NiijiiDoesArchaeology
MexicoAdventure
FacultyProfile:Dr.JillTaylor-Hollings
GradStudentProfile: LaurynEady-Sitar
TechnicianCorner
ScanQR-codetovisit website.
Chair
Dr. Matthew Boyd
Associate Professor, Chair Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: BB 2001F
Phone Number: +1 807-343-8010 ext 8279
Email: mboyd1@lakeheadu ca
Faculty
Dr. Scott Hamilton Professor
Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: BB 2001E
Phone Number: +1 807-343-8010 ext. 8742
Email: shamilto@lakeheadu.ca
Dr. Tamara Varney Professor, Graduate Coordinator Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: BB 2001C
Phone Number: +1 807-343-8010 ext 8204
Email: tvarney@lakeheadu ca
Dr. Jessica Metcalfe
Associate Professor Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: BB 2001D
Phone Number: +1 807-343-8010 ext 8276
Email: jmetcal1@lakeheadu ca
Dr. Martha Dowsley
Associate Professor, Graduate Coordinator
Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: RC 2006H, BB0029L (Lab)
Phone Number: +1 807-343-8010 ext 8658
Email: mdowsley@lakeheadu ca
Clarence Surette
Bio-Archaeology Technician
Personnel, Technician
Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location:
Phone Number:
Email:
Dr. Tim Kaiser Professor
Campus: Orillia
Office Location: OA 3008
Phone Number: +1 705-330-4010ext. 2611
Email: tkaiser@lakeheadu.ca
Dr. Frederico Oliveira
Associate Professor Campus: Orillia
Office Location: OR 1041
Phone Number: +1 705-330-4010 ext 2711
Email: foliveir@lakeheadu ca
Dr. Matthew Tocheri Professor
Former CRC in Human Origins Campus: Thunder Bay
IPhone Number: +1 807-343-8010 ext 8568
Email: mtocheri@lakeheadu ca
Dr. Jill Taylor-Hollings
Research Associate (PDF); OAS Past President Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: BB 2001R
Phone Number: +1 807-343-8010 ext 7953
Email: jstaylo1@lakeheadu ca
Staff
Chris McEvoy
Personnel, Technician
Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: BB0006
Phone Number:
+1 807-343-8010ext 8278
Email: cmcevoy@lakeheadu ca
Jennifer McKee
Administrative Assistant
Campus: Thunder Bay
Office Location: BB 2001 (Anthro)
Phone Number:
+1 807-343-8010ext 8357,
Email: jennifer mckee@lakeheadu ca
The partnership between the Niijii Indigenous Mentorship Program and the Department of Anthropology, at Lakehead University (LU), has been facilitating educational experiences for nearly a decade. Students have been learning about local cultural history through the meticulous excavation of sites that are thousands of years old. From archaeological experiences to leadership development opportunities, this partnership has been enriching for Indigenous students to explore their passions and discover new ones. Having engaged in ancient techniques of hunting, pottery, tool crafting and more, the work from this partnership has reached students of all levels - including remote communities in the far north.
Helmed by Dr. Jill-Taylor Hollings, Clarence Surette, and Chris McEvoy, the Anthropology side of this partnership has worked tirelessly to pass on their knowledge and expertise through handson programs, workshops, and field-schools. The Niijii program and their mentors take this knowledge and travel to remote First Nations communities where they pass on this information to local students. This way of “passing” on knowledge restores the meaning of education, where learning enriches the spirit of discovery for all participants. A shared experience that allows individuals to develop their own voice.
- Jared Visitor
Jared Visitor sifts through a screen while excavating a site on the Lakehead University Thunder bay campus.
From the bustling streets of Mexico City to the mountain top pyramids of Tepoztalan Pueblo Magico, students and staff from Lakehead University experienced a “trip of a lifetime” during a recent trip to Mexico.
In June (2024), students from LU were led by Clarence Surette (Anthropology Technician), in a cultural exchange exercise throughout Mexico. Organized by the International Office, the program was designed to introduce LU students to practices related to archaeology, cultural anthropology, and environmental sustainability.
Clarence Surette stands in front of the pyramids the Teotihuacan Archaeological Site.
Students and staff posing on the steps of an ancient pyramid in Mexico.
In June, Dr. Jessica Metcalfe and Lauryn Eady-Sitar traveled to Grande Prairie, Alberta for fieldwork with the Tsattine people, as part of their ongoing traditional knowledge revitalization project (scan the QR code to learn more). As part of a partnership, they travelled to culturally significant places, identified by Tsattine Knowledge Keepers and Elders, as a starting point for developing Lauryn's MSc thesis. This included areas described as communal buffalo hunting locations in oral histories shared with by the Tsattine partner, Victoria Wanihadie. As part of Lauryn's thesis, she plans to utilize GIS to investigate the topographical patterns of these particular landscapes to help explore where these buffalo kill sites may have occurred. Walking the land and listening to Tsattine stories and lived experiences was an essential step in contextualizing these complex cultural landscapes. Additionally, both Jessica and Lauryn participated in a Tsattine storytelling event at Historic Dunvegan Provincial Park, where Tsattine families and relatives gathered to share aspects of their life and connect with one another.
