B08_Solicitation_(Attachment_1_-_Scope_of_Work).pdf

Brown v. Board of Educa on Na onal Historical Park

Topeka, Kansas

SCOPE OF WORK:

ARCHEOLOGICAL OVERVIEW AND ASSESSMENT (AOA)

Dated: 12 June 2024

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

INTERIOR REGIONS 3/4/5

MIDWEST REGIONAL OFFICE MAJOR ACQUISITION BUYING OFFICE

SCOPE

Performance Period: The work of this task agreement shall be completed within 18 months from the date of the contract award.

Confiden ality: Informa on developed under this contract will include the loca ons of sensi ve archeological proper es; this data shall be shared with project proponents as required but will otherwise be kept in strict confidence.

Project Iden fica on: The work of this project shall consist of the services described below for the referenced project. In all related documents, the project shall be referred to as Archeological Overview and Assessment, Brown V. Board of Educa on Na onal Historical Park.

INTRODUCTION

The Na onal Park Service (NPS) is contrac ng an Archeological Overview and Assessment (AOA) for

Brown v. Board of Educa on Na onal Historical Park (BRVB) in Topeka, Kansas. The project involves conduc ng a thorough inves ga on of exis ng records, documents, and reports to produce an overview of the archeological resources associated with BRVB. The Contractor shall prepare dra and final versions of the AOA that include maps depic ng the results of the study.

The report shall follow guidance for preparing AOAs as iden fied in NPS Director’s Order (DO) 28 and described in Resource Manual NPS‐28 Cultural Resource Management Guideline which describes the basic components of an AOA as a basic part of a park’s Archeological Resource Management Program.

The document shall, at a minimum, thoroughly examine exis ng records, documents, and reports to describe and evaluate the known and poten al archeological resources in an area. The AOA is baseline park documenta on that will be used to inform other planning documents.

“This report describes and assesses the known and poten al archeological resources in a park area. The overview reviews and summarizes exis ng archeological data; the assessment evaluates the data. The report assesses past work and helps determine the need for and design of future studies. It is undertaken in a park or regional geographical framework and may be a part of mul ‐agency planning efforts.” (NPS 28)

“An Archeological Overview and Assessment (AOA) is intended to give the current state of knowledge about known archeological resources within a park boundary and assess the full range of poten al site types and associated cultures. Since many new parks may have few known archeological sites, a cultural history of the region and the analysis of poten al sites will be cri cal. The AOA should have a list of affiliated tribes to be contacted when archeological projects take place, and the assessment sec on should be flexible enough for the addi on of informa on as new resources are iden fied. AOAs should be reviewed every five years to determine if they reflect current research and assess all known archeological resources in a park, and an electronic version of the final AOA report should be entered into IRMA or its successor. “(WASO memo on cultural resource funds 2021).

BACKGROUND

Brown v. Board of Educa on Na onal Historical Park preserves 3.15 acres of land including the former

Monroe School at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas. The Monroe School was one of four segregated elementary schools in Topeka for black children. The park commemorates the landmark 1954

United States Supreme Court decision in Oliver Brown et al. v. Board of Educa on, which unanimously ruled that segrega on of children in public schools by race was uncons tu onal (BRVB 2017 Founda on

Document:4). In 1992, President George W. Bush declared the school a Na onal Historic Site and in

2004, the park opened to the public on the 50th anniversary of the landmark ruling (BRVB 2017

Founda on Document:5).

According to their 2017 Founda on Document:

The purpose of Brown v. Board of Educa on Na onal Historic Site is to preserve, protect, and interpret for the educa on, enjoyment, and inspira on of present and future genera ons, the places that contributed materially to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that brought an end to segrega on in public educa on; interpret the integral role of the Brown v. Board of

Educa on case in the civil rights movement; and assist in the preserva on and interpreta on of related resources within the city of Topeka that further the understanding of the civil rights movement.

Brown v. Board of Educa on’s fundamental resources and values include:

Monroe Elementary School and Grounds, which was the school Linda Brown a ended when she was denied a endance at the all‐white Sumner Elementary School. The building and surrounding fields retain their appearance from the me of the Supreme Court case.

Associa ons and Partnerships that allow the park to assist with the preserva on and interpreta on of Brown v. Board of Educa on‐related sites throughout Topeka.

Personal Experiences and Oral Histories of individuals who witnessed the events leading to the Brown v. Board of Educa on case in the 1950s.

