Stable isotopes of oxygen are measured in ancient mollusk shells and fish otoliths to learn about past subsistence activities and environmental changes. Since shells and otoliths grow by adding new material on top of older skeletons, one can measure how oxygen isotopes varied over the organism’s life. The talk will describe the process of making these measurements, demonstrate the degree of destruction to the samples, and how such analyses may contribute to collaboration between descendant communities, and archaeologists, and how the method relates to NAGPRA.

This series will include presentations regarding the basics of several specialized archaeological science techniques and how those can intersect with tribal perspectives regarding sampling, destructive analysis, consultation, and NAGPRA. Each lecture will conclude with input from various tribal discussants from the Muscogee Nation, Seminole Tribe of Florida, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

My research engages with protected areas declared by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, often called ICCAs or Territories of Life. With experience working in Indigenous conservation both with Indigenous Karen people in Southeast Asia and First Nations in Canada, I have returned to the academy to pursue further research with the Salween Peace Park, a large ICCA being developed by the Karen people in the autonomous territory of Kawthoolei on the border between Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) in Southeast Asia.

Congratulations to Dr. Don Nelson on receiving a grant from the National Science Foundation for project titled, "Landscape Exchange Network for Socio-environmental systems (LENS)!" Dr. Nelson is a Co- Principal Investigator and UGA Anthropology PhD student, Bruno Ubiali, is senior personnel on the project, along with Co- Principal Investigators Meredith Steele, Matthew Williamson, Elsa Ordway, and Principal Investigator, Andrew Elmore.

As a scholar, I am committed to the revitalization and representation of indigenous perspectives in both academic research and narratively oriented forms. And, as a writer, I am invested in storytelling and the correction of the gross historic misrepresentations of the complexities of indigenous societies. Through my research, I wish to frame the intersections of narrative device, conservation sustainability and the relevant socio-cultural realities of indigenous populations both past and present.

I am interested in the ways that gendered experience shapes environmental knowledge, expertise, and interactions with conservation and development practitioners, particularly in regions that are subject to intense international conservation interest.

I am currently a Fulbright Student Researcher in southwestern Madagascar. 

Congratulations to Dr. German on becoming the new director for the Center for Integrative Conservation Research! The CICR was founded in 2007 and supports innovative conservation and sustainability research and training through its interdisciplinary collaborations. The CICR also coordinates the Integrative Conservation (ICON) PhD program, which is offered through five UGA departments (anthropology, ecology, forestry and natural resources, geography, and marine sciences). Learn more about Dr.

UGA Research spotlights the Lab of Archaeology in their recent article titled, "Keepers of history: UGA’s Archaeology Lab preserves relics of Georgia’s past." This feature highlights the lab's vast array of artifacts, their ability to transition during the pandemic, and their work with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Read the full UGA Research feature here.