Please join us in welcoming James Quinn, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, and Jay Levy, the Archaeology Field Supervisor for the Mohegan Tribe, as they introduce their methods to decolonize archaeology through the Mohegan Tribe Field School. The Tribe introduces cultural practices and traditional knowledge to students during their first years of archaeological studies hoping to develop a sensitive and respectful way for them to engage Indigenous people.
About the speakers:
Jay Levy has been working for the Mohegan Tribe for 23 years. He has been involved with many subfields of anthropology for the tribe, Linguistic, Cultural, and currently Archaeology for the Mohegan Tribal Historic Preservation Office. He is a Native American Tribal Representative monitoring federally funded projects protecting cultural and natural resources. He identifies, documents, and preserves archaeological sites and sacred places on Mohegan lands. He also develops educational programs for the tribal community that include integrating Indigenous ideology, tribal tradition, and cultural protocol into land conservation. He is an Indigenous person from Colombia, South America and resides on his wife’s (Pequot/Narragansett Indian) ancestral territory in Connecticut.
James Quinn is the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) and Archaeology Program Manager for the Mohegan Tribe. He is a Mohegan tribal member and has been working for the Tribe since 2006. His work as THPO focuses on working with federal and state agencies, local governments, and land and environmental conservations groups to identify, document, and preserve historic, archaeological, and sacred Mohegan sites throughout the Mohegan ancestral homelands. His work as the archaeological manager includes co-directing the semi-annual Mohegan Archaeological Field School, surveying tribal lands, and conducting archaeological research for the Tribe. He also works with tribal youth educating them about the importance of preservation and maintaining connections to Mohegan lands.
Supported by generous donors to Shepard Krech III Lecture Fund.
