ABOUT ME
What I Study and How
I'm a historical archaeologist studying Native American life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries on the Great Plains. I theorize the United States as a settler colonial nation with the goal of erradicating indigenous peoples to obtain and use their land. However, through my research, I demonstrate the U.S. government's failure in its mission, centering Native survivance and persistence in my approach.
I've done fieldwork in New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and North Dakota. The majority of my research thus far is on archaeologies of the reservation, specifically the Fort Berthold Reservation. I've used soil chemical, ceramic, and collections-based analyses to better understand the continued presence of the Three Affiliated Tribes, or the Mandan, Hidatsa, yand Arikara Nation.
My research also offers a meta-analysis and critique of early salvage archaeology. I treat the Missouri River Basin Surveys as historical documents, whose authors were entangled in settler colonial structures that affected their interpretation of the archaeological record. I am a strong supporter of collections re-analysis, a non-destructive methodology, to prevent further harm to the communities whose belongings I study.
Ultimately, I treat archaeology as a form of storytelling: weaving together threads of evidence (historical, archaeological, and anthropological) to talk about the past in a more holistic and thoughtful way.