A04_SOW_(Attachment_1).pdf

SCOPE OF WORK

PREPARE NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK NOMINATION FOR

MENARD HODGES SITE

ARKANSAS COUNTY, ARKANSAS

I. INTRODUCTION

The National Park Service (NPS), through the Arkansas Post National Memorial located in

Gillette seeks the preparation of a revised National Historic Landmark (NHL) nomination for

Menard Hodges Site NHL, located in Arkansas County near Nady, Arkansas. The existing NHL documentation was prepared in 1988 and does not meet current requirements of the NHL program. An updated NHL nomination is required meeting today’s professional standards and thematic framework, addressing all relevant historic contexts, areas of significance, and clearly defining NHL contributing resources. The NHL nomination shall be completed within thirty-six

(36) months of the date of the award. The work will be accomplished through contract and will consist of the components discussed in the statement of work.

The Menard Hodges Mounds NHL consists of a large, multicomponent archeological site with earthen mound architecture. The site is also called Osotouy, or the ancestral village of the

Quapaw Indians. The existing nomination form was created before the advent of the current

NHL thematic framework. This documentation indicates that the site is significant for two reasons. First, it was the site of the first European settlement in the Lower Mississippi River

Valley. Second, it is the type-site for Quapaw Indian material culture of the late 17th century.

Materials from the Menard Hodges site provide a rare chance for archeologists to definitively associate specific materials with precise tribal people. The current nomination lacks a well-developed historic context, a complete and definitive assessment of contributing and non-contributing resources, and a discussion of several associated areas of significance. The goal of this project is to provide a complete NHL nomination that addresses these weaknesses.

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOURCE

The Menard Hodges Site NHL occupies approximately 35 acres on the Grand Prairie, a relict

Pleistocene terrace, overlooking the confluence of the White and Arkansas Rivers in Arkansas

County, Arkansas. The Grand Prairie lies about 20-40 feet above the surrounding bottomlands and the Menard Hodges Site NHL lies at the southern end of the landform.

The NHL is within the boundaries of the Osotuoy Unit of Arkansas Post National Memorial. The current documentation lists three earthen mounds as contributing resources and no non-contributing resources. The Menard Hodges Site nomination form was written before the current thematic framework was created. The form lists the areas of significance as archeology-prehistoric, archeology-historic, and exploration/settlement. Application of the current NHL criteria and thematic framework may indicate that the site is nationally significant under

Criterion 1 and 6 with the themes Peopling Places and Shaping the political landscape. Further study may yield significance under other criteria and other applicable themes.

Previous research at the mound site shows that people were using the area as far back as Middle

Woodland times, but the bulk of construction occurred during Mississippian times (c. 1000-1400

AD) and later times (1400-1800). Historic farm deposits also exist at the site. The pre-

Mississippian and post-colonial periods are not considered as a component of this nomination.

The precise location of the village of Osotuoy has remained debatable. Some workers see the mound site as the location of the village, but archeological remains from the colonial era are scarce and are biased toward human burials. Recent archeological investigations have located deposits outside of the NHL boundary indicating that significant colonial period activity took place away from the mounds. These sites are located federal property managed by NPS and the

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). The USFWS manages the property as part of the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge.

III. STATEMENT OF WORK

A. Prepare the NHL Nomination

The contractor shall undertake an update to the NHL nomination for the Menard Hodges NHL that meets current professional standards. The NHL nomination must clearly describe the significance of the historic resources1 from the period of significance and associated with the

French and Native American sites related to the village of Osotuoy. The updated documentation shall evaluate the existing landmark and make changes to better capture the late prehistoric and colonial era historic contexts. Researchers should consider the significance of related resources located on adjacent properties and recommend expanding the boundaries of the Landmark as appropriate. The new documentation shall define the areas of significance within the NHL guidelines. The nomination shall include an evaluation of the Landmark’s integrity, current condition, the contributing or non-contributing status of all associated extant resources, and a comparative analysis with similar nationally significant properties.

New documentation is necessary to understand what is significant and retains historic integrity within the existing Landmark and on other adjacent properties. Currently, the Landmark is classified as a site, but the additional documentation may be revised to consider the collection of sites as an archeological district. It is expected that a boundary increase would be needed.

Research shall identify both contributing and non-contributing resources, including extant structures, ruins, and archeological sites, within the district. The period of significance shall also be confirmed or revised as appropriate to align with the significance of the extant resources.

1. Research

Considering the substandard current NHL documentation, additional historical research and archeological synthesis will be necessary for this project. The Principal Investigator (PI) shall

1 Historic resources include all resources (archeological, ethnographic, architectural, or landscapes) as defined by the National Historic Preservation Act.

consult the archives and libraries of the Arkansas Archeological Survey, the Arkansas State

Historic Preservation Office, the Quapaw Nation, the National Park Service and the United

States Fish and Wildlife Service, and records of French Colonial activities, including both records of the Catholic Church and the Kingdom of France, as appropriate. Sources, collections, and repositories for additional contexts (areas of significance) shall be identified and consulted as part of this project. The contractor should consult with appropriate tribal subject matter experts and consider collecting oral histories if needed.

