture in the area. Many naturally occurring factors have been shown to cause this type of deformity, including disease, parasites, snow load, damage from animals, etc.

The Colorado Council of Professional Archaeologists is developing a statement addressing the phenomenon, stating in support of the three Ute Tribes, that professional cultural resource managers and scientists oppose the proposal to qualify "Bent Trees" as "living artifacts." The representatives of the three Ute Tribes adamantly state that this was not an ancestral practice and are releasing their own statement to that effect. The "Bent trees" are relatively young and their growth date is well after the removal of the Ute from the area. However, this has not deterred the "Bent Tree" advocates. The Ute tribes have found it deeply concerning that unsanctioned tribal members and people outside of their culture are designating these trees as being culturally associated with the Ute, ignoring the tribes' statements. The cultural appropriation and/or cultural misrepresentation of a cultural group's history is especially disturbing when the proponents of these claims are profiting at the expense of the Ute tribes and an accurate representation of their cultural beliefs.

At a time in which programs such as Ancient Aliens on the History Channel have captured the popular imagination, there seems to be a push in archaeology to make things more "mysterious", "interesting," and/or "sexy" at any expense, regardless of the data. We must remember that one person's opinion does not establish a cultural fact. For too long a time archaeological history was interpreted solely by Euro-Americans regardless of the living culture associated with it. It is time we let people tell their own history.

The Rio Grande National Forest Heritage programs promote better public understanding of the cultural history of the forest, not only by studying the archaeological sites, but also by communicating with the living members of a culture. Presently we are planning field trips with Southern Ute STEM students to visit culturally modified trees and have also begun to document the oral histories of Hispanic sheepherders in Conejos County to better understand their historical movements and the patterns of sites associated with sheepherding, as well as help preserve their cultural history in their own words. This inclusion of cultural members telling the history of their own culture and practices will expand public understanding to the benefit of those communities and also the country as a whole.

By: Elena Jimenez, intern, Rio Grande National Forest

I have always been fascinated by the natural and cultural history of the southwest, specifically those in the four corners region (Arizona, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico). My curiosity sparked when I began to learn more about the establishment of California in middle school through the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Though I mostly learned about California (since I am from there), I was ambitious to learn and explore more about the other territories that were also involved in the treaty, such as Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Thanks to the Hispanic Access Foundation, I am currently pursuing my interests in the Southwest with the US Forest Service, specifically at Chimney Rock National Monument at the San Juan National Forest in Pagosa Springs, Colorado.

Similar to the Incan folxs down south in the Andes, Ancestral Puebloans (meaning the ancestors of Pueblo Nation Tribes) in the Southwest also settled on impressive high elevations, some being in the Rocky Mountains. Chimney Rock National Monument in Pagosa Springs, Colorado shares similar characteristics like that of Machu Picchu. Situated above 7,900 Feet in elevation, Ancestral Puebloans, around the period of the Pueblo II era (900 C.E- 1150 CE) migrated from Chaco Canyon (Around 90 Miles South of Pagosa Springs in the Heart of New Mexico) to settle on the High Mesa near the rocky pinnacles. More than 150 documented sites are recorded at the monument, the biggest attraction being The Great House Kiva which sits on top of the highest point of the mesa aligning with the rocky pinnacles. To the western world, the site is filled with mystery. What drove the Ancestral Puebloans to migrate from Chaco Canyon? How was the site even constructed with very scarce water sources on the mountain when the nearest river is 3 ½ miles below the mountain? Why did they abandoned the site and where did they go? To our tribal affiliates (which is about 25), however, they see it the opposite. Each tribe has their own belief and explanation in how their ancestors settled in Chimney Rock. More importantly, all tribes believe the site isn't abandoned but spiritually protected by their ancestors. Though these concepts are difficult for some westerners to understand, never the less, our tribal affiliates hold this site sacred and encourage the public to always treating it with respect. The monument opens for operation on May 15th and closes on September 30th.

