A Rare Conversation: A Proactive Approach to Cultural Resources Management in Pima County

Abstract

This thesis develops a programmatic approach for Pima County to use in collaboration with interested Native American tribes that will formulate a multifaceted value system when it is implemented. The Pima County Office of Sustainability and Conservation seeks an approach to heritage management of lands acquired for conservation purposes that will give Pima County the authority to take proactive measures in cultural resources management and improve collaboration with interested tribes. Through meetings conducted during the summer and fall of 2017, I determined the interests of tribes in collaborating in County initiatives. I documented tribal concerns about a proactive approach to cultural resources management and developed a programmatic approach for Pima County to use in future collaboration with tribes to develop management plans for County conservation lands. This collaborative approach acknowledges the connections of Indigenous groups to landscapes in Pima County. Waiting for destructive processes to impact conservation lands is an inaction that land managers and stewards cannot afford to take. The programmatic approach I develop in this thesis will set a new standard for land management practices that may be applicable to other local governments.