Projects
Current Projects
Connected Pasts, Shared Futures
This project aims to transform archaeology in California by integrating ethnography, oral history, and community-based participatory research (CBPR) to center community priorities and descendant voices. It challenges traditional archaeological practice and fosters collaboration to reimagine archaeology as an inclusive and socially responsible discipline. Ultimately, this initiative aspires to redefine how archaeologists engage with heritage, setting a precedent for collaborative and reflexive practices in the discipline.
Exploring Indigenous Autonomy in the Mexican and American Frontier.
Following the dismantling of the Spanish mission system, Indigenous groups created new communities in the changing social structure of Alta California. Some Native families stayed in the mission without the oversite of priests and soldiers. Others joined booming local towns that resulted from the railroad, and some groups formed entirely new sovereign communities seeking to keep pre-contact traditions alive. These 19th-century sites are among the least studied in California, but they offer clues to Indigenous perseverance amidst significant sociopolitical change.
Olivella Shell Bead Production in Historic Alta California
Olivella shell money beads were used for thousands of years among Native communities throughout California. While conveyed throughout the state and Great Basin, the production location of these beads has been more challenging to interpret. Previous excavations at Mission La Purísima have uncovered distinct shell bead production locals that speak to the significance of bead-making during the Historic period. Within the small shell fragments of Olivella detritus are the stories of self-determination and cultural preservation of the Chumash who entered the missions and withstood successive waves of colonialism.
Past Projects
Uncovering the Indigenous Past at Mission La Purísima Concepción
The Uncovering the Indigenous Past at Mission La Purísima archaeological project investigated the Chumash village of Amuwu’, located at Mission La Purísima State Historic Park. The project used public-facing archaeology to highlight Chumash presence and recover Chumash belongings that recall a story of Indigenous resiliency over successive waves of colonialism. The project collaborated with members of the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, California State Parks, and undergraduate and graduate students.
Check out the Facebook page and the project’s publications.