Research Project Description
Caltrans District 1 Tribal Corridor Management Plan
Project Number: 2604
Research Project:Caltrans and local tribes have expressed interest in creating a plan for design features that highlight Native American culture where a state highway runs through tribal land. Tribal symbols, information kiosks, fencing, native plantings, and other features can be made consistent with existent transportation and downtown plans, allowing also for public input. The non-standard principles of the highway project will help guide future transportation plans, construction projects and maintenance activities when located on or near Native American reservations or Rancherias in California. This project will also give the public a sense of place when entering tribal lands, and an awareness of the history, culture, and vitality of the area.
Principal Investigators: Mary Scoggin, Associate Professor, Humboldt State University; Joy Adams, Assistant Professor, Humboldt State University
Team members: Alan Leventhal (RA) San José State University; Mark McCoy (RA) San José State University
Institution:
Mineta Transportation Institute
Telephone Number:
(408) 924-7560
Email Address: mti@mti.sjsu.edu
Project Objective:
This project will educate the public about Native American tribes, and help reflect a tribe’s strong sense of pride, both of which can help deter vandalism and help reduce maintenance/repair cost. This project demonstrates a partnership between Caltrans and local tribes in addressing the issues and concerns of each organization. Once completed, this project will first be applied to highway 96 on Hoopa tribal land, and subsequently serve as a blueprint for other corridors in District 1 and all of California.
Design features will help establish awareness of the distinctiveness of tribal territory for both residents and travelers. The project will enhance environmental resources by incorporating native plantings and marking geographic features as design features in projects. Environmental enhancements may improve natural road maintenance and mitigate other transportation projects. With better coordination between maintenance and construction activities with cultural activities and spaces, the needs of both will be better served. The end result of this project will be improved environmental aesthetics for residents and tourists, which can spark a stronger localized economy.
More broadly, the pilot project will also enhance understanding and communication between a number of key organizations that work within the area, including regional tribes, local government and cultural organizations, and Humboldt State University.
Project Abstract:This research is an interactive project between Caltrans and several key organizations in the Humboldt area, including the Native American Hoopa tribe.
Caltrans and California Native American tribes have expressed interest in creating a highway design plan that highlights Native American culture when a state highway runs through tribal lands. Utilization of tribal symbols, information kiosks, fencing, native plantings, and other features that highlight Native American culture can be coordinated with existing transportation and downtown plans, and will help establish awareness of the unique tribal cultures for residents and travelers alike.
Improvements to state highways as they run through tribal lands, utilizing native foliage and considering geographic features can provide an exemplary model of active partnership between government and civic institutions, ultimately helping roads distinguish boundaries and connect communities.
Milestones Dates:
I. MTI report, including academic and ethnographic literature review
Task 1: Literature review
Mary, Joy, Alan, Mark to submit lists of potential sources and keywords, assign to Humboldt and SJSU students, annotated bibliographies, copies of key texts (electronic when possible).
Task 2: Assemble research team
Including PIs, students, filming crew.
Task 3: Complete first round of literature review
Include an annotated bibliography.
Task 4: Document management process in notes and film
Document management process in notes and film, when possible and desirable. Draft report on best practices for finding research team members; sources, institutions, projects, training procedures and institutional process. Submit for review by team members.
Task 5: Finish literature review
Finish literature review. Compile categories for selected review by team. Our review and presentation of this academic material will make it accessible for team members, and we can use it to search for relevant connections to specifics of the Humboldt County tribes and setting.
Task 6: Document management process, public input
Document management process, public input. Connect with relevant literature and refine as needed.
Task 7: Write reports, submit to team for approval
Write reports, submit to team for review. Two reports will be drafted: a guidebook for Caltrans (Tribal Corridor Management Plan), and a report for MTI documenting the full process and research required to produce such a plan along with any conclusions and finding about the process. The draft CT guidebook will be included as an appendix in the MTI document.
Task 8: Follow-up interviews Finalize reports and final draft.
