I am a happy person. Except....(long post. And probably boring to many of you)

late at night it seems, when I should be in bed already and I'm worried about everything. My money... my school program.... my future in an industry that's getting the stuffing kicked out of it.

First example? Here's some news from the Conservative Federal Government via the Canadian Museum Association:

CMA Shocked With Surprise Cuts to MAP

Ottawa, September 25, 2006 - Late this afternoon, the Minister of
Canadian Heritage, Hon Bev Oda, announced a series of cuts to her
department. In particular we are alarmed that the Museums Assistance
Programs has been selected for a $4.6 million cut. MAP is the one
program that is dedicated solely to museums.
"We are shocked, puzzled and feel betrayed by these cuts" said John
McAvity, CMA Executive Director. No other programs in the museums
sector
were cut according to the Minister's staff who kindly called CMA to
explain this news.

For the past several years we have been working constructively with all
political parties including the Conservative Party for a new Museums
Policy and a new investment. In fact we obtained a complete commitment
in writing from the Conservative Party to bring in a new policy and a
new investment during the election campaign, and just last week the
Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage tabled its recommendation for a
new policy "as soon as possible". The cuts announced today are totally
contradictory actions.

These cuts are part of a $1 billion exercise throughout government
aimed at programs "that are no longer effective". A most troubling message to
all our members.

And further cuts to culture in general, in a followup statement from the CMA list-serv:
WOW!!
Not only was there a $4.6million cut to MAPS, but the Status of Women
Canada was cut by $5 million, and a further $1.1 million for operating.
There was 500K clawed back from the Cultural Investment Fund Loan loss
reserve, $2.9 million from Parks Canada's Commercial Heritage Property
Incentive, $9.7 million from the elimination of the Cdn Volunteerism
Initiative, $13.8 million for HRDC skills development, $6.5 million in
funding for the Centre for Research, plus others.

All totaled $44 million! That doesn't include money taken from
tourism, Intellectual Property, the youth internship program, and many more
that will affect heritage.
This is a betrayal indeed!

I feel... kinda worried. And then I read my first draft of my Area of Concentration - which is part of what will go into my grand "Plan of Study". Here's a posting of it for your perusal:
Currently, there is little written in Canadian and Ontario archaeological journals about archaeological planning and resource management. Nor does there appear to be any post-secondary course in Ontario university archaeology departments that focuses on this necessary knowledge - at either the undergraduate or graduate level.

There are however, a few published papers from the last five years that state and re-state an evergrowing concern for archaeology and its future in the province. It is also a topic that is discussed freely at any archaeological gathering. The emotional content of the talk and the papers ranges from thoughtful concern to outright frustration and anger, and often have the same repeating themes.

- The perception of the lack of an orderly, regulated, standards based level market place that places archaeology on same level as drywallers and untrained workers income wise.
- The lack of professional literature, shared database or an effective self policing professional organization
- The lack of regulatory muscle to enforce current standards in an effective manner.
- Ongoing concerns about effectively communicating archaeological mandates and methods to planners/developers/engineers, who are perceived to simply value the "letter of clearence" that the archaeological consultant can provide.

In the United States, there are similar concerns raised in any discussion of current archaeological projects and the future of archaeology. However, there are positive indications that these concerns can be addressed in a positive way. For instance, there are journals that focus on heritage resource management, there are courses in cultural resource management archaeology, and there are even states that require archaeological surveys and excavations to be done far earlier in the planning process and to make arrangements for their ongoing conservation as necessary.

Although looking at other countries and other provinces' practices will be an important part of my research, it will comprimise only a part of it. More urgent, I think, will be an investigation into current connections between land use law, planning and policy and practice. Most important will be identifying existing gaps between the intent and the practice, and hopefully, find a way to address it in a meaningful way.

Upon re-reading this, I began to be worried about my goals a little. Am I aiming to high? Did I take the series premiere of "Heroes" on NBC a little too seriously? And if I am setting myself up as a Heritage Superhero in training, protecting archaeological sites from danger - should I have a cape?

Hmmm... perhaps not. I saw The Incredibles, I know what a death trap those capes can be.... hmmm.... perhaps I should simply dress in primary colours and wear a special helmut?
Well, whattdya know. I am sleepy after all!
A much more fun post tomorrow, I promise.