Browsing by Type "capstones"
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Item Agroecocultural Sustainability: Intercultural Land Stewardship in Auroville, India(2023-05-19) Wittelsberger, Morgan; Skillman, Amy; Baron, Robert; Eleuterio, Susan; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThe objective of this capstone is to explore how intercultural influences and dynamics shape land stewardship models within the international intentional community of Auroville, India. This research specifically attempts to delineate how culturally diverse agriculture and reforestation practices have contributed to both the sustainability and regeneration of Auroville's ecosystem and the development of a sense of community among its members. The overarching goal of this research is to examine how intercultural land stewardship contributes to the creation of ecocultural civilizations. This work draws from twenty interviews conducted with various land stewards in Auroville and is informed by six months of participant observation research collected while living in the community and volunteering on farms/reforestation projects. This project is presented as an ethnography that elevates the lived experiences of land stewardship embodied by co-collaborators who shared their knowledge, belief, and practices through reciprocal ethnography. The analysis examines the complex sociocultural environment of Auroville and the multitude of sustainability ideations shared with me by participants. Cultural collaborations and conflicts are engaged through a lens that explores Auroville within its regional context and history. Cultural Sustainability as a field is engaged through multiple interpretations, including how cultures can be sustained in an intercultural utopian project as well as how cultures of sustainability can be formed through alternative societal structures. This capstone concludes with recommendations that suggest ways the community might resolve internal issues and deviations from its original values. The conclusion also provides insights into how the information gathered during this research project can be applied to the development of urban agricultural models in Baltimore, Maryland.Item American Beer: Community, Tradition and Culture(2017-01-03) Goergen, Erika; Forloney, Robert; Cultural Sustainability; MA in Cultural SustainabilityAmerican Beer: Community, Tradition and Culture is an exhibition about people, constructed with two eras in mind, the pre-craft beer era (approximately 1800-1980) and the craft beer to present era (approximately 1980-2017). This exhibition is designed with three distinct sections to illustrate beer culture : brewing education, taste, and marketing. In addition to examining these three sections, underlying research will explore professional and hobbyist beer-related communities, tradition and culture in both a historical and modern sense and how that is connected to cultural sustainability . This project is specifically rooted in cultural sustainability with the tenets of identifying and nurturing traditions of knowledge and practice that are meaningful and valued by the communities. Ultimately, this exhibition will instill awareness and help visitors to better understand beer culture and the history of the American brewing tradition as well as how it correlates to the vibrant brewing and the beer industry in the 21st century.Item Analysis and Comparison of Cultural Educational Schools(2016-06) Jiaben, Li; Skillman, Amy; MA in Cultural SustainabilityTibetan culture and languages encounter numerous challenges of globalization, urbanization, and mainstream Chinese culture in contemporary society. In particular, the Chinese education system interrupts the transmission of Tibetan cultural heritage to Tibetan youngsters in state schools. To improve the situation of Tibetan culture and languages, it is important to investigate possibilities for transmitting Tibetan cultural heritage, the types of cultural program that may be feasible within the Tibetan cultural and political context in China, and why particular cultural programs may contribute to Tibetan cultural sustainability. Therefore, I conducted case study research on four ethnic cultural educational institutions in the United States to explore the following questions: how these schools were established, who are the targeted communities, what kinds of cultural courses they teach, how they teach culture and language in their classes, and what are their polices for administration? I am exploring these questions because I am a native Tibetan, and wish to maintain Tibetan culture in my home community. I undertook research on this topic to learn how such schools sustain culture in the context of educational programs. I have worked to learn best models for culture-related educational programs. In my analysis, I examine how these diverse U.S.