I am a folklorist with experience producing and curating exhibits, websites and documentaries that showcase cultural traditions.
My interest in cultural documentation grew out of my background in archaeology. During my eight years as a contract archaeologist (1992-2000) I became interested in not just what people left behind but also peoples’ living traditions – their stories, their songs, their lifeways – and how the past and present intersect in cultural memory.
I have an M.A. in folk studies from Western Kentucky University, a B.A. in anthropology and geography from the University of British Columbia and doctoral work at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
Based in oral history practice and theory, my projects draw together aspects of the physical landscape, cultural traditions and social and political history to represent the complexities of the cultural landscape. My approach is grounded in an awareness of the politics of cultural representation and my work is often applied, facilitating community self-representation.
Dane-zaa youth and media mentors documenting elder Sam Acko for Dane-Wajich – Dane-zaa Stories and Songs: Dreamers and the Land. 2005, Catalog number: DZVMCKHDP-7-02-05-E001.