Anthropological Archaeology; Indigenous Knowledge; Indian Residential Schools; Epistemology; Ethics

Research summary:

I am an anthropological archaeologist, primarily focused on the interplay between archaeology and contemporary peoples. I am undertaking PhD research to examine how archaeology may contribute to Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation process, particularly through applied, community-driven archaeological investigation in Indian Residential School mortuary contexts.

My MA thesis explored how archaeologists in British Columbia work with Indigenous Traditional Knowledge and knowledge-holders, considering the methodological, social, and epistemic implications of this engagement.

2022  Meloche, Chelsea H., Katherine L. Nichols, and Eric Simons.
Developing Partnerships along the Collaborative Continuum: PhD Experiences with Community-Oriented Archaeology in Canada In The Community-Based PhD: Complexities and Triumps of Conducting CBPR. Sonya Atlay and Alexandra McCleary, eds, pp. 60-74. The University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ, in press.

2021  Simons, Eric, and Katherine L. Nichols.
“Archaeology’s Role in Finding Missing Indigenous Children in Canada.” SAPIENS. Url: https://www.sapiens.org/archaeology/archaeology-residential-school-graves/ .

2021  Eric Simons
Review of The Transect Podcast, Kody Huard, Sean Connaughton, and Ian Sellers. BC Studies 210.

2020  Simons, Eric, Andrew Martindale, and Alison Wylie.
Bearing Witness: What Can Archaeology Contribute in an Indian Residential School Context? In Working with and for Ancestors: Collaboration in the Care and Study of Ancestral Remains. Chelsea H. Meloche, Laure Spake, and Katherine L. Nichols, eds, pp. 21–31. Routledge, New York, NY.

2018 McMillan, Rhy, Andrew Martindale, Dominque Weis, Alison Wylie, Jess Metcalfe, and Eric Simons. Reconciliation: Networks of Science and Indigeneity in the Analysis of Material Culture. Poster presentation for Resources for Future Generations Conference, 2018, Vancouver.

2018 Simons, Eric. Archaeologists and Indigenous Traditional Knowledge in British Columbia. Poster presentation for UBC Anthropology Graduate Student Conference.

2016 Society for Applied Anthropology 2016 Conference. Presentation: “Hybrid Epistemologies: Traditional Knowledge and Archaeology in British Columbia.”

2015 SFU Archaeology Symposium. Poster presentation: “Hybrid Epistemologies: Traditional Knowledge and Archaeology in British Columbia”

2015 BC Archaeology Forum. Poster presentation: “Hybrid Epistemologies: Traditional Knowledge and Archaeology in British Columbia”

Supervisor: Andrew Martindale (UBC)

Advisory committee: Jillian Harris (Penelakut), Michael Blake (UBC), Alison Wylie (UBC)

Associations:

• Core planning team, Indigenous/Science UBC Research Cluster
• UBC Public Scholar
• Associate, Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage project

Teaching Assistant Experience:

UBC, Anthropology Department:

• ARCL 103 – Introduction to Archaeology (2018-3)
• ARCL 140 – Bones: The Origins of Humanity (2017-1)
• ARCL 228 – Forensic Anthropology (2018-2; 2019-2; 2020-3)
• ANTH 100 – Intro to Social Anthropology (2020-1; 2021-1)
• ANTH 329 – Contemporary First Nations Issues (2020-2)

SFU, Archaeology Department:

• Arch 100 – Ancient Peoples and Places (2015-1)
• Arch 301 – Ancient Visual Art (2016-2; 2017-1)
• Arch 471 – Archaeological Theory (2016-1; 2016-3)