Anthropology News - Archaeologists Against Trump is the name of a Facebook group. It can
also be applied to the writings and actions by a large number of
archaeologists concerned with the impact of President-elect Trump on
archaeology.
Reaction by archaeologists has intensified since the
election, but there were expressions of concerns prior to that. A 2015
New York Times article on the Trump National Golf Club provided some
insight into Trump's views on heritage evidence and scholarship. As
described in the article, there is a civil war memorial marker on the
golf course close to the Potomac River, stating “Many great American
soldiers, both of the North and South, died at this spot”. The marker
attributes the preservation of the spot to Trump. A problem is that
there is no evidence of any loss of life there. Trump appears to have
made it up.
In Manufacturing Heritage: History-Making at Trump National
archaeologist Paul Mullins furthers the story, discussing Trump's lack
of faith in scholarship and academic voices. A pre-election piece
In a Historic Election, Where Do the Candidates Stand on Protecting
America's Heritage? the author says “As with all things, Donald Trump's
record on historic preservation is extravagant and not easily
characterized”, describing his use of tax credits and benefits for
restoration and redevelopment and the impact of his proposed wall along
the border with Mexico. Regarding Trump's wall, in How Trump's Wall
Would Trample Hundreds of Archaeological Sites Kristine Killgrove
suggests that if the wall were built, at least 126 archaeological sites
would be destroyed.
Many archaeologists have been expressing their
concerns through Facebook, including the Archaeologists Against Trump
group, with more than 2,500 members. As stated on the Facebook page,
they are guided by several principles, including “The past deserves a
better future”; “The future deserves a better past”; “Small scale
actions can support big-scale shifts”; and “Shit's getting real.”
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