As far as the HCPC goes I believe the stakeholders of the cemetery are all the members of the surrounding community itself. This cemetery is the final resting place of local and traveling people that all have a story to tell that reveal the history of the RGV at one point. The people buried at HCPC likely came from a lower social status and their families had no choice but to bury their loved ones in this public cemetery. Unfortunately at this point it is difficult to connect lost relatives but as the project progresses hopefully we can accomplish this goal. Many graves have been damaged due to no maintenance of the grounds for decades, again indicating the possible low social status of the individuals.
The RGV is a unique place to live. Here we mostly feel a shared identity and uncovering our history is something the community should actively invest in. Having this project and engaging with the community educates the public about archaeology and the importance of preserving historical features and landmarks. It has also shown the community that archaeological projects don’t just happen in far off places like Egypt and that they too can get involved. Hopefully with more publicity and education the community will continue to have an interest in the project and assist with histories of those buried at the cemetery.
Hi, I was wondering what it was about the graves that gave you the conclusion that they were traveling people? I agree with you that the people are probably of low status due to some of the grave markers. Something that I would add is that the maintainance would probably be as it is because many people don’t know if their family is there so they wouldn’t go to pay their respects and clean the grave. I think that it’s true and interesting what you said about how this project will help people to understand that archaeology doesn’t just happen in some far off place like Egypt but also somewhere close to home.