-based models may help sustain Tibetan culture and identity both inside and outside Tibet. I learned that these cultural schools may or may not have big impacts on learning native culture and improving language fluency, however, these schools create a sense of community, strengthen cultural identity, and build confidence through the learning of culture and language. My overarching question asks: How can an education system nurture and sustain traditional cultural knowledge?Item An Analysis of Refugee and Immigrant Craft Initiatives Throughout the US and Canada(2016-06) Dodge, Amber; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThroughout the United States and Canada, groups of newcomers, including resettled refugees and immigrants, get together to work on various artistic projects. In some cases, newcomer artisans sustain traditional arts and crafts-making skills from their countries of origin. In other cases, artisans learn new artistic skills and techniques with the intention of selling products to generate supplemental income or developing employable job skills. By participating in these groups, newcomers have opportunities to practice English, engage in cross-cultural exchange, express themselves creatively, and forge new friendships. Newcomers often feel a sense of accomplishment, self-confidence, belonging, and improved well-being by participating in these groups. Furthermore, the broader communities in which these groups exist benefit from a more diverse and culturally vibrant environment.Item As Seen Through Indigenous Eyes and Heard Through Indigenous Voices: A Storytelling Project(2019-12-17) Lucero, Heidi; Shepard, Michael; Gerhart, Heather; Krutak, Lars; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThe purpose for this capstone project is to produce a web-based product which illustrates the intersection of story and tattooed forms of identity among Indigenous people in California. The title of this capstone project is, As Seen Through Indigenous Eyes and Heard Through Indigenous Voices: A Storytelling Project. This web-based product includes digital stories of tattooed individuals and is a place to access educational material on the practice, as well as California Indian history. My primary question is: Can an outward facing identity marker such as the traditional “111” tattoo be a foundation for educating the public and Native communities about political, social and historical issues facing Indigenous communities in California? This project will illuminate the stories of California Indians that currently have received their “111” tattoo or are considering receiving their “111”. Each story tells the personal journey of the individual in receiving their tattoo and discusses the impacts that have resulted after receiving their tattoo. These stories were edited into digital stories and are available on the California Indigenous Chin Tattooing website, to heighten awareness of the resurgence of this cultural tradition and the historical reasons it was lost. The website also features other Indigenous communities in the world where traditional tattooing practices have not been interrupted and where revitalization of lost tattoo practices are ongoing. In these communities, tattooing is valued as a marker of Indigenous identity. This project’s purpose is multi-layered. Socially it is filling a void in cultural knowledge about the traditional practice of chin tattooing in California. For myself, as a bearer of a traditional “111” chin tattoo, it has helped me to grow as an activist in the revitalization of unconventional traditional arts and culture such as the “111” chin tattoo. Personally, in my journey of receiving my chin tattoo, I was disowned by my family; they have not spoken to me since I received my chin tattoo. This poignant experience demonstrates the need to educate even our own community members regarding the significance and importance of this traditional practice. The deeply personal stories that I have recorded and the educational material that is presented through this project serve to create bonds and strengthen knowledge about California Indians across public audiences as well as the Native community.Item An Assessment of Nutrition Education in Public Schools and How It Has Impacted Childhood Wellness; Special Focus: Baltimore County Public Schools(2017-06-01) Erbe, Julia; Walker, Thomas; Levenstein, Karen; Daniels, Ann; MA in Environmental StudiesOver the past few years, nutrition has become an absolute passion of mine and continues to play a dominant role in the way I live my life. As the youngest of three children growing up in a busy household, proper nutrition was not a part of our daily lives. We always had food on the table and in our lunchboxes, but they were not the healthiest. My parents bought groceries that were affordable and well liked among all three of us. Each of us played sports and were heavily involved in school activities, making weeknight dinners at the table a tough task. Food needed to be convenient and quick. I see this same theme in households today. Although I understand the thought process many parents go through in terms of food choice, I wanted to know more about the factors that affected their decisions. With my eagerness to educate myself on the matters in which nutrition exists in our society, as well as the ways in which it is perceived, I found a great need for discussion and improvement in public school nutrition education. As a former student within the Baltimore County Public School system, I had a strong desire to examine how nutrition education has evolved in comparison to how it subsists in schools present-day. In order to do this successfully, I first assessed the issues that school-aged children are faced with, including obesity and type II diabetes. Much of this is heavily science-based. With illustrations and recent data from surveys and studies, it became quite obvious how these health disparities have negatively affected children over time. Once I laid out this foundation, I then gave support as to why nutrition education is so important in school curricula. An overview of how nutrition education has evolved over the past 75 years, in addition to recent major legislation that revamped nutrition in schools nationwide, are major factors within this chapter. With this detailed information, I continued to research success stories from schools across the country