Since my arrival to Pagosa Springs in January, I have been navigating various sectors of the Agency in the Forest Service, such as Range, Timber, Recreation, Wildlife Biology and Front Desk resources. In addition, I have also been working on translating brochures in Spanish and working on mobile applications such as the San Juan National Forest and Agents of Discovery. My goal with these apps is to connect more smartphone users to outdoor resources. Like Pokemon Go, Agents of Discovery is a kid's game app that teaches kids conservation and environmental education. Kids can launch the app at Chimney Rock and navigate the site with it by answering a series of trivia questions tailored around the flora, fauna and cultural artifacts of the monument.

If any Latinos in Colorado are interested, I can host Spanish Interpretative tours of the site. Come join me in Latino Conservation Week!

By: Jesse Portillo, intern, San Juan National Forest

Whacking away mosquitos in Long Creek, South Carolina surrounded by seasoned river advocates and paddlers, I put down my beer and had one of those moments where I happily wondered how I had even gotten there.

Sitting there, clothes still damp from the river and humidity, I listened in on the conversations that had sprouted about on the screened back porch. Jokes and stories of feats on the Chattooga river trip that we had just been on as well as reminisced memories of previous wild and scenic river trips, steadily kept a happy hum in the circle. These river enthusiasts had all come together in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wild & Scenic Rivers Act, the act that put in place the river system that I have the opportunity to help celebrate this year through my position with the Forest Service and Hispanic Access Foundation.

This interagency year-long celebration was put together to highlight, draw and reconnect communities of all backgrounds to their waterways. Diverse stories, art, presentations, films, conversations and action all being brought together by people’s love for their rivers. On this trip, I learned about the designation of the Chattooga from those that fought to keep it protected, what it takes to manage the river from a river ranger that cares for it and met people and families that love the Chattooga from having grown up alongside this river that runs between the Chattahoochee and Sumter National Forests.

I had been invited by a friend in the River Management Society to road trip down with her to experience the beautiful wild and scenic Chattooga river, a badass WoC in the whitewater hall of fame.I had met this friend on the Hill in DC while attending an event put together to celebrate wild and scenic rivers, an event that I had a chance to attend through this fellowship, a fellowship which I had applied for at the persistence of awesome friends while backpacking in Central America post-college graduation.

So this is how I, a Los Angeles native/Arizona local, Latinx advocate/nature enthusiast, ended up on this back porch in South Carolina, planning round two on the Chattooga for the next day.

Being from Los Angeles, I had thought rivers weren’t a big part of my life. But without the waterways of northern California (many of those designated wild and scenic) and the Colorado river, my Los Angeles would never have existed. One in every ten people get their water from a wild & scenic river, and we all get our water from some river source, it’s just a matter of tracing your personal connection.

P.S. Also, hey check out this article my friend Jack put together about our trip: https://www.americanrivers.org/2018/06/a-wild-scenic-adventure-on-the-ch...

By Melissa Martinez, intern

Hispanic Access Foundation is pleased to announce its 2015 Latino Heritage Internship Program in partnership with the National Park Service.

This program is designed to engage the next generation of conservation stewards and raise awareness about our national parks and historic sites, their accessibility and the need for the Latino community’s involvement in their preservation.

HAF will select and oversee twenty highly motivated undergraduate and graduate students to work alongside National Park Service staff on cultural resources projects across the nation. These ten-week internships will be compensated with a weekly stipend, and housing and transportation costs will be fully covered. The deadline to apply is March 31.

These internships will be performed onsite at over a dozen locations nationwide and will focus on a variety of areas of study including history, architecture, archaeology, anthropology, museum studies, communications, and other related fields.

Today, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell designated San Diego’s Chicano Park, a community hub widely recognized as playing a key role in civil rights efforts by local Latinos, as a National Historic Landmark.

“The inclusion of Chicano Park as a National Historic Landmark is important because today less than 8 percent of the 2,500 National Historic Landmarks represent ethnic and minority groups,” said Manuel Galaviz, a University of Texas graduate student who co-authored the initial nomination. “This does not indicate that ethnic minorities have not contributed to the making of the United States; rather it is reflective on the limited access these groups have had towards claiming, conserving, and preserving their social history.”