II. Tribal corridor management plan guidelines
Task 1: Meet with county tribal council
Meet with county tribal council (parallel with RTPA, but will be running a little late this time, the week of January 18). This is an opportunity to look for consultants from each area tribe, through established networking groups whenever possible. They, in turn, will be invited to identify and refer local consultants for traditional features. Consultants to include elders and cultural specialists, individuals who have worked on transportation or downtown plans previously. Compose letters of invitation from us to these prospective committee members to introduce ourselves and invite them to work on the project with us. Ask Caltrans to prepare parallel letters to tribal council chairpersons.
Task 2: First meeting with advisory committee
First meeting with advisory committee, possibly in Eureka. First meeting will invite leaders and representatives from tribes, Caltrans and Mineta Transportation Institute to introduce and welcome partnership.
Task 3: Form advisory committe
Form an advisory committee, including county tribal council, networking groups, local government representatives and other participants in previous related projects. Participation will comprise monthly meetings. Cartography and landscape analysis of tribal corridors within Humboldt County.
Task 4: Monthly advisory committee meetings
Monthly advisory committee meetings to review data and plan public input.
Task 5: Additional meetings
Additional meetings may include review of process, requiring reading and review time, and public input, and requiring pre and post meeting planning and analysis. (Make sure the time commitment is clear to all participants.) Public input activities.
Task 6: Review and selection for management plan document
Task 7: Draft management document
Task 8: Consult, review and follow-up to finalize document
III. Pilot project: Hoopa Tribal Corridor Management Plan
Task 1: Compile and review existing plans
January: Compile and review relevant existing Caltrans plans, including Hoopa’s downtown plan, transportation plan, RTPA work plan, and maps. Prepare samples to present to tribal consultants.
Task 2: Form an advisory committee
Form an advisory committee of tribal consultants, to include Hoopa elders and cultural specialists, individuals who have worked on Hoopa’s transportation or downtown plans previously. Participation will comprise of monthly meetings. Cartography and landscape analysis of Hoopa tribal territory.
Task 3: Additional meetings
Meetings may include review of process, requiring reading and review time, and public input, and requiring pre and post meeting planning and analysis. (Make sure the time commitment is clear to all participants.) Public input activities and review regarding Hoopa plan.
Task 4: Draft Hoopa tribal corridor management document
Task 5: Consult, review and follow-up to finalize document
Final completion date:
Total Budget:$66,824 (amount requested from MTI is $60,000; includes $4,750 for MTI’s costs in both above amounts)
Student Involvement:Humboldt State and SJSU students for literature review
Technology Transfer Activities:
Upon publication, pdf and html versions will be available on the Mineta Transportation Institute web site. The project experience and data will be available for community meetings. Authors are encouraged to submit articles based on the research to relevant journals and to present the information to end-users at conferences.
Potential Benefits of the Project:
Increase the public’s knowledge regarding Native American lands and cultures. Facilitate a sense of pride for local tribes which will hopefully deter vandalism and encourage maintenance along the Highway 96 corridor, and create model for statewide implementation.
TRB Keywords:
Highway design; Native Americans; Native plants; Public land; Public participation
Primary Subject:
Transportation/Land Use/ Environment/Public involvement
Goals:
Documentation of an open collaboration between Caltrans, local governments on the Highway 96 corridor in Humboldt County, the public and specifically Native American tribes which will become a template for highway and environmental enhancements for California state highways that run through tribal lands.
Enabling Research:
1. Literature review: archival and academic sources
2. Cartography/GIS analysis: mapping tribal corridor area, incorporation of existing GIS data with new data collected during this project. All information is geared toward creating useful policy
3. Landscape analysis: documentation of existing elements, use of archival photos to identify landscape elements worthy of signage or commemoration, consideration made toward coordinating maintenance and construction for landscape, plant and wildlife management, erosion control and other projects along the Highway 96 corridor.
Modal Orientation:
Roads
