Letter to the editor: Commission should help, not hinder, Bushy Run

I am a past president of the Bushy Run Battlefield Heritage Society and have been a volunteer at Bushy Run for many years. During my term as president, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission tried to close Bushy Run. Thanks to the society members, friends and Sen. Kim Ward, we won the battle and remained open.

We have been looking forward to our 260th anniversary Aug. 5-6. One person of Native American heritage objected to our Native American reenactors, and we were told by the PHMC that we could not have non-Native American reenactors portray Native Americans. So we cannot have our historical battle as we have done for 40 years. Our “Native Americans” have spent a lot of time and money researching the tribes they represent. They are probably more educated than the real descendants. Our British soldiers have authentic uniforms down to the number of brass buttons.

I hope there is no committee formed to cancel all the live Nativities at the churches at Christmas. I doubt if all the Josephs and Marys are direct descendants. How about the actors in movies and on TV?

I think it is time for the 12 board members at the PHMC to help Bushy Run and our hard-working members, not object to sharing our history.

Jean Loughry

Salem