James Bird

James is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), Qualla Boundary, Cherokee, NC. He is the current Chief of the Tribal Historic Preservation Program within the Heritage Preservation Services Division of the National Park Service located in Washington, DC. James entered Federal service in March 2004 after serving as the Cultural Resources Manager and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He earned his Master's Degree in Anthropology at the University of Oklahoma, a BA in Anthropology from Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia and an Associate degree in Electronics from DeVry Institute, Atlanta, GA. James is also a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran. In his current position, he provides technical service to Tribal, Federal, State, and local government agencies, universities and museums. He consults with the various agencies on issues regarding various aspects of the National Historic Preservation Act and oversees the Administration of the Historic Preservation Fund for Indian Tribes by the National Park Service. James also participates in the weekly NPS Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act staff meetings. He is a past member of the Boards of Directors of the National Tribal Historic Preservation Officers, the National Association of the Trail Of Tears, and the University of Tennessees Archaeology Department. James has represented the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians as a member of the United South and Eastern Tribes Cultural Heritage Committee and the Cherokee Historical Society, and has chaired the EBCI Institutional Review Board.