The Local Story of Segrega on in Topeka and Kansas.

The Clark Doll, which was used in pioneering studies by Mamie Clark and Dr. Kenneth Clark, who provided pivotal tes mony about the harmful impacts of segrega on on self‐percep on by black children in one of the five cases that were combined into the Brown v. Board of

Educa on trial.

The Story of Brown v. Board of Educa on’s Impact on Civil Rights in America, par cularly by se ng a legal precedent for dismantling segrega on across the United States.

Addi onal important resources and values of Brown v. Board of Educa on Na onal Historic Park include:

Archeological Collec ons, which provide insights into the lives and material culture of the individuals who lived in the neighborhood from the late 1860s to 1928.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY, COLLABORATIVE, AND CONSULTATIVE APPROACH

It is important that this project takes a mul ‐disciplinary, collabora ve, and consulta ve approach to the resources at BRVB. In addi on to a literature review of historical and archeological works from many different types of sources, research for the AOA may require interviews with BRVB, Kansas Historical

Society, Kansas Archaeological Associa on, Kansas Archaeological Training Program, and Midwest

Archeological Center (MWAC) staff; local residents/ar fact collectors; and federally recognized tribal members. Staff from these ins tu ons may offer their working knowledge of relevant topics, along with literature and archival materials not available to the general public. Local community members may offer inside knowledge about sites unavailable from these ins tu ons. Tribal communi es originally from the

Topeka area may offer invaluable informa on regarding the meaning of the resources and because of their current involvement at the park will be helpful when looking at future direc ons for research.

The associated tribal na ons of BRVB, with whom park staff consult, are the following: Absentee

Shawnee Tribe, Ci zen Potawatomi Na on, Delaware Tribe of the Indians, Eastern Shawnee Tribe, Kaw

Na on, Muscogee (Creek) Na on, Osage Na on, Prairie Band Potawatomi Na on, Shawnee Tribe, Wichita and Affiliated Tribes.

The contractor will arrange virtual mee ngs with BRVB at the beginning of the project to which these tribes will be invited and near the end of the project when there is a >90% dra in edi ng. All consulta on will be conducted as official park business through the BRVB superintendent. If any tribal members wish to be more involved with the project, the contractor will be encouraged to aid in that involvement to the best of their ability.

This scope of work provides a template for the AOA, but the details of how this project is conducted will rely on consulta on with the par es discussed here.

PURPOSE AND ANTICIPATED BENEFITS

The purpose of this project is to collect and synthesize specific data concerning the spa al, historical, and cultural context of archeological resources in BRVB. In addi on, the AOA will iden fy and priori ze areas where future research is needed and how best to manage all known sites. The project will build off of a

2022 Kansas Archaeological Training Program field school conducted in partnership with the Kansas State

Historical Society and the Kansas Archaeological Associa on.

Changes in management priori es, archeological survey methods, property acquisi ons, and other issues have made a reassessment of data regarding the nature, loca on, and condi on of specific archeological resources necessary. Historical and cultural context for park management units will be developed for use in interpreta on and evalua on of known and poten al archeological sites. Areas of poten al archeological sensi vity will be iden fied through previous research, environmental factors, and documented prior disturbance to aid in management decisions and guide future research.

Archeological sensi vity must be determined in ac ve consulta on with the NPS and stakeholders

(THPOs and SHPOs).

From this project, the park will acquire a concise set of baseline documenta on for their archeological resources. The project will help update the park’s cultural resource GIS data and add to the larger understanding of archeological sites within their boundaries. The work will provide a founda on for effec ve and sustainable protec on, preserva on, interpreta on, and management of the park’s archeological resources.

The AOA shall:

o Iden fy the need for addi onal field surveys or excava ons to locate, evaluate, and document resources o Describe the area's environment and culture history o List, describe, and evaluate its known archeological resources o Describe the poten al for as‐yet‐uniden fied archeological resources o Summarize and evaluate past research in the area or region o Outline relevant research topics o Provide recommenda ons for future research o Summarize the loca on of collec ons of archeological materials and associated records related to park resources o Contain a comprehensive bibliography

Brown v. Board of Educa on Na onal Historical Park (BRVB) geospa al data is officially managed by the

Na onal Park Service Midwest Archaeological Center (MWAC). If research results in updated geospa al data, the Contractor will coordinate with the MWAC staff about updates to GIS layers and Cultural

Resources Inventory System (CRIS) data. If there are new site delinea ons recognized during the research, the Contractor will coordinate with the Kansas SHPO to update/establish new entries in the

Kansas archeological database. The Contractor will assess the current status of BRVB archeological entries in the Na onal Register of Historic Places and make recommenda ons for any updates deemed necessary.

