Kenneth Roy Holyoke

The Wabanaki—contemporary Wolastoqiyik, Mi’kmaq, and Peskotomuhkati—are the original inhabitants of New Brunswick, Canada. The over 400 archaeological sites that dot the forests, riverbanks, and lakeshores of the Lower Wolastoq speak to close to 13,000 years of Wabanaki history and place-making. Climate change is having a direct impact on this historical record; as shorelines and islands erode, Ancestors and Ancestral belongings (artifacts) are lost as is the ability to tell stories of millennia past. In direct response to concerns raised by Wabanaki communities about these losses, the purpose of this research is to assess, evaluate, and develop comprehensive mitigative strategies for the impacts of climate change on the archaeological record within the Wolastoqey homeland. Wabanaki have had limited control over decisions relating to management of their heritage or the writing of their pasts, which perpetuates colonial harm and injustice. This work will be a collaborative, community-led initiative, with Wolastoqiyik and other Wabanaki peoples guiding where to focus efforts, and to what extent research work will take place. This project will inform broader anthropological enquiries related to Wabanaki place-making in the region and help Wolastoqey and Wabanaki communities make informed decisions about the long-term management of their heritage.