Tribal Monitor at Unified Business Technologies Inc

Stanton, North Dakota, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

11 May, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

10 Feb, 26

Experience

0 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Archeological Monitoring, Cultural Resource Management, Field Observation, Safety Training, Communication, Team Coordination, Physical Endurance, NAGPRA Compliance

Industry

Consumer Services

Description

Description Archeological Monitoring Objectives: The objective of this contract is to provide monitoring during various project activities enabling tribes to have firsthand representation in the field and provide direct input during activities that may have the potential to expose or affect sensitive tribal cultural resources. Tribal officials are ultimately responsible for vetting the qualifications of the Tribal Monitors who choose to represent their tribe and shall be responsible for coordinating all travel logistics. They will have firsthand exposure to field activities so that they may make observations and recommendations to the archeologist onsite, as well as directly report their observations to their tribal leadership. Tribal Monitors will be required to participate in any necessary environmental and safety awareness training prior to engaging in any tribal monitoring activities for the project. Tribal Monitoring work may involve moderate to heavy physical activity for extended periods of time over potentially rough terrain or in challenging field conditions, including wet, rainy, windy, dusty, cold or hot weather. Designated monitors are responsible for equipping themselves with appropriate field attire and should have physical mobility and endurance for these common field conditions. DURATION AND ANTICIPATED GROUND DISTURBANCE Exact dates of performance have yet to be determined and are dependent upon start of fieldwork activities. Projected construction activities are as follows: The Tribal monitoring requested shall be only during the excavation/removal of sloughed soil on the west bank of the Knife River along the Elbee Bend. Tribal monitoring is NOT being scoped during the bulk of the embankment work (which is additive in nature), nor along the east side of the Knife River (which is river fill and where extensive shovel testing was negative for archeological resources), nor the proposed temporary haul road (which had extensive shovel testing already with no findings). Tribal monitoring fieldwork during construction for the excavated/removal of sloughed soil on the west bank of the Knife River that is being scoped along the Elbee Bend is expected to be carried out over the late summer/early fall of 2026 for one to two weeks. A draft schedule is attached as Exhibit A. It is expected that Tribal monitoring will be required for the duration of that specific fieldwork. The fieldwork is estimated to take 10 days, max. It is anticipated that the Tribal Monitor shall be able to utilize a telescoping boom lift provided by the contractor (operated by contractor or KNRI staff) to safely observe the Knife River west bank embankment removal of sloughed soil by the construction contractor. Throughout the process the Tribal Monitor will be working closely/in concert with the MWAC Archeologist on the preparation/training, safety plan, monitoring of embankment removal, NAGPRA requirements (as applicable), and field records. Requirements The Tribal Monitor or Tribal Liaison shall attend multiple conference calls throughout this contract. At minimum, the Contractor shall expect to participate in five (5) conference calls (duration less than one hour), in order to discuss (1) contract initiation; (2) pre-fieldwork coordination; (3) progress of tasks; (4) problems that may be encountered and options for their resolution; and (5) project milestones. In addition, the Tribal Monitor will be responsible for coordinating one (1) pre-fieldwork Tribal Resource Training to ensure proper and efficient teamwork between the archeologist (NPS-MWAC) and the Tribal Monitor. The training should be less than 1 hour and must include the archeologist (NPS-MWAC) but may also include NPS staff from DSC, KNRI and MWAC. The Tribal Monitor may be responsible for summarizing key Tribal Resource Training points during in-field safety briefings with the NPS. The pre-fieldwork coordination meeting will be attended by a representative from the Construction Management Contractor, the Construction Contractor, Contracting Officer or COR, MWAC, and KNRI, to discuss daily work schedule, equipment, and special methods used in archeologically sensitive areas. This meeting shall be organized and facilitated by the Construction Management Contractor in conjunction with the Tribal Monitor and will occur no less than one week prior to the beginning of fieldwork. The Tribal Monitor and MWAC will participate in daily on-site tailgate safety and fieldwork briefings and coordinate fieldwork efforts. Deliverables: a. Participate in a minimum of five (5) project conference calls. b. Coordinate one (1) pre-fieldwork tribal resource training for archeological contractors. c. Participate in daily tailgate Safety and Fieldwork Coordination meetings Monitoring Archeological Survey Each area of ground disturbing activity will require a Tribal Monitor. The monitor will directly observe all ground disturbance for resources of tribal interest and concern. Monitors may work in excess of 8 hours a day if ground disturbing activities are occurring. The monitor will be responsible for inspecting and identifying culturally sensitive materials, as well as protecting any ancestral human remains or cultural items as defined under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The monitor may request that work be paused when necessary to make their observations. If ancestral human remains or cultural items as defined by NAGPRA are found, in accordance with the NAGPRA Plan of Action, the Tribal Monitor will be responsible for ensuring that fieldwork is ceased in that location and that the appropriate NPS staff are notified. Deliverables: a. The monitor shall provide the park Cultural Resources Program Manager with a written weekly update. Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) Requirements For discoveries of human remains or cultural items as defined under NAGPRA (25 U.S.C. 3001 et seq) and its implementing regulations (43 CFR part 10), tribal monitors will follow the procedures outlined in the NAGPRA Plan of Action for this project sent to the MHA and Crow Tribe for consultation in January of 2025. Please refer to it in its entirety (see attached). If suspected human remains or other NAGPRA-related objects (funerary objects, sacred objects, or objects of cultural patrimony) are discovered as a result of the current undertaking, project activity within 50 feet of the location of the discovery will cease and the area will be protected from further disturbance until an expert on human skeletal anatomy can arrive on site. The primary objective is to leave human remains or NAGPRA-related objects in situ. If human remains or cultural items must be relocated, the NPS will do the following: 1) Upon consultation with Tribal representatives, the human remains, and any NAGPRA-related objects will be exhumed and stored at a secure, climate-controlled location at KNRI. 2) These will not be accessioned or cataloged and will be kept in natural materials, such as muslin and boxes with minimal metal or labeling, pursuant to the Tribes’ wishes. 3) They will remain in the care of NPS, but not as property or custody, until disposition occurs. A comprehensive report on the results of the archeological investigation, the discovery, the nearby soil, any other related forms of documentation, and a record of consultation with the Federally recognized Tribes shall be prepared and kept on file. This data will be considered sensitive, and only used internally, or with consulting parties such as the Tribes or SHPO. The report will not contain any new or additional research on the human remains and cultural items themselves. Field Records The Tribal Monitor will coordinate with the MWAC to provide findings of monitored activities, observations, environmental conditions, daily activities, etc. The Tribal Monitor will be responsible for ensuring that their observations are accurately captured in the MWAC field notes. The MWAC will be responsible for recording the Tribal Monitor’s observations and findings and will submit their field notes to the NPS for long-term curation. The Tribal Monitor will provide weekly summaries of monitoring activities to the park, MWAC and DSC. All archeological and ethnographic data observed throughout this project are strictly confidential; the monitor is not to disclose their findings beyond the archeologists on site, park staff, and the designated Tribal Historic Preservation Offices or Tribal Liaison. Deliverables: a. Provide MWAC with the tribal monitor’s observations and findings. b. Provide weekly field updates to MWAC, KNRI, and DSC.

Responsibilities

The Tribal Monitor will observe ground disturbance activities to protect sensitive tribal cultural resources and report findings to tribal leadership. They will also coordinate with archeologists and participate in safety briefings and training.