that are paving the way for others to make similar improvements in overall food choice and healthy habits. These include notable schools/programs such as The Ross School in New York and The Edible Schoolyard in California. Once discovering all of the techniques employed to create such a positive, effective learning environment, I sought ways in which Baltimore County Public Schools were making similar efforts. In conversation with the Director of the Office of Food and Nutrition Services for Baltimore County Public Schools, Ms. Karen Levenstein, it became apparent that the desire to create positive change in nutrition education exists, yet issues with cooperation, funding, and accessibility produce obstacles for her team. Further improvements are on the horizon as the problems are being acknowledged and corrected. Likewise, the future of nutrition education looks optimistic as more and more information circulates about childhood health and its impact on their overall well-being. Of all the parties that can have a positive impact on today’s younger generation, I deemed the most essential to be that of the parents/guardians. The divide that exists between school and home must be tightened to ensure the nation’s children are learning how food choice and healthy habits can lead to a longer, happier future. In discussion of these issues, I always kept in mind the link to environmental studies and how this topic related. Over the two years I’ve spent studying material ranging from cultural influences, economic impacts, social norms, and more, there are major themes that have traveled through each subject. The most memorable theme is that of overconsumption. Not only does this apply in terms of overuse of fossil fuels and energy, but also in relation to food. Americans, especially, consume large amounts of food that also require large amounts of energy to produce. Due to this, we are operating under unsustainable conditions. Our planet simply cannot continue to support the way in which we live our lives. Another theme I found useful in this project is the role of authority. It is important to question who has the authority in any given situation and what makes them authoritative. We must know background information in order to fully assess one’s right or position to be the authority figure. Who gives them this power? Why should we listen to them? This goes hand in hand with the idea of skepticism and why it is important to question others. We need to have all of the information before making an informed decision; it is not enough to take someone’s word as truth before assessing all factors. I found this very helpful when researching the current trends in obesity and type II diabetes, as well as implementation of current school food standards. The Environmental Studies program is multi-disciplinary and encompasses a wide range of topics. As a student who appreciates holistic learning and understanding how concepts intertwine with one another, I was able to write about an issue that is not only important to me on a personal level, but is also significant on a much larger scale – much larger than myself.Item Awiix/Milpa: Corn and Ancestral Knowledge in Kaj Koj A Reflection(2012-07-26) Banks, Michelle; Peterson, Betsy; MA in Cultural SustainabilityYou can find corn growing almost everywhere in Guatemala. La milpa (corn or cornfield) can be a huge track of land, a family garden, or a handful of corn plants growing between patches of hardscrabble earth. Steeped in traditions that date back to pre-‐Columbian times, it orders the day-‐to-‐day for the men and women who cultivate it and reflects a profound reverence for la madre tierra and humankind’s relationship to her, and to each other. “Awiix/Milpa: Corn and Ancestral Knowledge in Kaj Koj” is an on-‐line exhibit that explores the role of la milpa in preserving the communal and cultural identity of Maya Poqomchi’ communities in San Cristóbal Verapaz Guatemala (Kaj Koj). The exhibit was developed with a team of young people who have participated in photography and creative writing workshops with Paat Itz’at -‐-‐ an arts and humanities project based in San Cristóbal. This collection of poetry, interviews and photographs illustrates the sacredness of corn to those whose sustenance depends on it, and their concerns about the loss of the traditions that are essential to its cultivation. “Awiix” is a celebration of the milpa and a forum to share the creativity of the children and young people Paat Itz’at tries to nurture through its work.Item Be a Heroine!: An Analysis and Reflection of Superheroines and Culture(2017-06-05) Kitrick, Jessica; Dornfeld, Barry; Forloney, Robert; Willits, Christopher; Digital ArtsThis paper is an analysis of storytelling and superhero themes as well as a supplement to the website project constructed at http://ravenalegria13.wix.com/superheroines. While the website addresses some storytelling aspects, this paper collaborates with the website and contains both a self-reflection piece to answer some personal questions and an analytical section to focus on why superheroes are so important to storytelling, digital arts, and cultural sustainability.Item Be BOLD: Building Support Networks for Low- Performing Students in Baltimore City Public Schools(2012-09) Chance, Candace; Skillman, Amy; McLoud, Melissa; Thompson, Tracy; MA in Cultural SustainabilityUsing the fundamentals of science (observation, replication and prediction) as a basis to develop a curriculum for a leadership development program that would foster support systems for low-performing 5th graders in Baltimore City Public Schools.Item "The Benguela Called to