I am a first-generation, non-traditional age scholar whose research centers on Indigenous repatriation, archaeological ethics, and the reform of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). My work is driven by a commitment to returning dignity and sovereignty to tribal communities through ethical scholarship, advocacy, and community engagement.

Currently completing my Associate of Arts at Central Piedmont Community College with a 4.0 GPA, I am preparing to transfer in Fall 2026 for advanced study in archaeology and anthropology. My research has been presented at national conferences including the American Anthropological Association, the National Collegiate Honors Council, the Southern Sociological Society, and the National Association of Native American Studies.

Beyond the academy, I am a member of the Southeastern NAGPRA Community of Practice and an ALPFA LIFT Program Fellow. I believe that meaningful repatriation reform requires not only legal and institutional change but a fundamental reorientation toward Indigenous self-determination and the spiritual connection between communities and their ancestors.

Research Interests

• Indigenous archaeology and cultural resource management
• NAGPRA reform and repatriation policy
• Institutional ethics in archaeological practice
• Colonial legacies in museum collections
• Indigenous community engagement and sovereignty
• Ethnobotany and traditional ecological knowledge