Academic Introduction

PhD (University of British Columbia)
MA (University of Missouri)
BA (Missouri State University)

Douglas College Faculty member since 2013

I am an archaeologist and anthropologist who focuses on cultures of Salishan peoples of the Northwest Coast and Interior. My doctoral research focused on the archaeological history of warfare in the Coast Salish area, consisting of a survey and testing at defensive sites, such as palisaded villages, trench-embankment fortifications, and hidden refuges. I have worked throughout the Northwest on academic and applied projects, concerning archaeology, ethnography, and ethnohistory. My interests include archaeological theory, sociopolitical organization, religion, ideation, and heritage. I also have an interest in collaborative practices, in which archaeological research is designed and pursued in conjunction with First Nations. In recent years, I’ve engaged in projects with Lil’wat Nation and Kanaka Bar Indian Band of B.C., and the Upper Skagit Tribe of Washington state.

Currently, I am conducting archaeological investigations in Lil’wat traditional territory, with Johnny Jones of Lil’wat Nation’s Land and Resources Department. We have been surface mapping ancestral villages throughout their traditional territory, and acquiring radiocarbon dates to better understand the antiquity of these sites to add support to their oral histories. For the last few summer seasons, we have brought along Douglas College student assistants and volunteers to these excavations, working alongside Lil’wat community members.

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