Play": Capoeira's Embodied Resistance & Sustaining Culture Through Expressive Bodily Practice(2020-05) Batman, Emma; Baron, Robert; MA in Cultural SustainabilityConsidering the potentials of bodily performance in the expression of meaning and cultural identification for both the individual and their community, this work focuses on concepts of resistance and power as it is embodied in the Afro-Brazilian art of capoeira. The thesis develops from the researcher’s background in classical ballet and modern dance and is driven by experiences as a new student of capoeira, engaged in training throughout the research and execution of the work. Grounded in examinations of community, continuity and value transmission, the thesis seeks to build connections between capoeira’s resistant history, and the embodied experiences of resistance sustained through the culture of, and approaches to, contemporary training and practice. Concepts and arguments of capoeira’s embodied resistance emerge through narrative and performative writing, coalescing reflections crafted from participant research and interviews with practicing capoeiristas in New York City. Formed with a critically reflexive approach, the considerations presented in the thesis are buttressed by existing ethnographic works centered on the martial art, and framed by scholarship in performance theory, culture studies and sociology, and critical analysis. Avoiding the realm of overtly political or ‘art activism’ works, this research instead explores the resistant elements that generate not from the intention to revolutionize, but which are born upon and through group identity and expression. Attempting to recognize the subversive, subtle, and frequently unacknowledged ways that bodily performance contributes to everyday resistance, this work aims to provide additional recognition of the power of embodied knowledge and expression through corporeal performance.Item Beyond the Barstool: an Ethnography of The Woodland Inn / Uncle Joe’s Woodpile(2012-09) Umstodt, Sarah; MA in Cultural SustainabilityIn Beyond the Barstool, author Sarah Umstot simultaneously investigated and promoted sustainability through the utilization of skills in the areas of documentation, interviewing, participant observation fieldwork, primary source research, and partnership development to produce an ethnography based on Uncle Joe’s Woodpile, formerly the Woodland Inn, located in Short Gap, West Virginia. Her primary goal was to document and archive the memories and rich oral history that support this communal cultural landmark to inspire action that contributed to the continued cultural vitality and sustainability of the area. The Woodpile has helped shape family traditions, reinforce beloved musical preferences specific to the area, promote bonds between families and friends, bridge the gap between the young and the old, and foster a broadened sense of community among local residents. Specifically, she documented and compiled a series of interviews from past and present patrons, owners, lessees, and employees of The Woodpile. Photographic documentation accompanied each interview. The resulting data and materials culminated into an ethnography – literally, a graphing or describing of the people – of the Woodpile community. These interviews accompany photographs and historical documentation of relevance to the conversation or stories represented. The research presented here is complementary to the archival inventory of artifacts and historical documentation that Ms. Lara Justis has completed on a subject related to Uncle Joe’s Woodpile.Item Beyond the Barstool: Culture and Community at The Woodland Inn(2012) Justis, Lara; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThe project ―Beyond the Barstool: Culture and Community at The Woodland Inn – sought to identify, record, and present that history and to examine the notion that a neighborhood bar can significantly contribute to the sustainability and cohesion of a community. To illustrate the strong ties that people have formed around The Woodland Inn, this capstone focused on the specific function of collective memory shared through personal photographic archives from patrons of The Woodland Inn. Conducted over the course of eight months, the study involved community interactions, observations, and historical research. This evidence, when presented collectively, demonstrates how The Woodland Inn has and continues to provide a powerful binding force between culture and community. These materials provide a substantial foundation for the transformation of this thesis from an individual endeavor into a community-wide initiative to preserve a dynamic cultural identity.Item Building a Movement Through Partnerships and Public Engagement:One Organization, Many Communities, and a Landfill(2018-07-10) Guzenski, Nicole; Shepard, Michael; Walker, Thomas; Eleuterio, Sue; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThis reflective paper will explain and summarize a community engagement capstone project focused on building a partnership with Friends of Lackawanna (FOL), an organization that has been developed in order to oppose a 50 year expansion proposed by the Keystone Sanitary Landfill (KSL) in Dunmore and Throop, Pennsylvania. The expansion would add about 106 million tons of waste to the landfill’s capacity, making the physical height of the landfill about 220 feet higher than its current height. Local residents have expressed concerned over the landfill’s traffic, pollution, effects on air quality, and the overall impacts to the health of residents and the environment. The capstone project’s mission was to develop