Galaviz served as a Hispanic Access intern as part of the National Park Service’s Latino Heritage Internship Program during the summer of 2015. In this capacity, he co-authored the National Historic Landmark (NHL) nomination for Chicano Park, which was later unanimously approved by the NHL committee to be recommended for designation.

Chicano Park was created in 1970 after residents of Barrio Logan protested the construction of a California Highway Patrol Substation beneath a nearby bridge. Residents in the community united to initiate a nonviolent people’s land takeover and prevented the development. The National Historic Landmark validates the work of many including Josephine Talamantez, a founding member of Chicano Park, author of its National Register nomination and co-author of the National Landmark nomination.

“Chicano Park listing as a National Landmark is a validation to the Chicano/Latino/Indigenous community of the San Diego/Tijuana Border region and the Nation as a whole. This commemoration recognizes the local Chicano community’s efforts at self-determination. We defined and honored our contributions towards the building of the City of San Diego—economically, socially, politically, and culturally,” said Talamantez. “Prior to the establishment of Chicano Park the Chicano/Mexicano/Mexican American community was invisible to the powers that be. The establishment of Chicano Park brought pride and voice to our community and became the tipping point in our mutual relationships.

“We appreciate Secretary Jewell recognizing the importance of places like Chicano Park,” said Maite Arce, president and CEO of Hispanic Access. “This underscores the Administration’s focus on protecting landscapes and sites that ensue from the input of local communities and tell stories that share our rich and diverse cultural history.”

On Friday July 22nd, the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation in Boston, Massachusetts visited the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections Department to learn about the history of Villa Victoria and Puerto Rican culture in Boston’s South End. Julián Huertas, a Designing the Parks intern for the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation through the Hispanic Access Foundation and the Latino Heritage Internship Program, planned and coordinated the event for Latino Conservation Week, which promotes civic engagement and education of Latinos in the United States about the outdoors, preservation, and conservation.

With an archivist at Northeastern University, the group toured the archive facility and analyzed the extensive archived reports, papers, documents, maps, city plans, and photographs of Villa Victoria in the South End of Boston. In the 1960s, the Boston Redevelopment Authority labeled Parcel 19, the twenty-acre community in the South End that contained about 2,000 Puerto Ricans, as an area for urban renewal. The residents, understanding that redevelopment would price them out, took action and collectively gained the support from other local residents, neighbors, priests, architects, college volunteers, and redevelopment professionals. The Puerto Rican residents eventually did win the right to keep Villa Victoria and stay in Parcel 19, marking a landmark event in the city of Boston that demonstrates to this day the significance of Puerto Rican heritage and culture, grass-roots activism, political organization, civil liberties, and historic preservation.

After the visit to the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections Department, the group visited Villa Victoria in person to experience the current ethos and atmosphere of the community. The neighborhood and community is still incredibly alive, vibrant, and proud of their heritage. The history and legacy of Latino culture perseveres in Boston and New England as the success of Villa Victoria is still remembered to this day.

The places that represent Latino and Hispanic history are incredibly varied—architecturally, geographically, and in terms of their impact on American society. Some sites were integral to the 20th-century farm workers’ movement, while others represent religious tolerance in a diverse community. Still others maintain visible marks from the artists who painted on their walls, and many sites were at one time frequented by famous guests.

According to Maite Arce, President and CEO of the Hispanic Access Foundation (a nonprofit organization that connects Latino communities to create a more equitable society), “This time is more important than ever to speak about [Latino] heritage and its connection to this country.”

To shine a light on such places, the Hispanic Access Foundation’s Latino Heritage Scholars released the 2017 Place, Story, and Culture Report, which documents 10 significant places in Latino history worth preserving. Many of these places already are in the process of being saved, thanks to community-led, grassroots efforts, and are ready for the next step of national recognition.