PROJECT METHODS

1) Communica on is important in insuring that the AOA project is successful. This Scope of Work provides a template for the AOA, but the important details will be accomplished through communica on with park staff and other stakeholders. A start‐up mee ng will be held through a conference call to review each item of the Scope of Work and any issues relevant to its successful execu on. An on‐site visit to the parks would also be very helpful in gaining a grasp of the park, its resources, and landscapes that can inform the overview. The Contractor may also be invited to a tribal consulta on mee ng during the site visit. Mee ngs or conference calls will also be u lized for updates on project progress and to discuss dra submi als.

2) Detailed historical research will be a part of the work required to produce the AOA. The research will help develop a framework of significance for known and poten ally preserved archeological resources establishing the appropriate cultural contexts as defined by the Secretary of the

Interior’s Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preserva on. Sources of informa on will include but are not limited to previous surveys, historic resource studies, cultural landscape reports, LiDAR images, historic maps, and town and county histories. This informa on can be found online, at local libraries, the Kansas State Historical Society, the Kansas

Historical Founda on, the Shawnee County Historical Society, the Midwest Archeological Center, and at BRVB. NPS documents may also be found on‐line at the Integrated Resource Management

Applica ons website at h ps://irma.nps.gov/Portal/. The Contractor should document, based on historical research, the Na ve American Peoples affiliated with the park’s landholdings. A digital copy of all maps and per nent historical documents located during the research that are not available at MWAC or the park will be a project deliverable. In addi on to the historical maps, maps documen ng u li es or other disturbances should be located and reviewed to assess site integrity. U lity and development maps can be accessed at the Technical Informa on Center and searched through eTIC h ps://e c2.nps.gov/.

3) Accessing key sources on history, previous archeological surveys and documented archeology sites for review will be a part of the project. These sources include archeological studies as well as some primary sources such as field notes and ar fact collec ons; periodic access to the offices of the Kansas SHPO will be required for this project. Once collected, past archeological and geophysics site reports, field notes, and park archeology compliance files should be evaluated. These resources should also be u lized to evaluate the poten al levels of significance and sub‐surface integrity of poten ally significant archeological sites.

4) Loca ng archeological collec ons from the parks and determining if they are housed to NPS standards will also be a part of the work for the AOA. A trip to the repositories may be necessary to assess the cura on standards. Most collec ons for these parks are likely stored either at

MWAC or at the park.

5) The AOA will also include GIS maps that iden fy known sites, exis ng archeological resources, areas that have been previously inves gated archeologically for precontact and historic resources. Data can be retrieved from MWAC, BRVB, and/or the Kansas SHPO interac ve GIS database. MWAC and BRVB will supply the Contractor with a geodatabase containing the relevant data. If there are updates to geospa al data or site delinea on, or any new symbology or cartographic data, the Contractor will supply a geodatabase with these updates to the NPS via

MWAC at the end of the project.

6) In addi on to the geodatabase, MWAC maintains a ribute informa on for two archeological sites and resources at BRVB in the NPS Cultural Resource Inventory System (CRIS). These records are considered in good condi on; however, there may be some missing informa on. Read‐only access to these records will be provided by MWAC.

7) At the park and management unit level, recommenda ons for future research should be developed and priori zed. Thema c areas, shortcomings in the exis ng data, and ways to improve the CRIS records should also be iden fied.

8) The results of the research, data collec on, and data synthesis will ul mately be submi ed in the report.

REPORT CONTENT

The report must contain the following components:

i) Table of Contents

ii) List of Figures

iii) List of Tables

iv) List of Appendices

v) Abstract will be no more than a two‐paragraph summary of the research methods and principal findings

vi) Acknowledgements

1) Introduc on. This chapter must summarize project objec ves and describe project personnel. It should include a summary of the research methods and principal findings.

2) Natural Se ng. This chapter must summarize the geology, hydrology, flora, and fauna in the vicinity of the park. This sec on only needs to be a summary as this has been covered extensively in the literature.

