AYIA NAPA, 2016
PHOTO BY VASILI SOTIROPULOS
PHOTO BY VASILI SOTIROPULOS
ABOUT METhe past isn't a foreign country after all, but serves as a potent resource for crafting identities in the present.
- Cameron Wessen* I draw on a mix of storytelling and archaeological methods to assist communities across the globe regain crucial parts of their cultural heritage. My dissertation research uses evidence of past fishing and shellfish harvesting practices on the coast of Washington to serve Indigenous communities in their efforts to establish food sovereignty, revitalize traditional foodways, reclaim their rights to culturally relevant resource, and improve dietary health. As a Cypriot-American, my National Geographic Society grant funded project brought my academic interests home. I conducted a 400-mile walking expedition around the island of Cyprus to gather narratives and images that pertain to the 40+ year-long segregation of the island. In contrast to the political reality of separation, this project set out to generate a holistic picture of the island’s landscapes, cultures, and peoples in hopes of facilitating greater understanding and cohesion. I am the 2021-2022 Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Native American Scholars Initiative Postdoctoral Fellow at American Philosophical Society Library & Museum and a recent graduate from the University of Michigan. *2013. Rumors of Our Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated: Archaeological Perspectives on Culture and Sustainability. Sustainability 5(1): 100–122. |
National Geographic Society HQ, 2017
PHOTO BY JEN SHOOK |
RECENT FIELDWORK
Living off the Bay: Past and Present
Supporting Indigenous Food Sovereignty through Archaeological Research on the Washington Coast
In collaboration with the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe and the Chinook Indian Nation, this project uses an archaeological understanding of past subsistence practices to support the community in their efforts to increase community well-being, revitalize culturally important foodways and regain their legal rights to local food sources.
Supporting Indigenous Food Sovereignty through Archaeological Research on the Washington Coast
In collaboration with the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe and the Chinook Indian Nation, this project uses an archaeological understanding of past subsistence practices to support the community in their efforts to increase community well-being, revitalize culturally important foodways and regain their legal rights to local food sources.