ORISE gives archival intern unique opportunities, experiences

by Julie L. Erwin

James P. Ferguson, an ORISE intern with the Archaeological Curation and Archives Analysis Branch of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-St. Louis, has always loved history. As a data analyst, he spent many years developing databases and designing Web pages, and he didn’t have many opportunities to pursue his passion. However, a few years ago he went to the University of Missouri-St. Louis and received his bachelor’s degree in history, specializing in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. ORISE alerted him to the archival internship, and it has been a journey of learning and wonder ever since.

"Every project is exciting," Ferguson said. "Every day we discover something really interesting."

As an archivist, Ferguson gets to work with the documents and records associated with artifacts recovered during an archaeological investigation. The test of a true "science" is the ability to duplicate one’s results. Because an archaeological excavation destroys the physical site, the only way to "duplicate" the results of such an investigation is through the documents generated during the project. While he still works on designing databases, it is with a historical perspective.

"Archival work has a direct relationship to history," Ferguson said. "Archivists are the keepers of history. If something has historical significance, it’s in our professional purview."

Natalie Drew, Ferguson’s mentor and team leader, views him as a treasure to the organization. Although she has worked with several very capable interns before through the ORISE program, she says Ferguson remains the most enthusiastic.

"He approaches each project with overbounding energy and interest," Drew said. "The man is truly dedicated to the pursuit of the study of history."

Through his internship, Ferguson has had many brushes with history, from "live" Civil War cannonballs to a "papoose carrying type artifact" that was eight thousand years old. One of the first projects he was with was the Corps Condition Assessment Program (CCAP), which assessed the archaeological collections of every U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District. The team then recommended the best ways to preserve the artifacts and make them more accessible to the public. Ferguson recalls it as the most encompassing experience, yet also the most disheartening.

"It became clear that many of the most interesting and historically valuable cultural treasures were being lost to the savages of time and decay," Ferguson said. "Like so much else, it will be lost forever if not preserved properly."

Not only does Ferguson process archaeological associated documentation, he also discovers how people in the past lived. One project involved the rehabilitation of more than 50 separate collections on the Ft. Benning, Ga., military base. Here, Ferguson and his colleagues investigated "Yuchi Town"—a Native American village—and discovered more information on the tribe’s homes, customs, language, and affiliation with other southeastern tribes. He also dealt with settler and Native American interactions while processing the collections at Ft. Lewis, Wash.

"I have a renewed respect and appreciation for the Wanapum, Nisqually, and Yakima Indians thanks to these documents and artifacts," he said.

Ferguson’s future consists of more history. After just returning from a trip to the Florida State Museum of Natural History and the Kingsbay, Ga., submarine base where he assisted in collecting and transporting artifacts and their associated documentation, he has over 200 boxes of documents and items awaiting him.

"I can’t wait to explore the vast amounts of history and cultural treasures," he said. "I get goose bumps just casually looking through the boxes."

Drew also concurs that the opportunities provided to him by ORISE have only increased his dedication.

"Not only has he been able to develop his skills within the study of history and the archival profession," she observed, "he has also had the opportunity to train in what we hope will be a new venue for professional archivists—archaeological investigations.

"[Ferguson] is in the thick of this growing professional cooperative effort, and both he and our organization are better for the association," she said.

Ferguson is also grateful to ORISE and the opportunities it has given him.

"It is only through the ORISE internship that I could have had this in-depth and all encompassing of an experience," Ferguson concluded. "I know of no other historian or archivist that has been allowed exposure to so much and such a variety of history and the cultural treasures that constitute who we are as Americans."