Imagine a young girl fascinated by ancient cultures and mythologies, growing up to become a guardian of history in a state where the past is often threatened by the future. That's the story of Natalie De La Torre Salas, the public archaeologist for the Florida Public Archaeology Network's Southwest Region, or FPAN.
"Books played a big role. Greek mythology, Egyptian mythology, Taino mythology. I fell in love with the study of human beings, which is anthropology. I always had a bigger interest in knowing how people interacted with the past. How do people perceive their heritage, and how can we protect it?"
De La Torre Salas' mission of preserving Florida's cultural heritage has evolved, specifically towards the Latinx community. "LatinX" is the term she prefers when celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month.
"I would recommend using 'LatinX Heritage Month.' The X is a way to be inclusive for people from Latin America and the Caribbean that are non-binary or members of the LGBTQIA+ community," De La Torre Salas said.
READ MORE: This artist鈥檚 exhibit is an ode to a Miami that no longer exists: 鈥楢mazing, lawless time鈥�
This focus on inclusivity is at the root of De La Torre Salas' work. Last year, FPAN launched "" or "Honoring Our History," a series of events aimed at engaging underserved communities in Southwest Florida. The first event was at Lakes Park in Fort Myers.
"We had over 230 people come to this event鈥攂eyond our wildest imaginations. See, LatinX people do care about history, do care about archeology, do care about equal access to nature and wildlife conservation. We just need to create those spaces.鈥�
Beyond public interest, another battle facing FPAN is climate change.
"We are losing an alarming amount of heritage sites, archaeological and historical sites, and historic cemeteries to sea level rise, coastal erosion, and other natural hazards," De la Torre Salas said.
This urgency has added a new layer to De La Torre Salas' work. She's not just preserving history; she's documenting it before it disappears.
"Historic preservation in South Florida is incredibly challenging. We cannot think about the past and disconnect it from nature. That's why biologists, ecologists, people that work with wildlife, and archaeologists need to come together. We're doing a multidisciplinary approach to addressing our heritage at risk from climate change. You can see this with the amazing efforts of my colleagues in the Florida Public Archaeology Network with the Heritage Monitoring Scouts program."
Programs like the Heritage Monitoring Scouts are open databases documenting at-risk sites. However, De La Torre Salas believes the root of long-term preservation lies in education and policy change.
"I believe our cities and counties need to develop more robust legal language and public policy that can allow our heritage and historic sites to be preserved for future generations."
The Florida Public Archaeology Network plans to visit historical and archaeological sites after Hurricane Helene. If you see any damage to historical cemeteries or massive erosions exposing artifacts, contact the southwest regional office at 239-223-6865.
Copyright 2024 WGCU
