[HistoricCemeterieslistserv] Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries: Position Paper on the Confederate Flag in Historic Cemeteries, Heritage Bulletin on Marking Unmarked Graves and Disaster Response workshop

[GILL Kuri * OPRD]

NOTE: This message was posted on an open list, if you reply, it will go to all people on the list.

Position Paper & Heritage Bulletin

The Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries has taken up the issues of the flying the Confederate Flag and the ramifications of its presence at places meant for the public to access

The commission regularly addresses issues that arise for historic cemeteries. The commission researches the issues, holds discussion at their public meetings, allows for public comment, and then votes to take a position or not. The positions are intended to offer information and direction for historic cemeteries to have board and constituent discussion. These are not laws applied to the cemeteries and cemeteries who do not follow the position guidance have equal access to the commission resources.

The commission took on the topic of the use of Confederate flags in historic cemeteries beginning in April 2019. The following July and October 2019 and July 2020 meetings included lengthy discussions and information sharing about the Confederate flag, the history of its use, the impact of its presence to the public, and rules in government cemeteries were considered. Based on the discussions, the commission has agreed that historic cemeteries are places where all people should feel welcome and the presence of the Confederate flag can be threatening. The position of the commission is that historic cemeteries should not fly the Confederate flag, nor allow the flag to be flown within the cemetery. At the recent October 2020 meeting, the commission approved a final document<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/OCHCPPConfederateFlags.pdf>.

The commission also completed a new Heritage Bulletin<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Documents/HB38MarkingUnmarkedGraves.pdf> regarding marking unmarked graves. This document provides the benefits of marking unmarked graves and issues to consider before taking on the project. It also offers some examples of markers that can be used.

All of the commission's position papers and Heritage Bulletins can be found on the technical resources<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/TechnicalResources.aspx> page of our website along with other information for historic cemeteries and nonprofits including disaster preparedness and nonprofit management. For further information contact Kuri Gill<mailto:kuri.gill at oregon.gov>, 503-986-0685.

Fire Recovery and Community Disaster Resilience Planning for Historic Cemeteries

Join Oregon Heritage<https://www.oregon.gov/oprd/OH/Pages/default.aspx> for a workshop learn recovery tips for cemeteries impacted by fire and explore community-wide planning for heritage resources. The free, November 17, workshop will be 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. online. The first section, offered by Historic Preservation Northwest<http://hp-nw.com/> will focus on post fire recovery in historic cemeteries, from safety issues to monument care. The second session, presented by UO's Institute for Policy Research & Engagement<https://ipre.uoregon.edu/>, will share a new model of community-wide disaster resilience planning for heritage resources. Learn how to team up with other heritage organizations in your community to develop a plan and move forward mitigation efforts. This session will explain what a community plan includes, explore the guidebook to developing the plan, and the value to collecting organizations to participate in a community plan. Register<https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwvdO-tqzgtGdBhjpD98xO4MCb70Rpza-qc> online to get Zoom access information.

Dave Pinyerd and Bernadette Niederer, of Historic Preservation Northwest, focus on historic cemetery preservation through planning, survey, and monument care. They will provide guidance regarding historic preservation based on examples and research into the impacts of fire on historic stone, mortar and cemeteries in general.

Robert Parker, with UO's Institute for Policy Research & Engagement, coordinated a team of University of Oregon students, including Melissa Graciosa, through the community planning process in partnership with the City of Cottage Grove, local heritage organizations, and Oregon Heritage. The results include individual organizational plans and a community-wide plan. Through the process the organizations discovered shared needs and goals that could then be included in the city plan. The workshop, led by Parker and Graciosa, will address the benefits of such an approach, the model process, and lessons learned.

Contact Kuri Gill<mailto:kuri.gill at oregon.gov>, 503-986-0685, for additional information.

[New Picture (1)]

Kuri Gill (she, her, hers) |  Oregon Heritage Grants & Outreach Coordinator
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oregon Heritage, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries
Desk:  (503)986-0685 cell: (503)383-6787
725 Summer St NE, Ste C
Salem, Oregon 97301

Visit our website<http://www.oregonheritage.org/>, Like us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/OregonHeritage>, Visit our Blog<http://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/>, Join the Oregon Heritage News e-news<https://omls.oregon.gov/mailman/listinfo/Heritage>.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/historiccemeteries/attachments/20201030/cb0a6284/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.png
Type: image/png
Size: 10888 bytes
Desc: image001.png
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/historiccemeteries/attachments/20201030/cb0a6284/attachment.png>