TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Tyndall AFB hosted representatives from five Native American tribes at its first-ever tribal historic preservation meeting here Jan. 18-19.
The base and its surrounding area are home to many different nations that claim ancestral and ongoing ties to the land, and the Air Force is required by law to consider the impact of all its activities and projects on cultural resources, including archaeology, architecture and other areas of past human activity.
During the visit, the representatives learned about the mission at Tyndall AFB, its unique environmental issues, previous prehistoric and historic findings on base and how the Air Force interacts with federally-recognized tribes. They also discussed a number of issues with base leaders, improving relations and developing plans to improve coordination and consultations in the future.
“The objective is to achieve agreements that are mutually beneficial to the tribe and Tyndall AFB,” said David Cushman, a facilitator for the meeting.
The first meeting emphasized understanding how to move forward with future consultations.
“It is understood that in a situation like this, you need to establish those personal connections and to start building relationships with people,” Cushman said. “That’s a really critical component of the negotiating process.”
Tyndall was once home to many different indigenous people, and the Seminole Nation in particular was forced from the area in the 1800s during the Second Seminole War, said Emman Spain, a tribal historic preservation officer for the Thlopthlocco Tribal Town of Oklahoma. “Since we were forced off this land, we know we left a lot of things here, like our ancestral remains.”
Archeologists have found numerous sites on Tyndall that are culturally significant to these tribes, and consultations provide common ground for all invested parties.
The consultation process is required by federal laws like the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historic Preservation Act.
“As stewards of this land, it is your responsibility to follow federal laws in place to preserve the resources here, which includes our cultural resources, from the time our ancestors were here in this area,” Spain said.