The report was created by scholars Manuel G. Galaviz, Norma Hartell, and Ashleyann Perez-Rivera, and it includes a range of places like Rio Vista Farm in Socorro, Texas (a National Treasure of the National Trust), Santa Rita Hall in Phoenix, Arizona, and Pueblo of Tortugas in southern New Mexico. Site selection was based not only on these places' contributions to Latino and American history, but also on their likelihood of receiving additional protections.

Below, read about three of the listed sites in California—Balmy Alley, Forty Acres, and McDonnell Hall—that reflect significant moments in Latino history and continue to provide support for their communities.

Balmy Alley (San Francisco)

A block-long alley in the Mission District of San Francisco, Balmy Alley is best known for its collection of vibrant murals. Latino artists have been contributing their murals to the space since the 1970s. According to Latino Heritage Scholar Norma Hartell, the “beautiful artworks shed light on human rights and political issues.”

Like other sites in the Place, Story, and Culture Report list, Balmy Alley’s artwork was created thanks to a strong investment on behalf of the Mission District’s community. The Chicano mural movement—particularly a group of Latina artists known as the Mujeres Muralistas—is strongly associated with the site. The Muralistsas were some of the first artists to start painting murals in Balmy Alley in 1974. Patricia Rodriguez, Graciella Carillo, Consualo Mendez, and Irene Perez, Hartell says, “brought fine art to the streets and added women into the Chicano movment’s cultural narrative.”

In addition to its famous murals, Balmy Alley is also the site of a famous 1960s court case. Seven young Latinos, called Los Siete de la Raza, were accused of murdering a police officer in the neighborhood in 1969. All seven were acquitted, and the historical moment was a victory for an intersection of the Latino community, Black Panthers, and other group fighting for social justice.

Balmy Alley’s murals—and the stories that surround them—are ephemeral, and the neighborhood is facing threats of gentrification. Balmy Alley’s community, as well as local historical societies, are currently pushing towards nominating the site as a National Historic Landmark.

McDonnell Hall (San Jose)

First built in 1914, Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Mission Chapel (more commonly known as McDonnell Hall) was originally the home of the Saint Martin of Tours Catholic Parish in west San Jose. But as Latinos began moving to central California in the 1930s and ‘40s, a growing need for Spanish-speaking Catholic churches brought priest Father Donald McDonnell to the area.

In the early 1950s, McDonnell moved to Sal Si Puedes (“Get Out If You Can”) in East San Jose and soon after addressed the segregated barrio’s need for an easily accessible spiritual center. He purchased McDonnell Hall from the Saint Martin of Tours Catholic Parish and physically moved it to Sal Si Puedes. According to scholar and historic consultant to the Cesar Chavez Special Resource Study Ray Rast, “the building itself was sawed in half and loaded onto trucks” before being relocated to its new home.

Father McDonnell and McDonnell Hall was also a source of inspiration for activist and labor movement leader Cesar E. Chavez. Chavez, who had never received a formal education, learned about a variety of subjects under McDonnell’s guidance—including philosophy and civil rights. Playwright, actor, writer, and film director Luis Valdez once said that “Father McDonnell was Cesar’s college.”

Rast explains that McDonnell Hall “reflected a Catholic investment in America. We needed our churches to support us.” The church was the only enough space for civic gatherings in the barrio, so community members like Mexican-American civil rights leader Fred Ross went there to organize and connect to other strong voices in the movement. McDonnell Hall and other parishes sent food, clothes, and aid, to activists in their communities; they often helped organize marches.

In 2016, McDonnell Hall was designated as a National Historic Landmark. It still functions as a parish hall, but it continues tying its work to justice and empowerment with gatherings, group meals, and educational and social events. Rast says, “the space is still very much alive.”

Forty Acres (Delano, California)

Forty Acres is a National Historic Landmark located in Delano, California. Its significance is based less on its architecture than on its rich history—according to Rast, it was the “unsung hero of the farm workers’ movement.” Richard Chavez, Cesar Chavez’s younger brother, spent much of his life cultivating what eventually became Forty Acres.

