A Human Resource: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Permanent Interpretive Text In The Great Dismal Swamp

Two entities manage different sections of the Great Dismal Swamp. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia's section. On the North Carolina side, the division of parks and recreation manages the Great Dismal Swamp Canal State Park. Both entities use text to interpret natural qualities and human interaction with the GDS. I performed critical discourse analysis on selected permanent interpretive texts from both sites to determine how populations historically and currently present in the GDS are represented to visitors. I compared interpretive strategies at both sites, analyzing for linguistic erasure and appreciation markers that contributed to predominant discourses at each that guided representation of humans and the environment. Although the Refuge interpreted the cultural heritage of the swamp, interpreting information about all populations from multiple angles and as equal to natural heritage value would increase the effectiveness of the text at the Refuge.