-
Joe Edward Watkins gets his PhD
Joe Watkins focused on the dynamic and multifaceted relations between indigenous communities and the discipline of archaeology. He received his Ph.D in Anthropology, Archaeology specialization in 1994 at Southern Methodist University. His research interests include the ethical practice of anthropology and anthropology’s relationships with descendant communities and Aboriginal populations. -
Jason Nez gets his PhD
Jason Nez is a practicing archaeologist who began his career after he graduated from Navajo National Monument. His work in the field of archaeology is based around the Grand Canyon and the indigenous peoples who have occupied and still occupy the land. Coming from Dine ancestry he doesnt only try finding the meaning behind objects simply for his profession but adds voices to the objects as a chance develop meaning to a group of people whose presence on the land is still being skipped over. -
Verónica Pérez Rodríguez gets her PhD
Pérez Rodríguez studies ancient settlements in Mixteca Alta along with experts in related fields. She researches urbanization and agriculture in these early civilizations, demonstrating the long history of humans altering the environment of Mixteca Alta. She has also contributed to the academic understanding of the origins of the Ñuu (or Mixtec) people, studied traditional pottery, and participated in ethnological research with modern-day residents of Mixteca Alta. -
Jason De León gets his PhD
Jason De León is an archaeologist who focuses on human migration within the sonoran desert. De León received his Ph.D. in 2008 from Pennsylvania State University. Known for his Undocumented Migrant Project and the concept of “Prevention through deterrence,” De León focuses on stories of marginalized groups and the struggles that people face when migrating to the United States. -
Justin Dunnavant gets his PhD
Dunnavant focuses his research on the lives of enslaved peoples in the US Virgin Islands (formerly Danish West Indies). He's a marine archaeologist with a focus on finding sunken slave ships to uncover what the lives of the enslaved people onboard were like. His current work is focused on finding a ship called the L’Aurore. He is also the co-founder and president of the Society of Black Archaeologists with a focus on properly presenting contributions and material culture of the African diaspora. -
Davina Two Bears gets her PhD
Davina Two Bears uses non-destructive Indigenous research methods to study forced assimilation, specifically the effects of federal Indian boarding schools on Diné (Navajo) communities. Her PhD research focused on the Old Leupp Boarding School, which operated from 1909 to 1942 near Leupp, Arizona and was attended by her own maternal grandparents. She relies primarily on oral interviews with Native elders as well as historic documents and photographs. She currently teaches at Swarthmore College.