History of the Poston Restoration Project


Today, few of the thousands of buildings constructed at the Poston complex remain standing. Most have been razed or moved in the intervening sixty years. Even fewer internee-constructed buildings remain. Dr. Raoul Roko, consultant to CRIT, conducted an intensive survey of the Poston camp sites and surrounding areas on the reservation to inventory remaining artifacts and structures during 1999-2000. 

Recognizing the importance of the Poston site, the CRIT Tribal Council in 1999, initiated a study centered on the restoration of a small portion of the camp for educational and historical purposes. As part of the tribes commitment to the concept, the council has set aside forty acres of reservation land for the project. 

It is within the spirit of this shared experience and history that representatives of the CRIT and an ad hoc group of Poston internees including the Japanese American Historical Society of San Diego have been informally working to preserve and restore a portion of Poston for future generations. Informal meetings have been held since 2001 throughout California and Arizona leading to the current proposal to bring thirty representatives of the tribes, the California internee community and residents of the City of Parker together to move the Poston Restoration project to the next logical phase.