David J. Cooper, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore archeologist and Cultural Resource manager, has been selected to receive the John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in NPS Archeology for Professional Achievement.
The Cotter Award recognizes two categories, a National Park Service (NPS) article said. The Professional Achievement category is awarded to those who have long-term tenure with NPS. The Project Achievement category is awarded to individuals or groups of a single fixed-year activity or a multi-year effort of work on aquatic or terrestrial archaeological resources. The result may include excavation and analysis, symposia, publications, outreach, collaboration or a combination of these activities.
"Dave Cooper's work shows the impact one person can have not only within a park, but across a whole landscape," Lynne Dominy, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore superintendent, said in a recent NPS news release. "Dave has spent his lifetime protecting the historical and cultural resources on and around Lake Superior. From portages to fish camps to lighthouses and shipwrecks, Dave carefully documented and communicated the human interactions and influences on the islands, shorelines, and lake beds of Lake Superior."
Cooper founded Wisconsin's underwater archaeology program; began surveying the historic Great Lakes shipwrecks; and led efforts to locate, protect and educate the public about Lake Superior submerged resources, the release said.
Establishing the U.S. Navy's first underwater archaeology program, Cooper worked with Grand Portage Anishinaabeg members at Grand Portage National Monument to better understand the park's 8.5-mile portage use before the fur trade emerged, the NPS article said.
At Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, Cooper works to broaden baseline documentation of the park's cultural resources and counsels about historic preservation.
"Dave is a big picture thinker who understands the importance of working across Federal and State agencies, with Tribal nations, with local communities and park partners to steward our historical resources and cultural landscapes," Dominy said. "He knows that people care deeply about their heritage and these historic places because these places continue the connections between people and the Lake Superior landscape. People are a vital part of this place."
The John L. Cotter Award for Excellence in National Park Service Archeology is an annual award to honor the career and pioneering contributions of Dr. John L. Cotter, the article said.
