New guidelines from Pa. commission could end battle reenactments at certain sites

JEANNETTE, Pa. (KDKA) - A new decision by a state commission could spell the end of battle reenactments at certain Pennsylvania historical sites, including one in Westmoreland County. 

Depending on who you speak to, the new state guidelines are either eliminating history for the sake of political correctness or making the reenactments more genuine by having native peoples play the roles their long-lost relatives did in real life.

The Battle of Bushy Run reenactment at the historic site just outside of Jeannette shows British soldiers ambushed by a group of Native Americans representing various local tribes. 

"They've been doing this for over 40 years. They keep history alive in our area," Sen. Kim Ward said. 

However, based on anticipated new rules from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, any combat reenactments on the actual battlefield will end. The commission says force-on-force displays are disrespectful to the memory of those who died in or were impacted by conflicts. 

Ward disagrees.

"This is history. We want to reenact, we want to show people, we want to educate people. It's important. It's western Pennsylvania history, it's important history," she said. 

The guidelines also call for indigenous Americans to play the roles of the Native Americans who took part in the conflicts, with scenes showing how the Native American encampments were as well as battle tactics with weapon demonstrations, just no combat.

"What's happening here is we're bringing political correctness into history," Ward said. 

"Keep looking to find some native reenactors, some indigenous people," countered Miguel A. Segue Jr. with the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center. 

Segue says the new guidelines are important. 

"It's never good to have a bunch of people representing indigenous people who are not indigenous people, especially if they're doing something in public," he said. 

These guidelines are for commission-administered historical sites only and are set to go into effect on May 1.