Painful lesson on protecting the sacred

Between 1999 and 2009, at least 78 structures such as elevated boardwalks, decks and trails were built at Effigy Mounds National Monument in northeast Iowa. Most were intended to expand the public's ability to enjoy and learn about the prehistoric Indian burial sites. Better access for visitors with disabilities was one of the objectives.

Well-intended as those projects may have been, a just-released National Park Service investigation found that lead staff at the monument 'violated the public trust” by not adequately protecting some areas.

A former Effigy Mounds employee, Tim Mason, blew the whistle in 2010 when his concerns were not addressed by the Effigy Mounds superintendent, facilities manager and administrative assistant. Mason filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Interior, which sparked the investigation.

The three lead staff members no longer work for the Park Service. One, former superintendent Phyllis Ewing, told a Gazette reporter that 'nobody intentionally did anything wrong.”

No dispute with that.

However, the Park Service report indicated her top staff did not adequately review or understand the agency's compliance policies, and also ignored warnings from higher-ups about their projects' potentially negative impact on the monument's historic artifacts. Why?

It's clear that Ewing and her colleagues botched their duty to uphold the other half of the Park Service's dual mission: preserving natural and cultural resources.

The report cited the agency's regional director of cultural resources, who said it will take decades to repair the damage and restore the Park Service's reputation.

The agency has begun remediation efforts and has hired a dedicated cultural resources manager for the site. Good. But it must be followed up with additional restoration work.

Just as important, the Park Service must learn from this highly preventable incident and make sure it never happens again, whether it's at Effigy Mounds or any other public areas it oversees.

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