The property was first used as a gas station, which reflected the needs of the Latino laborers who lived and worked in the area. It later included a clinic that provided affordable healthcare to the farm workers and the Paolo Agbayani Retirement Village for aging Latino and Filipino laborers who had nowhere else to go. These and other buildings on the property fulfilled needs that, at that time, were being ignored by farm workers’ employers and the U.S. Government.

Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, heads of the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (later the United Farm Workers of America Union), purchased the property in 1966. Forty Acres became the union’s headquarters—the first agricultural labor union in the United States. Chavez and other union members organized there to create the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, which recognized the collective bargaining for farm workers in California. He even performed his last public fast there in 1988 to protest unsuitable labor conditions.

Today, according to Rast, “the land is still cared for, loved, and used.” It is currently owned by the Cesar Chavez Foundation, and it continues to function in tandem with the farm workers’ union. The site is also transitioning towards a stronger focus on the historic preservation movement, particularly with its National Historic Landmark designation. And, Rast says, “it is still the beating heart of the labor movement.”

By: Carson Bear

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Given Hispanic Access Foundation's mission and vision we encourage those who culturally identify as Latino/a to apply; however we do not discriminate with regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, personal appearance, marital status, familial status, family responsibility, pregnancy or other pregnancy-related conditions, childbirth, disability, military/veteran status, citizenship status, religion or political affiliation, or any other status protected by federal or state law, local ordinance or Executive Orders. The Hispanic Access Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

The US Forest Service (USFS) and Hispanic Access Foundation (HAF) have partnered to support the next generation of conservation and environmental stewards through the Resource Assistant Program (RAP). This partnership aims to build a strong community of inspired, skilled, motivated Latinx leaders through substantial work experience, building skills required for success in natural and cultural resource careers. RAP fellows are placed at USFS national forests and offices throughout the U.S. and support the Forest Service mission to care for the land and serve the people.

Fellows are introduced to various tasks and projects such as lands management, conservation education, resource interpretation, and rehabilitation activities through their assignments on public lands across the country. Fellows will receive specialized training opportunities, mentoring and ongoing support from Forest Service and HAF staff to effectively carry out their assignments.

Project Goal & Objectives

The RA program facilitates work and learning experiences for participants under the supervision and mentoring of Forest Service and Hispanic Access staff, while contributing to mission-critical thinking, and strategic communication.

The program aims to:

• Engage highly motivated candidates through internships working alongside Forest Service staff
• Instill stewardship values in next generation of natural and cultural resource management professionals through career exploration and professional development
• Expand and enhance the capacity of the Forest Service to accomplish mission-critical work and high-priority projects
• Attract and retain a diverse and inclusive workforce to support the Forest Service’s mission to “sustain the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations”

After completing a minimum of 960 hours of satisfactory work as an RA, and obtaining a post-secondary degree (associate degree or higher), RAs may become eligible for the RAP noncompetitive hiring authority and receive a 2-year certificate of eligibility. This certificate enables participants to apply to internal merit announcements for qualifying, permanent General Schedule (GS) Forest Service positions.

Basic Eligibility

• Individuals ages 18 and up
• Possess U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
• Have a strong interest and/or relevant experience in areas pertaining to natural and cultural resource management
• Bilingual skills (Spanish/English) are preferred but not required for all positions
• Be available to work full-time (40 hours per week) throughout the duration of the fellowship (timeframes are usually 6 months but some positions vary)
• Preference is given to students enrolled in or graduates of a 4-year degree program.

Selection criteria

Candidates may express interest in specific sites while completing their application. Specific assignments will be based on best fit with the unique requirements of each USFS forest and/or office. Final candidates will undergo a background check before beginning their assignment. Applications will be reviewed and rated according to the following criteria:

• Relevant educational and work experience
• Oral and written communication skills
• Professionalism, technical knowledge, and expertise
• Adaptability and ability to work effectively with diverse audiences.
• For all sites, priority will be given to local candidates
• Applications will be reviewed as they are received