PUBLIC INTERPRETATION

The archaeological investigation at Fort Ross is an important element of the Cultural Resource Management and the Public Interpretation Programs of Fort Ross State Historic Park. The research of the Native Alaskan Village Site (NAVS) produced crucial information about the complexity and the state of the archaeological deposits. The information at hand will help the California Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) make informed decisions on future site management. The Public Interpretation Program also benefits from the archaeological work as the investigation has yielded a wealth of information on the day-to-day life of the Native laborers and their involvement in the commercial enterprise.

The archaeological work at NAVS also highlights the presence of the Native laborers and their contributions to the mercantile outpost. The Public Interpretation Program is committed to bringing to the public a more accurate picture of the lifeways and material culture of the Native Alaskans and Native Californians then inhabiting the area. Through talks, on-site interpreters and annual reenactments of life at the Ross Colony, the DPR is making the findings of the ongoing archaeological research accessible to the general public.

Under future plans, the DPR has in store the creation of a "culture trail" that would link the existing Russian exhibit to the rest of the archaeological sites that lie beyond the Stockade complex. A new exhibit is also under way that will demonstrate and explain the significance of the material remains of Native Alaskans and Native Californians who resided in the Native Alaskan Neighborhood. The exhibit will be permanently installed at the visitor's center.