Summit Highlights

Peace All! I am very pleased to have the opportunity to enter into further dialogue about the "Next Generation of America's Parks: New Models and Opportunities" session which I did attend! I thank all the presenters for their contributions to that session. During my attendance at the summit, I forwarded the idea of having "National Heritage Area Ambassadors." I am vetted with the White House as an Expert Commissioner for the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor which is a NHA. I worked on this from being a grassroots leader in getting the legislation passed to being the chair of the GMP which will soon be released for public review. So, I have seen the best and worst practices regarding the NHA process and I truly believe that if those of us that LIVE the heritage that the NHAs are created to tell the stories of are a team of ambassadors for this part of the work connected to the national park system, we will see a swell in support of the existing NHAs and design a better model of what the roles are for those that are in the NHAs and their relationship to the NPS and DOI. I have already stated to Alan Spears of the NPCA that I will GLADLY lead a group, committee, or other body to create this ambassadors program. Another aspect of what you have captured here is near and dear to my heart and is the same topic that I have brought up at numerous meetings over the almost 20 years of my work with the NPS, indigenous people should be seen as partners! This should mean both the groups that are already a part of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the other indigenous people that are not "categorized" in the same way such as the Gullah/Geechees. The knowledge of indigenous people can be a great asset not only to the management of these publicly owned lands, but in telling the entire story of the diverse populations that have lived on and created history on them over thousands of years! The next century needs to reflect all people in the national park system and this can be a major beginning because there are already people willing to be partners as has been evidenced at the "America's Great Outdoors" event and the "America's Summit on National Parks" event. Interactive engagement with women at NPS sites that are telling the stories of women at each of these sites can go quite a long way in the minds of the taxpayers that we need to support our national park system. This can be a re-education program that is conducted with those of us that are living historians teaching new methods to national park rangers. I have been doing this for more than 30 years and I have worked with NPCA to give such presentations at various events that we have worked on and others that I have worked on and co-hosted with different NPS programs. I would love to hear from someone regarding entering a cooperative agreement to do this throughout the national parks. All of this will further progress in insuring more diverse stories of different ethnic groups and cultures and of women being told in the NPS. These new models will then create new partnership opportunities and the implementation of them will no doubt create new community engagement and partnership opportunities as well. Once the face of the parks begin to reflect those of all the people of the United States, the more the national parks will become relevant to all citizens. I look forward to the outcome of all the work that is being done. Please call on me to be an active part of the process. Peace, Queen Quet Chieftess of the Gullah/Geechee Nation

Medical advances and technology are making it possible for this population to experience the national parks and surrounding areas. The parks and surrounding communities have to work together and promote one another and how they relate to each other and become the foundation for a memorable trip and not one of frustration and disappointment. The “dots” of travel to and from a park need to be connected. Accessibility issues have to be recognized, promoted, and blended in for the new models which will provide opportunities for this population.

We should not just be talking about planning and study regarding expansion of the National Park System. There are already obvious gaps in the National Park System that we could address right now. There are areas that have already been studied and found appropriate for addition to the System. We should be talking about the urgent need to add areas to the National Park System NOW. As Edward O. Wilson, a member of the National Parks Second Century Commission stated: "I think that aside from constantly increasing support for the National Park System, we must consider the vision of what is to come. We should think about the use of national parks in mitigating the effects of climate change, promoting science and science education, saving endangered species, and increasing the quality of life in America by growing the parks in number, in total area, and accessibility to the American people. "The National Park System needs a vision…. That’s what we should be talking about—expanding the National Park System, not scrambling for crumbs to keep it going. It should be part of the national vision of what will make America great." (National Parks magazine, Summer 2008 http://www.npca.org/magazine/2008/summer/the-eyes-of-a-visionary.html) Based on what I heard at the Summit, many people agree with Dr. Wilson. However, I don't get any sense of this kind of bold vision anywhere in the highlights of the Summit, or in the Statement of Principles. It needs to be included.