From amateur digs in the not-so-distant past to government permitted excavations, Tribes have had to navigate the challenges of protecting their cultural heritage while operating within the framework of current Federal and State laws.  In addition to those challenges, interest in archaeology and local history has increased demand for events where the public can interact with professionals during excavations, Tribal people and representatives, or historians, linguists, and ethnographers in lectures and demonstrations.  Chris Bailey will be sharing some examples of how the Historic Preservation Office of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde engages with the public, government, and the discipline of archaeology in order to meet their goals of protecting belongings and places important to the Tribes. 

Chris Bailey is a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde.  He is a graduate of Western Oregon University and the University of Oregon.  In his capacity as the Cultural Protection Specialist for his tribe, Chris develops relationships with state and local agencies throughout Grand Ronde’s Ceded Lands with the goal of ensuring cultural resources are preserved in order to honor the past and provide for the future.  He was a licensed high school teacher and continues to be an educator, albeit not necessarily in a classroom setting.  He has organized tribal youth archaeology camps, engaged in public archaeology events, and given presentations on a variety of topics related to his work and Tribe.   Chris is a collector of stories and hobbies and can talk for hours on a diverse variety of topics; so be prepared if you get him engaged in a conversation.