Tribal Historic Preservation Office

From time immemorial the Kooyooe Tukadu (Pyramid Lake Paiute people) have occupied this land for over thousands of years. To that end, we are entrusted to protect and preserve our tribal lands and ancestral territories.

The THPO and the Cultural Resources Committee works to enforce federal and tribal laws to provide historic preservation and protection of archeological sites, burial sites, historic sites, Traditional Cultural Places, gathering places, cultural landscapes and more.

In 2012, the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe entered into an agreement with the National Parks Service, Department of Interior to assume certain duties of the State Historic Preservation Office pursuant to Section 10l(d)(2) of the Historic Preservation Act, 16USC 470A et seq.

The tribe developed the office of the THPO which now works to ensure tribal consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act takes place to ensure adverse impacts to tribal and ancestral lands do not occur.

The THPO reviews projects that are both tribally and non-tribally sponsored but are federal undertakings. A federal undertaking is (36 CFR 800.16(y)) a project, activity or program funded in whole or part under the direct or indirect jurisdiction of a federal agency. The review process ensures compliance with Section 106, the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and the Archeological Resource Protection Act through government to government consultation.