Hi! My name is Anne Finney and
through my work with Virgin Islands National Park’s Cultural Resource Division,
I have had the pleasure of learning about the history of St. John and sharing
my knowledge of preservation with others. The work has also given me plenty of
wonderful opportunities to interact with visitors, volunteers, dignitaries and
my personal favorite,
local students.
This past March, a group of very intelligent
and energetic fourth graders from the Julius E. Sprauve elementary school made
a lasting impression on one of those visiting dignitaries, Secretary of the
Interior, Sally Jewell. The students met the Secretary outside of the
archaeology lab at Cinnamon Bay and were given Nation Park Passes as part of
the “Every Kid in a Park” program. The goal of the program, implemented by President
Obama, is to get fourth graders and their families out exploring the nation’s
public lands.
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| Secretary Sally Jewell with Julius E. Sprauve Elementary School fourth graders at Cinnamon Bay © Ken Wild |
Virgin Islands National Park Ranger
Laurel Brannick led the school group on a hike through the Cinnamon Bay ruins before
heading to the beach. Park archaeologist Ken Wild took over from there and
spoke to the students about the important role the National Park plays in
studying and protecting the archaeological sites that dot the Island. Our
trusty volunteers, Anne and Jeff held down the fort in the lab, while the
archaeology interns set up field stations for the kids to get their hands dirty.
At each station, we showed the students how to dig for artifacts and guided
them through the process of unearthing and researching the past.
After excavating, sifting, washing
and analyzing their newly discovered artifacts, the students had to very
patiently wait for the Secretary, whose packed schedule was planned down to the
minute. The importance of the occasion was not lost on the kids, who ran back
to their archaeology field stations as the motorcade pulled up shouting, “She’s
coming! Look busy!”. Secretary
Jewell made her way to an artifact sifting station where she asked the local students
what they were working on. One excited boy responded for everyone when he
shouted, “Archaeology! Like archaeologist Ken Wild!”
The fourth graders were eager to
speak to the Secretary, asking questions that they had each prepared and answering
hers in turn. Jewell asked the students what types of artifacts they were
finding and what they were made of. The kids responded with all of the correct answers
and made an obvious impression on the Secretary. They pointed out burn marks on
pottery sherds and explained that those particular pieces may have been part of
a pot for cooking. They also pointed out burn marks on a tobacco pipe and
reported that it was made of clay when asked by the Secretary. Through the
artifacts that they were holding, the students shared their knowledge of the
Cinnamon Bay site and the people who occupied the land there years ago.
The kids were eager to find out about Jewell as well, asking how
she became Secretary of the Interior and if she knew President Obama. Jewell
replied that she had just had a meeting with the President (who nominated her
for her position) a few days earlier. The children asked Jewell about her
family, how many employees she had in the Department of the Interior, and about
her mountain climbing expedition in Antarctica. Secretary Jewell answered the
question with humor and thoughtfulness, addressing each child individually. She
also spoke to the kids about the importance of public service and handed out the
park passes, which allow every fourth grader and their family free entry into
all federal public land that charges a fee. Jewell later spoke about the
program saying, “Using
our public lands as living classrooms is one of the ways the Obama
Administration is working to ensure all students – including USVI students –
have the tools they need to understand the importance of the natural and
cultural resources in their own backyard and beyond.”
Speaking at a reception hosted by
the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park, Jewell thanked the staff of the
Park and the Friends and reported that her favorite part of her visit was her
meeting the fourth graders led by Rangers Laurel and Ken at Cinnamon Bay!
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