3) Culture History. Since these topics have been covered extensively in previous literature, this chapter may be succinct; however, it should reflect current knowledge, scholarship, and terminology.

4) Evalua on of Previous Archeological Work. This sec on must list, describe, and evaluate each previous archeological project conducted within the specific unit boundaries at BRVB. Cri cally evaluate survey methods, excava on strategy, results, and reports and discuss cataloging and ar fact storage, and implementa on of any report recommenda ons.

5) Documented Disturbances. This sec on will discuss construc on and environmental disturbances that can be documented either through plans, textual cita ons, photographs, or interviews, which have affected the integrity of the archeological resources at the parks.

Extensive map and construc on documenta on research will be required to assimilate the necessary informa on. Interviews with park staff may also be needed.

6) Known and Poten al Archeological Resources. This sec on will iden fy known and poten al archeological resources based on the collec on of maps, photographs, textual informa on, and archeological survey and excava on data. The chapter should include known and poten al archeological resources for both the historic and precontact periods. Overlay maps should be developed (historic maps produced to digitally overlay a current base map) to illustrate the evolu on of the park unit and its cultural resources. The results of the documented disturbances should be brought to bear on the iden fica on of archeological resources. This chapter should contain informa on per nent to the CRIS database and should briefly describe all CRIS sites and sub‐sites.

7) Recommenda ons. This sec on must summarize those sites that have the highest research and

/or public significance for each of the periods and contexts. This chapter must include a list of important research ques ons that the archeological resources of the park can address.

Recommenda ons, priori zed by site, should be made for addi onal documentary research, geophysical survey, and subsurface tes ng. This chapter must include management recommenda ons for sites and iden fy poten al threats to them. Recommenda ons should also be made for scholarly and public educa onal ini a ves and ac vi es. This chapter must be prepared in ac ve consulta on with the NPS and stakeholders (THPOs and SHPO).

8) Figures. Figures must include key historical and archeological site maps. Known archeological site loca ons must be iden fied on an approved GIS base map, showing present‐day topography and buildings. GIS‐generated maps must conform to NPS standards. The contractor and NPS must concur on the list of figures.

9) References. This sec on must be forma ed according to the American An quity style guide provided on the Society for American Archaeology website. Cartographic resources will be listed separately.

A dra chapter must be delivered between 6 and 11 months a er startup. Comments will be provided

30 days a er submission. A dra report will be submi ed for review within 16 months a er startup. The final report will be based on the comments received on the dra report.

GIS LAYER PREPARATION

Several GIS layers will be created from the documents gathered during research and all layers will be compa ble with ArcGIS Pro 2.9.2 or greater. These GIS layers could include geo‐rec fied scans of selected historic maps, and aerial photographs not already maintained at MWAC or the park. Addi onal

GIS layers will include known archeological resources, structures and roads, previous cultural resource study areas, and a base map. Base maps including this informa on are currently maintained at MWAC and are in good condi on, but addi ons may be required. The MWAC geodatabase and base map will be provided to the Contractor.

DELIVERABLES

Deliverables for the project will include:

an electronic dra of a chapter in Microso Word format an electronic copy of the dra report in Microso Word format

15 hard copies of the final report, including 1 unbound copy on acid‐free archival paper a complete electronic version of the final document in 508 compliant Adobe pdf format digital copies of all maps and per nent historical documents discovered during the project research for which the park or MWAC does not have copies updated GIS geodatabase of archeological site and survey informa on

All digital data and GIS informa on will be delivered on a flash or external drive.

PROJECT SCHEDULE

Following the award of the contract, the Contrac ng Officer’s Representa ve (COR) will schedule a kick‐ off mee ng within thirty (30) working days to finalize the project schedule and work plan.

0‐30 Days: Project Start‐up Mee ng, including relevant stakeholders.

0‐6 Months: Site visit and perform preliminary research, review and begin collec on of site data, previous reports, and ar fact collec on status. Submit outline for trial management unit. Call at end of 6 months to discuss outline, progress, and schedule.

6‐11 Months: Con nue research and submit dra chapter for trial management unit.

12 Months: Mee ng/call to discuss progress and get input on a dra chapter.

16 Months: Submit dra report.

16‐17 Months: NPS review of dra report. Mee ng/call at end of the review period to discuss comments on deliverables and finalizing report.

17‐18‐ Months: Contractor completes report using earlier dra and NPS comments. Submit final report.

18 Months: Final invoice and project close out.