more opportunities for the Friends of Lackawanna to engage the community around the topic of waste, the environment, and the issue of the landfill while also increasing the organization’s outreach. This paper outlines, reflects, and analyzes the methods of engagement used to create social awareness around the issues within the context representative of the organization’s (FOL) commitment to community organizing. The project worked to incorporate various ways to use public engagement tied to the proposed expansion of the KSL landfill such as a children’s art exhibit, engaging youth to act as leaders by sharing their stories and creating art as part of a local workshop, and an outdoor, environmentally focused fair. The project explored ways to implement and increase tools or strategies for FOL in order to engage deeper with community members by demonstrating the importance of partnerships and the development of social networks. Throughout this project I discovered various ways that FOL can work to increase visibility and support through active governance and stewardship with community by reviewing their community engagement efforts and partnerships with local residents, organizations, and agencies. I also developed an organizational history and timeline of indicators of FOL’s work. This helped the project determine recommendations that align with the organization’s mission and aid in the progress of the achieving their goals. The organizational history helped in demonstrating ways that community members have engaged or needed to engage with the organization and determine what roles FOL plays within the community. My reflective responses and collections are documented through photographs and an Internet based, password protected, blog. The purpose of the blog was to serve as ongoing journal to store experiences, stories, reflections, ideas, and photographs. It also serves as a way to demonstrate the various partnerships which were created to plan public events and local activities, which were an integral part of this project. The blog contains outside links to organizations, partners, and events in order to showcase local collaborations which supported the project’s work. The blog was also created to serve the Cultural Sustainability community and its students, so that they will be able see and read what a capstone project entails in order to provide guidance and to improve upon the uses and implementation of a graduate project for their community and future work.Item Building Blocks of Cultural Identity: Language's Place in Cultural Sustainability(2013-05) Morris, Carmeline; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThis capstone thesis was written to explore the collaboration between linguistics and cultural identity in the field of cultural sustainability. Moving to Italy while studying cultural sustainability at Goucher College, I was interested and excited to learn about Europe’s diverse linguistic background and the preservation/revitalization efforts that are already being initiated in various parts of the European Union. Inspired by studies of language ideologies, sociolinguistics, cultural identity, and language preservation, my thesis takes previous linguistic and cultural research and language revitalization case studies to come up with a compilation of best practices for cultural sustainability through linguistic sustainability/revitalization. For the analysis part of my thesis, I did my own field research focusing on a dialect in northern Italy known as Venetian. The best practices for language sustainability suggested in this thesis are related to what was observed and learned while studying sociolinguistic and cultural aspects of this speech community.Item Building Pentimento: A Framework for Maintaining Cultural Identity in Urban Development(2018-05) Jones, Brandon; Kymaani, Roxanne; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThis paper examines the theoretical frameworks of cultural identity in the context of urban developmental applications in Atlanta, Georgia. By providing a brief historical overview of urban development practices in the city and connecting those practices to impacts on individual and collective identities, the goal of this paper is to bridge theoretical scholarship with practical application. This is done by examining identity construction, place, neighborhood change theories, and national and international models for culturally sustainable development. This paper will provide a foundation for conceptualizing the strategic tools and processes that integrate cultural identity into operational aspects of local urban development frameworks.Item Can Community Engagement Foster Cultural Sustainability? A Study of Historic New England and the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm(2015) Hopkins, Sarah; MA in Cultural SustainabilityThis Capstone is an in-depth analysis of community engagement at the Spencer-Peirce-Little Farm, a site in Newbury, Massachusetts, administered by Historic New England. This study closely examines the practices at one museum in the context of the current research on community engagement in museums and arts organizations, as well as the role such engagement can play in fostering cultural sustainability. Further, this work sheds light on how the best practices cited in current museum, cultural sustainability, and arts organizations research is being put into practice. Specifically, it serves to show how one institution and other similar institutions can play a vital role in working with local communities to sustain cultural practices and shepherd these traditions into the future.Item Chicano