The National Association of Tribal Historic Preservation Officers has postponed its upcoming conference, which was set to take place May 11-15 in Louisiana, hosted by Coushatta Tribe.
Following is an update sent out March 16, 2020:
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21st National Tribal Preservation Conference POSTPONED
Dear Conference Participants and Colleagues,
It is with sincere regret that we are compelled to postpone the 2020 NATHPO conference. The coronavirus (COVID-19) circumstances as they continue to evolve make this necessary at this time, especially the CDC’s recommendation that all gatherings of 50 people or more be cancelled for the next 8 weeks. We hope to be able to reschedule the conference for a later date in 2020, but of course will continue to make decisions based on the best available information. Above all, the Board is concerned about the health and safety of our members, conference participants, and their loved ones.
Please cancel your individual travel plans and hotel accommodations. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes you, and hope that airlines will be able to work with all of us this year to minimize our losses. As we work through the next steps on registration, field trip, and workshop fees, we will be in contact with you about options for handling these.
The annual conference is not only the premier national gathering of tribal, federal, state, and industry representatives committed to protecting tribally important places, but it is also a keystone of NATHPO’s work and a critical part of our annual revenue. After postponing in 2019, we appreciate more than ever your membership, participation, donations, and support as we necessarily evolve with current circumstances.
With this turns of events, this year’s conference theme of “Resilience in a Changing Environment” has taken on another layer of significance, and I am confident that together we will not only adapt, but emerge stronger and more nimble. Thank you for your engagement and feedback through this process.