Ted Birkedal talks about his personal background, growing up in Colorado, studying archeology in college, working for the Park Service at Dinosaur National Monument when he was in college, graduate school at the University of Colorado, teaching in Guam, finishing his dissertation, working for the National Park Service Indian Assistance Program, working as the branch chief of archaeological compliance in the Southwest Region, compliance archeology, Section 106, working in New Orleans, coming to Alaska in 1985 as the regional archaeologist for the Park Service, stepping into a difficult situation, reconnaissance work on the Mascot Saloon, Paul Gleeson, Cathy Spude, the data recovery work under the Mascot Saloon, working as head of cultural resources for all of Alaska, getting archaeologists into the parks, the Cultural Resource Advisory Council, getting reports published, historical architecture, Paul Haertel, his role as a supervisor, interpretation of the findings at the Mascot Saloon, the planned road from Juneau into Skagway, some of the things he is proud of accomplishing in his Park Service position in Alaska, cultural resources and the National Park Service, the relationship between the individual parks and the regional office, archaeological sites in National Parks in Alaska, Cape Krusenstern, handling all the responsibilities of his position, and life in retirement.