The PI shall conduct a non-invasive field survey of the Landmarks extant resources and proposed boundaries to ensure that the updated NHL nomination accurately documents the district’s contributing resources. NPS will assist the PI in planning the field survey visit including coordinating PI visits with partner property owners within the district.

2. Statement of national significance

The PI shall apply NHL criteria to the nominated property and identify its period of significance.

The PI shall use clear and concise declarative statements to explain the Menard-Hodges Site’s national significance and extant related cultural resources for its period(s) of significance. The contractor shall review the previous documentation to confirm period of significance in the new

NHL documentation. The current documentation identifies the period of significance as being from prehistoric, 1400-1799. If necessary, this should be changed to reflect the extant resources that compose the Menard Hodges NHL. This information will be provided on a new nomination form in Section 2, “Significance Data” and explained in Section 5 “Significance Statement and

Discussion.” The contractor should consider the name of the Landmark to determine if it appropriately describes the resources named in the nomination.

3. Description of the property

The PI shall provide a description and analysis of the architectural character of the extant buildings at Fort Snelling, and analysis of documented archeological resources in the district.

This information shall be provided in Section 6 of the NHL nomination form, “Property

Description and Statement of Integrity.” Documentation shall describe the historic resources within the district including the significant buildings and ruins on the property, the historic cultural landscape, and all associated resources that contribute to the national significance of the property, as well as those that are non-contributing. Section 6 shall also include an assessment of the property’s condition and historic integrity, with a concluding discussion about the methods used to determine the qualities or attributes that each property has in order to be considered for designation under specific NHL criteria. The nomination shall be written in a way that any sensitive information can be readily removed without harming the narrative flow of the document. Authors shall consult with government and tribal subject matter experts to determine the need for information removal.

4. Narrative history with well-developed historic contexts

The historical narrative portion of the nomination, provided in Section 5, “Significance

Statement and Discussion,” shall expand upon the introductory, summary statements of significance mentioned in Item B above. The fully developed discussion shall apply NHL criteria to the nominated properties for their respective periods of significance. Section 5 shall also include a comparative analysis that discusses other relevant NHLs and nationally significant properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, in comparison with the property being nominated.

5. Bibliography

Major sources shall be provided in a bibliography located in Section 7 of each NHL nomination, Bibliographical References and Other Documentation. This will include source materials used in the preparation of the nomination, including relevant research, surveys, and reports dealing with the history of the property, archeological resources, and general background research materials.

The format must comply with the latest edition of the Chicago Manual of Style.

6. Boundary description

A written boundary description and justification shall be provided in Section 4, Geographical

Data, along with Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) or the Latitude/Longitude coordinates of the historic property. The UTM coordinates shall be clearly marked on a current U.S. Geological

Survey (USGS) map, 7.5-minute series. The contractor shall evaluate the current boundary to determine the if it accurately reflects the district’s resources and propose changes as needed.

7. Maps

Maps shall be provided with the nomination package, according to directions provided by NPS.

The nomination shall include a map that clearly shows the boundaries of the Menard Hodges

NHL district, a site plan that shows all extant resources (excluding archeological data and sites), and a base map (or maps) that clearly defines the geographic area where the property is located.

8. Tables

A table shall be provided with the nomination packages which clearly documents resources within the boundary. At a minimum, the table will include resources that are deemed to be countable, classify the resource by type according to the NHL guidance and determine whether each resource is contributing or non-contributing the NHL significance of the district.

9. Photographs

Current photographs that document each property shall be submitted as part of the nomination package, per NRHP/NHL standards and requirements. They shall be prepared and labeled as required. All photographs not used in the final, approved NHL nomination will be considered

U.S. government property and shall be submitted with the final research materials at the completion of the project.

10. Executive Summary

Upon completion of the NHL nomination and acceptance by the NPS, the contractor shall prepare an Executive Summary for the NHL nomination. The NPS requires a summary about the property that identifies the key elements of the NHL nomination and events in the preparation and approval process. The NPS will provide a template for the Executive Summary.

The NPS will review the Executive Summary for each nomination and the documents will be revised by the contractor if necessary.

Sample draft Executive Summaries may be found at

2021 Fall Meeting - National Historic Landmarks (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)

B. Present the Nomination

In addition to preparing the updated nomination the contractor shall make two public presentations to different audiences:

1. Digital Stakeholder Presentation

Contractor shall present a summary of the drafted nomination to project stakeholders via digital conferencing. The presentation shall include select images and maps from the draft nomination in a PowerPoint presentation, as well as maps and tables which highlight resources which contribute to the NHL district. Participants will be identified by the National Park Service. The scheduling of the meeting will be agreed to by the contractor and NPS.

2. PowerPoint Presentation to the NHL Committee

Presentation of the completed NHL nomination to the NHL Committee is a required component of this project. This presentation is an important part of the NHL review process, and it will be scheduled by NHL Program staff when all components of the NHL nomination are completed.

The short presentation, approximately five minutes in length, shall be made before the committee via a PowerPoint presentation about the Landmark and the NHL documentation. The contractor shall prepare the PowerPoint presentation per guidance provided by NHL Program staff in

Washington, D.C. The NPS will provide a template and master slide background for use by the contractor. Selected images and maps from the historic context and nominations may be used.