Youth Leadership Conference: Speaking Legacies of Leadership into the Future(2019-06) Temblador, Jasmin; Morales, Selina; Shopes, Linda; Chavez, Xochitl; MA in Cultural SustainabilityIn this reflection paper, I use the method of oral history to explore leadership through the Chicano Youth leadership conference (CYLC) over fifty-years. For this final capstone project, I have interviewed Charlotte Lerchenmuller, president of the Sal Castro Foundation, and Paula Crisostomo, board member of the Sal Castro foundation, and former conference attendee and student activist. I selected Paula and Charlotte because they are elders who hold leadership roles in the conference, and both have been longtime volunteers. The purpose of this project is to ensure that the narratives of elders within the conference are heard, seen, and recognized as a vital contribution to the sustainability of the conference, and to continue to empower future generations of Chicano/a youth. Through the oral history recordings, future generations of Chicano/a and Latino/a people will have access to learn about the experiences of people like Charlotte and Paula who have made incredible contributions to the CYLC over time. In this paper, I will introduce a brief history of the conference and the 1968 student walkouts, my personal narrative as a volunteer with the conference and how it inspired me to conduct this capstone. Finally, I will introduce the method of oral history, my process for completing the interviews for this project, and an analysis and interpretation of the interviews.Item CinematicAmbiX: Cinematic Sound in Virtual Reality(2020-11-25) Schwartz, Adam; Bernstein, Andrew; Art and TechnologyCinematicAmbiX is a three-movement piece of virtual reality art that is focused on sound for film. I sought to separate trailer sounds, foley, and ambience from their standard visual accompaniment. I chose virtual reality (VR) as a mode of exhibition for its ability to allow me to replace the two-dimensional plane of the cinema screen with the three-dimensional virtual gallery. VR granted me the use of the ambisonic audio format to create an interactive and immersive sonic environment. I was able to spotlight cinematic sound in a format that encouraged audience interaction while maintaining sound as the focus. This is contrary to what Christoph Cox calls, the “hegemony of the visual” through which sound is often overshadowed in visual media. In this writing, I explain how human hearing connects to a film’s soundtrack by investigating the evolution of cinema audio formats and the technologies that drive them.Item Climate Change and Infectious Disease Patterns in the United States: Public Health Preparation and Ecological Restoration as a Matter of Justice(2016-06) Cornell, Kayhla; Walker, Dr. Thomas; Assadourian, Erik; Raffensperger, Carolyn J.D.; MA in Environmental StudiesThere exists an ancient and delicate balance between the Earth’s climate systems and human health. As the Earth’s climate systems experience disruption, so will the systems of human health. With disruptions of weather patterns come increased hazard events, causing more floods, droughts, and presence of vectors. These changes ultimately cause an increase in infectious disease and new disease patterns affecting the global population. In the United States, there are several geographic areas that are at an increased risk of hazard events. More importantly, there are also populations that are distinctly more at-risk of contracting infectious disease due to underlying vulnerabilities, as indicated by social determinants of health. This document discusses infectious disease outbreaks that we can predict are coming to the United States, where we can expect to see these predictions manifest, based on our current knowledge, and what the United States, on a local level, needs to do in order to best prepare for these imminent threats. Due to the fact that portions of the population are being unjustly burdened by climate vulnerabilities and infectious disease, the timely responses to these communities is truly a matter of environmental justice. In order to best prepare for the inevitable, this paper discusses necessary partnerships that need to be made between the public health and environmental/ecology fields to form a holistic, just approach to communities on a local level.Item A Community Advocate Examines the Vital Links between: Land Use, Local Culture, and Cultural Conservation(2013-12) Hoppen, Guy; MA in Cultural SustainabilityOccupational traditions like commercial fishing and family farming require local landscapes and properties in order to continue to exist and evolve. Communities need to act to counter land development that has one goal – short term profit (“highest and best” land-use). To anchor local placed-based occupational traditions that provide social, cultural, and economic benefits to a community means finding ways to bypass that single outcome and dominant land development model. In Gig Harbor, Washington, “highest and best” land-use development has toppled traditional waterfront properties like a row of dominos, including commercial fishing family landscapes and marine fueling facilities, replacing them with recreational marinas, blacktop parking lots, and upscale residential uses. City planning goals calling for traditional use retention are unenforceable, and historic preservation projects preserve only the skeletons of living traditions. Traditional use advocates in Gig Harbor, beginning in 2002, began to alter the local waterfront land-use paradigm. “Land Use, Local Culture, and Cultural Conservation” details a portion of that story.