FRD 2021 Panel 4

How Material Culture Tells a Story 

In the years since Fort Ross became a historic park in 1906, preserving the shared multinational history of Metini-Fort Ross has been the goal of California State Parks, numerous generations of community members, and world-renowned archeologists and historians. To tell the rich history of this land we often rely on displays of its material culture, objects from daily existence such as jewelry, baskets, utensils, and tools of trade.  Items have arrived at or returned to Metini-Fort Ross through various channels, including archaeological projects, donations from our wider community, or painstaking research and rediscovery of items that went missing and have been returned. However, for numerous reasons, not all peoples -- Kashia, Russian, Alaska Native, and Ranch -- are well represented in material culture at the park. This panel will discuss the importance of preserving the diverse material culture of Metini-Fort Ross, describe how we can broaden representation by utilizing technology and storytelling, and consider the wider implications of relying on material culture when studying colonial California in the 19th century.

Vladimir Rudakov, editor in chief of the “Historian” magazine in Russia

PANEL 4 OPENING REMARKS  English

PANEL 4 OPENING REMARKS  Russian

 

Moderator: 
Igor Polishchuk, Director of External Relations, Fort Ross Conservancy

Speakers: 

Bob Sam, Councilman for Sitka Tribe of Alaska
Lauren Peters, Alaska Native representative and Fort Ross Conservancy Adviser
Alexander Petrov, Russian-American Company Historian

PANEL 4  English

PANEL 4  Russian