Please note: This position has a February 20, 2023, application deadline.

The NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship Program places recent humanities PhDs with NPS sites and programs across the agency. In collaboration with NPS staff and partners, the incoming cohort of fifteen (15) Fellows will contribute to planning and preparation for America at 250, an initiative inspired by the semi-quincentennial of the Declaration of Independence. This event provides an opportunity for the NPS to tell a more inclusive story of the American past and present. The NPS is committed to exploring the full complexity of our history, even if that history is uncomfortable, contested, or erased. The humanities research supported by this Fellowship will expand these efforts, encouraging creative approaches to documentation, interpretation, and outreach.

This opportunity is supported by a generous grant from The Mellon Foundation through the National Park Foundation (NPF). The project is administered via a three-way agreement among NPS, National Park Foundation (NPF), and American Conservation Experience (ACE).

Job Title: National Park Service Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow: Unpacking Indigeneity, Identity, and Heritage of the Anza Expedition

Employer: American Conservation Experience (ACE)

Department: EPIC Program, National Park Service (NPS) Division

Location: Eligible for remote/telework flexibility. Preferred locations are along the Historic Corridor of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. Areas include Southern Arizona, the Imperial Valley of California, Riverside, Los Angeles Metro Area, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Status: Temporary, Full-time, Exempt

Term: Position is fully funded through August 31, 2025

Start Date: September 2023

Host Description: This fellowship is placed with the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail (Anza Trail). The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is the route traveled by the Anza expedition during the years 1775 - 1776. Starting in Sinaloa and Sonora, New Spain (which is now in Mexico), Anza led over 240 settlers to San Francisco to establish a mission and presidio. In addition to Anza and Father Pedro Font, the expedition was composed of settlers which included 30 soldiers, their wives, and more than 100 children, as well as Indigenous guides, vaqueros, muleteers, and servants, among others. The families reflected the diverse castes of Spanish society - a mix of Native American, African, and European heritage. The historic trail connects Mexico to San Francisco, and the 18th century to the 21st. The current 1,200-mile Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail connects history, culture, and outdoor recreation from Nogales, Arizona, to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Administered by the National Park Service, the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is a component of both the National Trails System and the National Park System. The National Park Service administers the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail in partnership with other federal, state, and local agencies; tribal governments; non-profit organizations; and private landowners. The NPS role includes leadership for the trail and establishing best practices and ensuring consistency among all partners involved with administration and on-the-ground management of the trail and trail resources.

ACE is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing rewarding environmental service opportunities for young adults and emerging professionals of all backgrounds to explore and improve public lands while gaining practical professional experience. The EPIC NPS Division works alongside the National Park Service across the United States, from Alaska to Puerto Rico, to support the NPS in its mission to "preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations" while providing career promoting individual placement opportunities.

Position Description: The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail is seeking one postdoctoral fellow to contribute to research, interpretation, outreach, and educational and digital programming initiatives focused on the complexities of Indigeneity, identity and heritage of Spanish colonization and the Anza Expedition. The fellow will be part of a small team of Anza Trail staff, partners, and mentors.

Each NPS Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellow will complete work in four areas. Fellows will (1) perform project-based research; (2) share research results; (3) produce and substantially contribute to interpretive and educational products; and (4) pursue career-focused work.

1) Project-Based Research: The project can be addressed into two parts during the first year, a historical survey and an ethnographic study.

• Historical Research: A literature review and survey would investigate the Indigenous and perhaps African origins of the colonists. Research would seek better understanding of the Indigenous identities of the colonists. Ethnographic work conducted in 2011, (Stoffle, Richard W. et al, "Analyzing 18th Century Lifeways of the Anza Expedition Members in Northwestern Sinaloa & Southwestern Sonora Mexico,") identified broad Indigenous identities by mission, including Yaqui, Opata, and O'odham, but a more nuanced understanding could inform the historiography of their background and their participation in settler colonialism in Alta California.
• Ethnographic research: An Ethnographic study could be conducted into identity as it relates to Californianos, descendants of the colonists associated with the Anza expedition. The undertaking could involve historical and ethnographic research as well as interviews. The interviews would focus on those who claim descendance from the Anza colonists who identify as Ohlone or other Indigenous identities. A potential element of interest for a researcher could be the use of genealogy and kinship by current-day descendants of the Anza expedition colonists to express their own cultural and ethnic identities; Indigenous, Hispanic, Afro-Latino, Latino, and variable combinations are all identities connected and claimed by contemporary peoples (Californianos). In some cases, closely related individuals express distinct identities. In year two, the Fellow will consult with their mentorship team, as well as other subject matter experts as needed, to propose a project for their second year.

2) Sharing Research Results: The Fellow will collaborate with their support team to share the results of their applied research with their hosts, cohort, Fellowship project team, the larger community of NPS staff, National Trail partners, and ultimately to visitors and community partners. This research will be shared on various platforms, including webinars, educational and interpretive content on NPS.gov and in-person sessions.

The Fellow will be expected to develop and sustain connections with program-provided mentors and host staff, associated NPS staff, members of their Fellowship cohort, and other Fellows across the tenure of the program. In addition to being provided mentorship and support themselves, the Fellow will have the opportunity to mentor others and to enrich staff knowledge by organizing events such as virtual speaker series and presentations. Twice a year, the Fellow will participate with their cohort and other Fellows in a virtual conference for NPS staff and partners to provide updates about their research. The Fellow will be responsible for tracking and reporting accomplishments and for supplying copies of interpretive, educational, and research products to their host and to the National Coordinator.

