Guardians of Heritage: Why We Must Protect NPS Cultural Resource Positions
Our national parks aren't just breathtaking landscapes; they are living museums and sacred grounds, preserving America's rich, diverse history. At their heart are cultural resource professionals – experts like cultural anthropologists, tribal liaisons, archaeologists, architectural historians, historians, compliance specialists, and museum curatorial staff. They act as a vital bridge between the National Park Service (NPS) and Indigenous communities, ensuring their sovereign rights and cherished traditions are honored on ancestral lands. When cultural resource roles are threatened by budget and staffing cuts, it's not just a blow to the NPS; it's a profound betrayal of a sacred trust Americans must uphold to honor our past and safeguard these irreplaceable legacies for future generations.
The scope of the work cultural resource professionals do is immense. These professionals navigate complex relationships with hundreds of federally recognized Tribes,Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, and other descendant communities. Imagine the deep respect and countless hours involved in thousands of tribal consultations each year. These aren't simple meetings; they're acts of reconciliation and collaboration, building understanding, and honoring diverse perspectives. The NPS has a rocky history in tribal relations, but has spent significant time in recent years attempting to reconcile this history and forge a new relationship with Tribal Nations through bolstering its commitment to tribal consultation and through co-stewardship agreements to formalize collaboration and increase tribal involvement in managing ancestral lands now within national parks. This shift also includes updating repatriation regulations, integrating Indigenous perspectives into park programs, and incorporating Traditional Ecological Knowledge into land management, all aiming to heal historical relationships. While the NPS still has a long way to go, many Parks and individual leaders have committed the past few years to building better relationships that bring us closer to these goals.
This important work is under severe threat as the very ability of NPS cultural resource staff to do their jobs is being crippled by administration changes. Cuts to staffing, frozen funding, travel limitations, and further proposed budget cuts have already abruptly halted critical projects for cultural documentation, historical research, and training and will impact more. These vital conduits for external expertise and collaborative efforts are being shattered, weakening the NPS’s ability to protect our history and nurture essential relationships. It's like asking a surgeon to operate without their instruments—impossible and irresponsible.
The impact of these proposed cuts and the loss of cultural resource professionals is felt across all specializations. Cultural anthropologists, tribal liaisons, archaeologists, and museum curators are all being pushed to their limits, and it’s set to get much worse.
Recent reports indicate a dramatic decline in the NPS workforce. Since January 2025, the NPS has lost 24% of its permanent staff, a staggering reduction that leaves parks scrambling with bare-bones crews Cut to the Bone · National Parks Conservation Association. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 suggests even deeper cuts, including slashing funding for full-time permanent employees from an estimated $1.03 billion in 2025 to $714 million in 2026, a decrease that could mean several more positions are lost How the National Park System Is Faring Under Trump | TIME. Cultural programs specifically are facing a proposed 60% cut to their funding, and the Historic Preservation Fund, which supports state and tribal preservation efforts, could see a 70% reduction, or $158 million 'Bleak vision': New details emerge on National Park Service cuts. Some estimates suggest these cuts could effectively wipe out budgets and staffing for at least 350 of the 433 national park units. If a further reduction in force occurs, the NPS’s fundamental ability to fulfill federal obligations will be undermined, crippling the crucial work cultural resource professionals do to preserve America's diverse cultural heritage and maintain respectful relationships.
These cultural resource positions within the NPS are not optional; they are a legal and moral requirement. They embody our nation's commitment to honoring its past, respecting Indigenous peoples, and safeguarding irreplaceable heritage for future generations. The proposed budget cuts by the administration and the potential reduction in staff are not merely financial adjustments or administrational changes; they are direct threats to the NPS's core mission and, more importantly, to the sovereign rights and cultural continuity of the Tribal Nations the NPS works with.
In summary, the National Park Service's cultural resource professionals are the bedrock of its mission to preserve America's historical and cultural integrity. Their expertise and dedication are indispensable for maintaining respectful relationships with Indigenous communities and upholding the legal and moral obligations tied to these historically and culturally significant lands. Allowing budget cuts and staffing reductions to compromise their vital work would be a grave disservice to our nation's heritage and a profound breach of trust with Tribal Nations. It is imperative that we, as the American public, advocate for the full support and protection of these essential roles, ensuring that our national parks remain beacons of history, culture, and reconciliation for all time.
Tune in for the next newsletter as we discuss specific impacts cultural resource professionals are facing from administrational directives, delving deeper into the real-world consequences of these cuts on the ground in our beloved national parks. Let us know if there are any particular topics you’d like to see covered, and keep following Resistance Rangers!