Identity Politics and Everyday Practice among the Chumash during the Mission Period

My research assesses the impacts of Spanish colonization on Chumash families and communities living in the Santa Ynez Valley during the Early and Late Mission period (AD 1787-1833). Archaeological data collected from within and outside the mission space are used to address three primary research questions: (1) how did Chumash peoples maintain a sense of community and core values under colonialism, (2) how do these everyday practices change from the early to latter Mission period, and (3) how do these practices manifest across the colonial landscape? My dissertation research compares indigenous craft industries, architecture, subsistence practices, and the domestic use of space from the Native dwellings at Mission Vieja de La Purisima (1787-1812) and Mission La Purisima Concepción (1812-1832) to hinterland historic Chumash villages in the Santa Ynez Valley. I primarily use existing museum collections with supplementary archaeological excavations that focus on public engagement and working with the local Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. The results generated from this research can be used as a comparative to other regions across the State in order to determine the similarities and differences regarding the operation of colonialism in Alta California and determine how local groups negotiated Spanish missionization through every day quotidian acts and the ways by which this materialized in distinct ways through time and across the landscape.

Community Collaboration with Indigenous California Basketweavers

Indigenous basketweavers don’t just weave baskets, they participate in deeply-rooted historical processes that create persistent communities up through the present day. In order to understand these social practices better, Kaitlin Brown, Dana Bardolph, and Jan Timbrook invited three Native California basketweavers to participate in a discussion and demonstration co-sponsored by the Society for California Archaeology Month Mini-Grants at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), as part of a “Community Matters” series organized through the UCSB Interdisciplinary Humanities Center. This event facilitated an open discussion between anthropologists and contemporary basketweavers in order to better understand the practices and processes involved in basketweaving and the reasons why indigenous peoples continue to weave today. This event is currently being transcribed.

Forthcoming publication: “Communities of Practice and Persistent Craft Traditions: Past and Present Perspectives on Indigenous California Basketweaving"

Socio-politics in Archaeological Practice

As a member of the UCSB Gender Equity group led by Dr. Amber Vanderwarker, I am particularly interested in a reflexive approach to archaeological practice. I am working on a paper entitled “Gender, Race, and Mentorship: A Perspective from California Archaeology” that uses qualitative and quantitative data to understand the differences in men’s and women’s experiences with mentors in the academy. I am also interested in addressing questions related to ethical issues in co-authorship and publication, diversifying archaeology, and working with local indigenous groups.