JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Since 2000, Regina Meyer has served as the Indiana Jones of the Missouri National Guard, digging up Missouri's natural artifacts, protecting those assets and educating others on the value of those resources.
Meyer's office provides cultural resources awareness, historic preservation, Native American consultation and archaeology. But, it is the public outreach with the communities that promotes the National Guard and what it does to preserve Missouri's history.
"Cultural resources can always be positive publicity," said Meyer, the organizations sole archeologist. "It's a good story. Everyone finds archeology interesting. And, if it's done the right way, it's always positive."
The National Guard Bureau (NGB) feels Meyer is doing her job the right way. Officials there recently awarded Meyer the first place NGB Cultural Resource Environment Security Award. Additionally, Meyer won second-runner up for Big Army.
One of the key points in the awards was the Native American consultation program. The program started 13 years ago to reach out to the Native American community in order to preserve some of the culture found on Missouri National Guard bases and to comply with federal regulations.
Not only has Meyer helped Missouri's Guard members understand more about the history, she has helped 32 tribes. Meyer coordinates with the different tribes, state and federal agencies to conduct consultation workshops to help establish government-to-government program best practices. The meetings have resulted in better standardization practices for sacred sites and access to historical, Native American grounds.
But, one of the highlights for the Native American consultations was the preservation of the dying Kaw-Nation language.
"Only two elders spoke the language," Meyer said. "They lost more than their land. They almost lost their native language. They made up games under a grant the tribe was able to get that would teach their youth how to speak the language by listening to the native speakers."
Meyer has been able to use those games and books to do her favorite part of her job. She teaches kids across the state about Native American language.
"I've gone to several schools and read stories in English, then let them listen to it in the Native American Kaw language to give the kids the perspective," Meyer said. "I teach them that these are Native Americans from our land. It's further education to let them know about archeology, Native Americans, history and how different it is. It shows them the other side and what is out there."
Meyer and other members of the cultural resources management team conduct more outreach programs. Just this April, Meyer and her staff conducted a full day of Earth Day festivities for Lebanon's Joel E. Barber Elementary School. The Earth Day festivities included wildlife displays, primitive dart throwing, a flint knapping and Missouri war history demonstration, and an archeological dig.
The cultural archeology dig allowed fifth- and sixth-grade students to sift through soil samples to find fragments of Native American artifacts. The students looked for fragments that could be identified as having been modified or affected by humans. The most common finds were pieces of pottery or rocks that had been chipped by humans or treated with fire.
While all of the artifact remnants found that day were submitted for additional testing, some of Meyer's finds have been displayed in the Museum of Missouri Military History at the Ike Skelton Training Site (ISTS). The museum is just another example of the many partnerships Meyer has established throughout her time with the Missouri Guard.
"Regina and I have worked on several projects over the past," said Charles Machon, museum director for the Museum of Missouri Military History. "So often our two worlds meet in which we are able to work on similar projects. Working with her has always been a joy."
Machon's and Meyer's office's worked together during archeology digs at the ISTS, the museum's archeology displays and anytime Machon and Meyer research the history of Missouri National Guard target ranges. During those times, Machon says Meyer has not just been a great asset to the museum, but to the Missouri Guard as a whole.
Others agree with Machon. That is why she won the first place in the NGB Environmental Security Award and 2nd place for Big Army's Cultural Resources Management Team for a Cultural Resource Program.
"I love my career," said the 45-year archeology veteran. "I love what I mastered in. I love the work I do. I love the law. And, I love challenges. So, you put all of that together and you can create a great program. We've been lucky that it has all fallen into place."
While Meyer says it is luck, those in the motivational world say luck is simply where preparation meets opportunity. Her 25 years of experience and preparation have been the keys to the Missouri Guard's cultural resource.