Tribal Historic Preservation Officer

Do you know how when people in your family take pictures of things you do or places you go, they keep those pictures to remember those moments? Well, imagine if someone came into your house and tried to take those pictures away, or if someone wanted to tear down your house and build something else, and you didn't want them to.

Now, imagine that there are certain places that are very special to your family, like the park you always played at, or the church where your family has been going for generations. These places might be special to lots of other families too, and they are part of your community's history and traditions.

In Native American communities, there are people called Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, or THPOs for short, who work to protect and preserve these special places and the history connected to them. They do this by working with the government and other organizations that might want to build something new or make changes to the land.

The THPOs make sure that people understand how important these places are to the Native American community, and they try to find ways to protect them while also allowing progress and development to happen. It's like being a watchful guardian of the history and culture of your community, making sure that it is respected and preserved for future generations to learn from and enjoy.