Left: Victoria Wanihadie (left) and Lauryn Eady-Sitar (right) walking the landscape at Kleskun Hills Natural Area/Provincial Park NE of Grande Prairie, Alberta. The photo is situated on the extensive prairie grasslands that surround Kleskun Hill, which likely drew in herds of bison to the region in the past. This landscape continues to be culturally important to Tsattine people in the present day. Right: Victoria Wanihadie (left), Dr. Jessica Metcalfe (middle) and Lauryn Eady-Sitar (right) at the Tsattine/Beaver storytelling event held at Historic Dunvegan.
OntarioArchaeologicalSocietySymposium
In October (2024), the Thunder Bay Chapter of the Ontario Archaeology Society (OAS) and the Department of Anthropology (LU) co-hosted the 51st Annual OAS Symposium. The main event was held at the Valhalla Hotel and Conference Centre, with Friday workshops (pottery, flintknapping, and copper) occurring on campus at LU. The multi-day event saw over 120 archaeologists visit the city, with nearly 30 papers presented across four sessions.
As part of the symposium, a reception was held at the Thunder Bay Museum, proudly sponsored by Woodland Heritage Northwest. To coincide with the reception, the Department of Anthropology and Thunder Bay Chapter of the OAS organized an exhibit that aims to highlight millennia of local Indigenous cultural history. A Journey Through Time: Archaeology of Northwestern Ontario and the Lake Superior Area is open to the public until March, 2025.
Dr. Jill Taylor-Hollings is a Research Associate (Postdoctoral Researcher) in the Department of Anthropology at Lakehead University. She is currently works with the Six Seasons of the Asiniskaw Ithiniwak SSHRC Partnership Grant Project, a $2.5 million initiative based in the Rocky Cree communities of northern Manitoba. The project is hosted at the University of Winnipeg, with the archaeology team, led by Dr. Scott Hamilton, operating out of Lakehead University.
Jill has also worked with Lac Seul First Nation since 2004 and more recently started working with Dr. Martha Dowsley and the community on Anthropological/Cultural Geography projects. With Martha as PI, Jill and other LU researchers now hold three SSHRC grants with the community to research all aspects of manomin (‘wild rice’).
Since moving to Thunder Bay with husband Pete Hollings (Geology) in 2001, Jill has contributed to LU in various roles including other postdoctoral research projects (with Dr. Matt Boyd), a term appointment, and sessional lecturer (10 courses), while also undertaking cultural resource management (CRM) projects on occasion. From 2022 to 2024, she served as President of the Ontario Archaeological Society, having previously been on the executive committee of its Thunder Bay Chapter since 2007. She also has been a board member with Blue Sky Strategic Group (Indigenous non-profit) since 2011.
Dr Jill Taylor-Hollings examines surface material near the exposed grounds of Trowbridge Park.
Lauryn and Dr. Metcalfe visiting the archaeological site of Tse’K’wa (Charlie Lake Cave) located on the traditional territory of the DaneZaa/Beaver First Nations in June for National Indigenous Peoples Day
LaurynEady-Sitar
My name is Lauryn and I am in my second year of the Masters of Archaeological Science program. I began my undergraduate studies in the Applied Life Science program at LU, where I was first introduced to Anthropology/Archaeology. After switching my major to Anthropology, I was grateful to experience the diversity that this field offers: working with ancient mammoth and bison bone in the lab, performing archival research, and learning remote analysis techniques such as GIS. This department has allowed me to explore my interests and passions, particularly those related to megafauna (animalhuman relationships). Under the supervision and guidance of Dr. Jessica Metcalfe, we published a version of my undergraduate thesis investigating the diet of proboscideans from southern Ontario using sulfur isotope analysis. My master's thesis builds on an established partnership with the Tsattine (Beaver) communities in northwestern Alberta and aims to help revitalize traditional knowledge related to buffalo hunting.
ArchaeologyDaywiththeLRCA
In October of 2024, The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority hosted an event that emphasized the importance of local archaeological and anthropological research. The “Archaeology Day” provided a great opportunity to showcase Indigenous history and provide local residents an opportunity to view replica and authentic belongings
Guest presenters included:
Dr. Jill Taylor-Hollings (LU Department of Anthropology, Research Associate; Ontario Archaeological Society President; Blue Sky Strategic Group Board Member),
Dr. Dave Norris (Owner, Woodland Heritage Northwest), and
Chris McEvoy (Department of Anthropology Technician; Underwater archaeologist; Conservation and Adventure Photographer)
For future presentations and events hosted by the LRCA, please visit their events page at: https://lakeheadca com/events-education
Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are unmanned machines that enable researchers the ability to explore underwater environments without getting wet. Historically, these vehicles were prohibitively expensive, often costing millions of dollars, making them inaccessible to most research programs. However, advancements in consumer-grade technology—such as drones, 3D scanners, and printers—have significantly reduced costs, allowing smaller programs to incorporate this technology into their work.
The Department of Anthropology at Lakehead University utilizes a Fifish V6 ROV for its underwater surveying needs. This versatile ROV offers six-axis control, making it ideal for a range of applications. It has been used across disciplines to investigate local shipwrecks, document submerged cultural sites, and collect data on cyanobacteria and algae blooms.
The Fifish V6 being tested in the Lakehead University pool.
Dr Scott Hamilton attempts to grab the FIFISH V6 ROV out of the LU pool.
