SEASHORE PLAN ADDRESSES NATIVE CULTURE
A recently released General Management Plan for the Cape Cod National Seashore draws on research by MIT Sea Grant anthropologist and marine liaison Madeleine Hall-Arber.
Focusing on people with historical ties to the 43,000-acre region stretching from Brewster to Provincetown, Dr. Hall-Arber interviewed Wampanoags, Cape Verdeans, Portuguese and Portuguese-Americans about ways the National Seashore might better meet their needs. While all expressed approval for the park's preservation of natural resources, many also noted that native histories and cultures were not properly represented by the Park. Dr. Hall-Arber said those interviewed also felt that their current needs, such as access to the land, winter programming and educational outreach, were not adequately addressed.
According to the new plan, the park will seek to form better partnerships with these communities and better represent their contributions to Cape Cod. The project was funded by MIT Sea Grant and the National Park Service. (Source: Andrea Cohen, Spring/Summer 1996 issue of Nor'Easter).
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on September 25, 1996.