3) Interpretive and Educational products: The Fellow will work with their mentors and support team to identify feasible interpretive and educational products informed by their research. The fellow would work with close interpretation partners (e.g., The Peralta Hacienda in Oakland, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation, Ironwood Tree Experience) to develop appropriate interpretive or educational products to present to the public and to share with other partners who present the Anza story and legacy to the public. The actual product will be determined by the skillset of the Fellow and the opportunities that arise with the many partners of the 1200-mile-long Anza Trail

4) Career-focused research and products: In consultation with their mentors, the Fellow will carry out a career-centered project. About 20 percent of the Fellowship will be dedicated to this scholarly work that advances the Fellow's career path. The fellow will be supported by the Anza Trail team to draw on regional and agency-wide expertise.

Essential Responsibilities and Tasks:

• Conduct original research into the history and legacy of identity of the colonists and descendant communities.
• Synthesize existing research, including a literature review and survey, to share with NPS and partner sites through in-person and virtual meetings and on multiple digital platforms.
• Develop varied interpretive products for NPS.gov and potentially for partner organizations.

Required Experience and Qualifications:

• Must be a PhD in any field of the humanities or humanistic social sciences. Scholars who received or will receive their PhD between May 1, 2018, and August 15, 2023, are eligible to apply. For more information on eligibility, visit https://www.nationalparks.org/nps-mellon-humanities-postdoctoral-fellowship
• Subject matter expertise in Spanish Colonial history; Indigenous studies; public history; cultural anthropology; or cultural landscapes.
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Skill in project planning, organization, and time management; ability and desire to perform multiple concurrent and variable tasks
• Strong organizational skills to keep track of workload, tasks, and interactions
• Selective factors include the merit of scholarship and promise, commitment to the public humanities, and capacity to complete research successfully.

Other Requirements:

• Must be a US citizen or Permanent Resident, as required to comply with U.S. government contracts.
• Must be proficient in English.
• Must pass a federal criminal background check; Fellowship is also contingent upon a successful security background check with the NPS.
• Must be willing to abide by ACE Policy and Federal Drug Free workplace policies and laws. ACE reserves the right to drug test at any time
• Must verify that they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the time they start their fellowship or request a medical or religious exemption.
• Must be willing to abide by a requirement to acknowledge The Mellon Foundation, the National Park Service, the National Park Foundation, and American Conservation Experience, in any publications generated by this project.
• Must be willing to abide by federal policy that research results, publications, films, videos, artistic or similar endeavors resulting from the fellowship, other than the specifically career-focused work, will become the property of the United States, and as such, will be in the public domain and not subject to copyright laws.
• Consent to being photographed and to the release of such photographic images.

Physical Demands, Work Environment, and Working Conditions:

• Physical Demands: Requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, using hands to handle or feel, reaching with hands and arms, talks and hears with or without assistive personnel and/or devices. Manual dexterity required for use of computer keyboard/mouse and other office equipment with or without reasonable accommodations. May be occasionally required to stoop, kneel, climb stairs, and/or crouch (all physical demands are required with or without reasonable accommodations). The National Park Service host will provide reasonable accommodations, if needed, to meet task assignments.
• Vision Requirements: Requires close, distance, peripheral and depth perception vision as well as the ability to focus. The National Park Service host will provide reasonable accommodations, if needed, to meet task assignments.
• Environmental: Mainly indoor, office environment conditions; indoor air quality is good, and temperature is controlled. This is describing both provided office spaces and home office spaces.
• Noise Environment: Moderate noise such as in a business office with equipment and light traffic. This is describing both provided office spaces and home office spaces.
• Travel: This position requires domestic travel as needed for program duties.

Salary & Benefits:

Compensation: Starting annualized salary $65,000 with annualized COLA to $67,600 for Year 2 (40 hours/week for 52-weeks). Paid bi-weekly, a two-week pay period. Travel funding is provided, and Fellows will not be responsible for allowable/approved program travel. Each Fellow will receive an annual research fund of $3,000.

Medical/Health Benefits: ACE offers competitive medical and ancillary plans (health, mental health, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, and other supplemental benefits). Fellows are also eligible to participate in ACE's 403b retirement plan, which includes a 1% employer contribution for participating, contributing staff.

Holidays, Vacation, and Sick Time: As a Fellow, you will be eligible to accrue up to 80 hours of paid vacation time annually during your first two years of continuous employment. Additionally, ACE observes 13 paid annual holidays and provides 10 days (or 80 hours) of paid sick time annually.

Additional Benefits: Outdoor Perks - As an ACE Fellow, you will be eligible to receive pro deals which include deep discounts on outdoor gear providing 30 - 50% off retail prices on 100s of established outdoor gear brands.

To Apply: Please submit: 1) a cover letter stating interest and vision for the Fellowship (letters may include a summary of the dissertation, a statement of personal research interests and plans, discussion of past engagement with public humanities, discussion of willingness to participate fully in NPS research and education programs); 2) a comprehensive curriculum vitae; 3) a writing sample accessible to the general public; 4) confirmation of Ph.D. award by August 15, 2023; and 5) names and contact information for 3 professional references.

Deadline to apply: The deadline to apply for this position is February 20, 2023, or until 75 applications meeting eligibility requirements have been received.

Questions about the application process should be sent to mellonhumanities@usaconservation.org

American Conservation Experience provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, American Conservation Experience complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. ACE encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. ACE is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities under the ADA and provides the opportunity for employees to request reasonable accommodations during the hiring process.