The oral presentation will be made in person during a meeting of the NHL Committee that will be held in Washington, D.C. Upon completion of the PowerPoint, the contractor shall be prepared to answer questions about the NHL documentation from the NHL Committee. The contractor will serve as the subject matter expert on the landmark and its associated contexts.

C. Final Revisions to the NHL documentation

The NHL Committee and National Park System Advisory Board have the prerogative of asking for changes to and revision of NHL documentation presented to them during the approval process. The contractor shall be responsible for revising the nomination according to comments from the NHL Committee and Advisory Board, finalizing the NHL documentation, and re-https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalhistoriclandmarks/2021-fall-meeting.htm submitting it to the NPS NHL Program staff in Washington, D.C.

IV. ADDITIONAL CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS

A. General provisions

1. The NHL nomination and Executive Summary must be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The NPS will provide templates for these.

2. During the period of revision of each draft, the PI shall consult with the NPS Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) to ensure the satisfactory resolution of review comments and submission of a final draft in a timely manner. The PI will keep the COR informed at each step of the project.

3. All draft submissions will require line numbering for editing purposes. Line numbers will be removed from the final draft prior to submission.

4. The NPS reserves the right to require additional, technical reviews, as necessary. All drafts shall be reviewed by the NPS for contract sufficiency and professional quality.

The contractor will be notified when review comments will be transmitted.

5. The contractor shall submit two copies of the final nomination form to NPS. One shall be a clean unrestricted form and the other shall include recommendations for redaction of sensitive information. NPS shall determine final redactions in accordance with NPS policy.

6. All data gathered during the course of this study are the property of the United States government. Within 60 days of written acceptance of the NHL documentation, all notes, records, maps, drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, tapes, summaries, and other data acquired during the course of this study will be submitted to the COR at the NPS regional office in Omaha, Nebraska. All sensitive information used by the contractor during the production of the document and not submitted to NPS for curation shall be destroyed at the conclusion of the period of performance.

7. The contractor shall coordinate the effort with the Quapaw Nation and experts from the state of Arkansas and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Any formal consultation is the responsibility of the superintendent of Arkansas Post National Memorial or their designees.

B. Project completion

The contractor must begin work on the contract no later than 30 days after the award of the contract.

The project shall be completed within 36 months from the date of award.

C. Professional consultation

Within 30 days of the awarding of the contract, the contractor shall attend a meeting via teleconference or videoconference to discuss technical aspects of the contract and to confirm the schedule for the submission of the products described in the Scope of Work.

D. Report standards/format and submission schedule

The completed NHL nomination shall adhere to professional guidelines provided by NPS.

Draft and final nominations shall be submitted on the NHL nomination form provided by the NPS, and include the information required in the Section III, above. Photographs, maps, plans, drawings, and text must be clean, clear, and legible. The format must comply with the most recent edition of the Chicago Manual of Style. The use of footnotes is preferred to endnotes. Draft submittals will require line numbering for editing purposes.

Line numbers will be removed from the final nomination.

E. Progress updates

Quarterly progress updates about work completed and progress made during the performance of the research and writing phases of this contract are required. These brief updates shall be sent via email to the COR on or before March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31.

F. Project submittals

The Principal Investigator (PI) shall submit drafts of the NHL nomination at 75% completion, 95% completions, and 100% completion. Drafts shall be submitted according to a schedule agreed upon by both the NPS and the PI. Failure to meet the agreed upon work schedule without satisfactory reasons may result in termination of the contract.

Upon acceptance by the NPS NHL program, the PI shall prepare and submit an Executive

Summary of the nomination and a PowerPoint presentation for the NHL Committee meeting. The PI shall make the presentation to the NHL Committee and revise the final

NHL nomination if changes are required by the committee and NPS.

Partial payments up to 90% of the contract price may be made. Ten percent may be held until the NHL documentation is presented to the NHL Committee and final revisions are made.

G. Disposition of data

All data used during the project are the property of the United States government. At the conclusion of research and within 60 days of written acceptance of the final draft of the study, all notes, records, maps, drawings, photographs, negatives, slides, tapes, summaries, and other data acquired during this project will be submitted to the NPS. All digital images, maps, and other graphics generated for or used in this project shall be submitted to the NPS on CDs, with their formats specified.

H. Contract Modifications

The contract may be modified through negotiation with the NPS Contracting Officer

(CO). If such a need is anticipated, the CO must be notified at the earliest possible moment, but always within seven (7) working days of when a problem affecting the contractor's ability to meet requirements is suspected.

V. PAYMENT

The PI shall be reimbursed as actual travel, research, and work costs are incurred and following the submission of quarterly progress reports. Payment of up to 80% of the agreed-upon cost of this project may be made in accordance with the schedule to be specified in the contract. Twenty percent shall be withheld until the NPS approves the final draft nomination and it proceeds to approval by the NHL Committee. Ten percent will be withheld until the NHL Committee recommends the nomination for approval and any final revisions have been made.